Issues in mental health: Topic Two Flashcards

1
Q

What is topic two?

A

The medical model

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2
Q

Which neurotransmitter has been linked to low mood?

A

Serotonin

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3
Q

What is it thought that low levels of serotonin can cause?

A

Depression

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4
Q

What types of drugs are given for depression as a result of low levels of serotonin?

A

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)

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5
Q

Describe the role of serotonin from the pre synaptic to the post synaptic cell

A

Serotonin plays a role in transmitting messages across the synapse, once the post synaptic cell has been stimulated the serotonin is taken back (reuptake) into the presynaptic cell to await the next message

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6
Q

What do SSRIs do?

A

They prevent the reuptake of serotonin so there is more of the serotonin available in the synapse to carry future messages and therefore reducing symptoms of depression

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7
Q

Why might genetics play a role in mental illness?

A

As the mental illness can be passed from parent to child

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8
Q

What is believed about the passing on of a mental illness from parent to child in terms of how a child will be more likely to inherit such illnesses?

A

That the child might have a predisposition to the disorder but would need an environmental trigger for the disorder to be displayed within the child

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9
Q

What did Gottesmann find in terms of identical twins having mental disorders?

A

That if one twin had a mental illness, there was a 58% chance that the other twin would have it

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10
Q

Describe the evolutionary theory of mental illness

A

Behaviours that have a positive effect on our survival are likely to become inherited traits as people with these traits initially survived to mate and pass them on

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11
Q

What format of treatment is in it’s early stages of research in terms of genetics causing disorders?

A

Genetic manipulation which may be able to reduce mental illness

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12
Q

What did Weinberger look into?

A

Brain differences in people with schizophrenia

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13
Q

What did Weinberger find?

A

That non-affected twins showed differences in the prefrontal cortex and the hippocampus volume compared to affected twins (as shown through MRI scans)

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14
Q

What was the aim of Gottesman’s research?

A

To investigate in a large sample the probability of a child, with two parents with a psychiatric illness, being diagnosed with a mental disorder, in particular, the one that their parents have

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15
Q

Describe where the sample came from and from what year?

A

The population of Denmark alive or born in 1968 and with a clear link to their biological parents was established from the civil registration system

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16
Q

From the people found in the civil registration system, which people were included?

A

Those aged 10 before January 2007

17
Q

Overall, how many couples were studied in Gottesman’s study?

A

Approx. 1.3 million

18
Q

What was identified from the psychiatric central register in terms of the sample?

A

Anyone who had ever received a diagnosis of schizophrenia, bipolar disorder or depression

19
Q

Describe group A

A

2 parents with bipolar or schizophrenia

20
Q

Describe group B

A

1 parent with bipolar or schizophrenia

21
Q

Describe group C

A

Neither parent diagnosed

22
Q

Describe group D

A

‘General public’ (no info on illness)

23
Q

What were the results in terms of children from group A having the same disorder as their parents?

A
  1. 9% Bipolar

27. 3% Schizophrenia

24
Q

What were the results in terms of children from group D having bipolar or schizophrenia?

A
  1. 48% Bipolar

0. 86% Schizophrenia

25
Q

Outline Gottesman’s conclusions in terms of the risk of a child being diagnosed for schizophrenia?

A

The risk with 2 parents diagnosed is 3.9 times higher than 1 parent diagnosed and 31.7 times higher than neither parent diagnosed

26
Q

Outline Gottesman’s conclusions in terms of the risk of a child being diagnosed with bipolar

A

The risk of 2 parents diagnosed in 51.7 times higher than neither parent diagnosed

27
Q

What did Gottesman find in terms of parents who were diagnosed with another disorder and the risk of schizophrenia?

A

If both parents are diagnosed with another disorder, the risk of schizophrenia is higher

28
Q

Outline the advantage of drug therapy over cognitive and behavioural treatments for disorders

A

Drugs are a quick way of altering the brains biochemistry to treat symptoms of mental illness and research has shown they work faster than cognitive and behavioural treatments

29
Q

Discuss the main disadvantage of drug therapy to treat disorders

A

Some drugs (e.g. Prozac) has been associated with an increase in suicidal thoughts

30
Q

What did Kahn et al find in terms of drugs increasing suicidal thoughts?

A

He did not find a significant difference between antidepressants and placebos in the amount of suicidal risk they cause

31
Q

Give an example of a condition better suited to drug therapy

A

Schizophrenia

32
Q

What does ECT stand for?

A

Electro-convulsive therapy

33
Q

What does ECT involve?

A

Electrodes being placed on a patients head and an electric shock passed into the brain for a fraction of a second (under anaesthetic and muscle relaxants)

34
Q

What does ECT induce and what has this been effective at reducing?

A

ECT induces a seizure and has been effective at quickly reducing the symptoms of depression

35
Q

How long does treatment usually run and with how many treatments of ECT?

A

Usually runs for 2-3 weeks with 6-12 treatments

36
Q

What possible side effects are there of ECT?

A

Physical trauma (heart problems), short term memory confusion and longer term memory loss (although this is not common)

37
Q

Annually in the UK how many patients undergo ETC?

A

4000 patients

38
Q

ECT can ‘turn down’ what?

A

Overactive connections in the brain as they start to build