Chapter 2 - An integrative Approach to Psychopathology Flashcards
(27 cards)
What does polygenetic mean in relation to psychopathology
we have to recognize that its less about a single gene that results in a disorder or symptoms, its more about multiple genes playing a role in the expression or a disorder.
What percentage of genes influence a psychological disorder?
- There is less an 50% genetic influence in all psychological disorder. Meaning genetic factors play some contribution but never 50% or more.
Explain the diathesis-stress model. This theory is more based on inherited ____.
Understanding the relationship between environment and genetics.
- Hypothesis that we can have an inherited tendency that can understood as a genetic vulnerability (diathesis) and when we have an environmental stressor (e.g. life stress) that is added to that equation, it can lead to the development of a disorder.
Explain the gene-environment correlation model. This theory is more based on creating ________ risk.
Genetic vulnerability can create an environmental risk.
Having genetic influence, specific personality trait leading to increased environmental risk
What are epigenetics and what is the theory behind them for psychopathology? What research study was done with rats and what did they find.
Environmental factors altering how genes are expressed (activate or deactivate)
we take a group of high licking mothers and we mate them and during their pregnancy we expose them to a high level of stress their offspring will become low licking mothers and the mothers exposed to that stress will become low licking mothers.
what are the two main structures of the brain
Limbic system and the PFC
describe the components and functionality of the limbic system
Limbic System: There are 4 main structures (associated with earlier processes).
1. Hypothalamus: Helps us maintain levels of homeostasis (chemically).
2. Thalamus: Gathers information from our senses and buts them together in a more coherent way
3. Amygdala: Fundamental emotional centre in the brain (e.g. fear, pain)
4. Hippocampus: Associated with memory and memory conversion
describe the PFC and its function
Prefrontal Cortex:
This is where our consciousness is, empathy, reasoning, insight, executive functioning, helps us to regulate our emotions (e.g. feel the feeling (Limbic) and then I’m feeling angry (PFC)).
what is polyvagal theory
Polyvagal Theory (Stephen Porges): Involves the role of our nervous system (NS) in stress response therefore certain stress and trauma related disorders.
Based on NS structure from reptiles that we evolved from. When we encounter something threatening, our NS amps up and we either fight or flight.
Sympathetic NS is our fight response (inhale): Breathing rate increases (needs more oxygen going to muscles, heart), adrenaline runs, digestion slows down.
Parasympathetic NS (exhale): more available to be grounded, digest
We are focussed on where the sympathetic and parasympathetic system
This theory proposing there is another division between PNS and SNS. Proposes there is a:
1) Dorsal vagal nerve: We can get to where our stress response shuts off and then activation goes back to our PNS in the dorsal vagal nerve (feeling helpless, hopeless, depression, numbness, dissociation)
- Expending resources, brain protects itself by dissociation. Freeze.
2) Ventral vagal nerve: Most calm state within the parasympathetic division (more open to connection, relationship, grounded, joy), digestion increases, higher immune response, sleepy.
- As arousal increases, we have less in ventral and more in sympathetic NS (no digestion, less immune response)
what is dissociation and derealization and what nerve and part of the NS
depersonalization (I was outside of my body) or derealization (experience of life don’t feel real)
NS is parasympathetic and its the dorsal nerve
what are neurotransmitters and what do the 3 kinds of drugs do to their functioning
Neurotransmitters: Chemical messengers through neurons in our brains. Psychopharmacological medicines increase or decrease flows of neurotransmitters. There are different neurotransmitters always involved.
- Agonists drugs: Drugs that increase the activity of a NT
- Antagonists’ drugs: Drugs that reduce activity of NT
- Inverse agonists drugs: Produce the opposite effect of an NT
What are the monoamine NTs and what do they do
Monoamine NTs:
- Norepinephrine: Controls some basic bodily functions and impact alarm response and behavioural tendencies as a result.
o SNRIs
- Serotonin: Regulates (i.e. mediate) behaviours, moods, thoughts.
o If we have low levels, we may experience lowered inhibitions (impulsivity, aggression, impact memory and overreactions)
o Tricyclic antidepressants (1950s) that worked on the serotonin system
o SSRIs (1980s) selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors: inhibit reuptake of leftover serotonin to keep it going instead of inhibiting it.
Meaning that you run out of serotonin and norepinephrine more often so it can take longer 6-8 weeks where your body learns to produce more.
- Dopamine: Thinking, planning, pleasure.
o Because its involved with pleasure it can also be related to schizophrenia, addictions, ADHD, depression.
o Increasing dopamine means that you can get more addicted
what are the Amino acid NT and what do they do? What kinds of drugs
Amino acid NTs:
- Glutamate & Gamma aminobutyric acid (GABA): If we add a benzo to our body, it will increase GABA attachment in our neurons and therefore increase levels of inhibition (meaning we become calmer).
o Benzodiazepines: Fast acting ~15-20 mins
Valium, Xanax: work for anxiety
Addictive:
Issues: Shouldn’t be driving/drinking
what are the critiques of psychopharmacology
- The only distinction between the effect and side effect of a drug is how we chose to market the drug. There is so much variation from person to person on how people experience a drug.
- Just because a drug increases monoamines and reduces depressive symptoms does not mean depression is caused by monoamine deficiency.
- Anti-depressants can increase monoamine concentrations within minutes, yet antidepressant effects on symptoms only appear after a few weeks
- Cocaine increases monoamines, but is not an effective antidepressant
- Some antidepressants decrease monoamines
- Depletion of monoamines does not induce depression in non-depressed individuals
- There is publication bias, harmful side effects, effects don’t provide good evidence for cause of psychological disorders.
- Medications can be a tool but its important we do our own work
who is martin seligam and what did he come up with through research
Martin Seligam (B):
Learned helplessness: Condition in which people come to believe they have little to no control over their lives (can’t shape life for the better, maintain a sense of optimism).
- Studied through rats by giving them a problem. Paired the efficiency with a punishment. If there was no relationship between the behaviour and absence of a punishment (spontaneous punishment), overtime they would give up on trying to problem solve.
Learned optimism: Condition in which people come to believe they have control over their lives
who is albert bandura and what did he come up with
Albert Bandura (B):
Modelling/ Observational learning (Earlier work in developmental): Particular behaviours that are modelled for children can be passed on.
- Bobo Doll Experiment
Moral disengagement Theory (Social Psychology): Process of convincing the self that ethical standards do not apply in particular contexts. Process in which we separate our own morality from inhumane conduct, therefore justify these behaviours.
- We create moral justification for inhumane behaviours (don’t state what it truly is).
- Moral justification, sanitized languages, advantageous comparisons (own inhumanities look less worse than others)
- There are ways to disconnect from humanity and our external world.And how this can influence our relationship with our own thoughts.
who is aaron beck and what did he come up with. what are cognitive distortions
Cognitive-Behavioural Therapy (CBT): Group of treatment procedures aimed at identifying and modifying “faulty” thought processes.
- One of the most empirically easy treatment approaches.
- Teaching the client about CBT principles (there is homework, increasing validity because empirically valid).
- Places central the idea of thinking world being center to our experiences. Meaning if we can change our thought patterns, we c an change our behavioural outcomes as well as our emotional experiences.
Antecedent: Something that happens in the world before a behaviours (e.g. shopping cart incident)
Belief: Belief of what occurred (“Sarah must hate me”) – this is a cognition
Consequences: Something that occurred after the behaviour of emotion. (Emotionally: Embarrassed, disappointment, shame, rejected, Behaviourally: pick up ice cream and get under weighted blanket)
o Belief stage, we would ask what are the other consequences (e.g. bad day, shy) so is it the case that she hates you but other things and change the beliefs that reduce negative affect
- Made cognitive distortions: all or nothing thinking (if something isn’t in one binary it is automatically the other)
- Emotional reasoning: making an assumption that because we are feeling something, it must be true.
how can emotions impact behaviour and vice versa
Emotion & Behaviour: Emotion impacts our behaviour.
- Behaviour based on emotion, its easier to pick up on (e.g. behaviour of sadness can elicit compassion from others).
how can cognitive aspects of emptions impact us and how we think
Cognitive Aspects of Emotion: Relationship between our world and what we think.
- E.g. emotions show us threats and information about ourselves and our world.
how can physiology and emotion impact us and how we think
Physiology of Emotion: Emotional core in the brain relates to our nervous system and our regulation. What and how we are feeling impacts what goes on in our body.
are interpersonal relationship important for survival
yep. Vast majority of emotions involve relationship with other people
how can epigenetics and genetics impact interpersonal relationships. what do we know about indegenous peoples.
- Increased rates of psychopathology among indigenous populations
- Epigenetics and genetics go through our value systems
- We can ground the expression of psychological disorders of which they come.
how can the elderly and social stigma effect psychological disorder
Elderly: When we lose people to old age that opens changes of depression and anxiety disorders.
Social stigma: Not having the same space as others to process emotions or heal
what is equifinality
Equifinality: Developmental principle that states that a certain behaviours, symptoms, or disorders may have several different causes.
- There can be genetic, behavioural, cultural, cognitive influences.
