mental health - alternatives to the medical model

Question 1

what does the behaviourist perspective believe?

Answer 1

assumes that all behavior is learned from the environment and argues that classical and operant conditioning and social learning theory can treat and give explanations for mental illnesses

Question 2

what is classical conditioning and what does it lead to?

Answer 2

• learning by association
• believes how phobias develop

Question 3

what study backs up classical conditioning

Answer 3

• Little albert
  associating a white mouse with loud noises

Question 4

what is operant conditioning and how does it link to mental illness?

Answer 4

• learning by consequences and rewards
• negative reinforcement leads to the phobia to remain and develop e.g removing phobia

Question 5

what is social learning theory and how does it link to mental illness

Answer 5

• people imitate what they see
• children copy parents who deal with situations in an unhealthy way
• mostly obvious in depression

Question 6

how can classical conditioning be used as a treatment for phobias in the behaviourist approach?

Answer 6

associate the phobia with a good thing

Question 7

give a treatment for phobias in the behaviourist approach

Answer 7

• systematic desensitization
• get the participants to write 10 things they would want to be able to achieve by the end
• and start slowly working through it
• teaching them relaxing techniques they can use
• before moving onto next stage they have to give a number out of 10 on how they are feeling and has to be below 3 to move on

Question 8

Outline Lewinsohns study

Answer 8

• used operant conditioning for depression
• asked parents to only reinforce non-depressive behaviours on teenagers
• levels dropped to 52%

Question 9

what does the cognitive approach believe?

Answer 9

All mental illnesses can be traced to faulty thinking patterns (schemas) and can be rectified by changing these thinking patterns

Question 10

what is Becks triad?
and the example for depression

Answer 10

a negative triad

negative views about the world
-Ve views about future
-ve views about self

e.g
1. I am worthless
2. Everything I do will fail
3. the future is hopeless

Question 11

what is Ellis ABC model?

Answer 11

ABC model of cognitive behavioural therapy

a - activating agent
b -belifes about event
c - consequences

normal
a - external
b - rational
c - positive

depression
a- internal
b - irrational
c - negative

Question 12

give examples of some cognitive distortions

Answer 12

• over generalizing
• all or nothing
• Catastrophization
• Filtering

Question 13

give one treatment in the cognitive approach

Answer 13

CBT - cognitive behavioural therapy
- combines behavioural and cognitive
- cognitive techniques address thinking patterns and behavioural help change behaviours
- individually or in groups
- focus on present rather than past
- practice strategies ( given things to practice)
- taught over 6 - 12 sessions

Question 14

what does the humanistic approach believe?

Answer 14

Maslow believes all people are born with the ability to be mentally healthy. Every person is born with the innate desire to self-actualise if they have freewill, self esteem and self worth. anything preventing the person growing and self-actualising is what can cause social or mental problems.

Question 15

what does self-actualise mean?

Answer 15

become the best version of yourself

Question 16

how does someone reach self-actualisation?

Answer 16

their ideal self has to match their perceived self

Question 17

what are conditions of worth?

Answer 17

conditions that we have to meet for us to feel we are of worth

Question 18

what is unconditional positive regard?

Answer 18

the knowledge that we are loved no matter what we do

Question 19

what is the humanistic approach treatment for depression?

Answer 19

• client - centered therapy
• focusing on raising self-esteem
• therapist gives client unconditional positive regard and is genuine and empathic
• help to reach self actualisation
• could include removing conditions of worth
• therapist does not tell them what to do but give them time and suggestions to make own choices

Question 20

what was the title of szasz essay and when was it published?

Answer 20

• myth of mental illness
• 1960s

Question 21

what did szasz claim in his essay?

Answer 21

• claimed treating mental illness as a condition was wrong and they were just behaving differently
• treating the illnesses was simply to make society feel more comfortable rather than actually help the patients themselves
• Mental illness is not the same as physical illness
• mental patients are treated no better than prisoners

Question 22

What was the reconsideration of Szasz in 2010?

Answer 22

• It is a false belief that all mental illness can be diagnosed accurately and treated successfully
• Political and economic factors have labelled mental health as a disease
• mental illness is just the judgement of others behaviours
• Mental illness is not caused by biological factors and should not be treated medically. People should be understood and helped to overcome their obstacles with respect

Question 23

What does Szasz mean that there is “no such thing as mental illness”?

Answer 23

• Medical and political construct
• A way of labelling behaviour that society doesn’t understand or like
• Physical illnesses can be misdiagnosed as mental illnesses

Question 24

What does Szasz mean by “the medicalisation of disturbing or disturbed behaviours”?

Answer 24

• No such thing as mental illness
• Mental illness describes behaviours that disturb others or the self
• He says if there is a biological cause, then it was never a mental illness but an undiagnosed bodily illness
• Coercive treatment forced

Question 25

What does Szasz mean when he says mental illness is a metaphor?

Answer 25

- Disturbed/abnormal behaviour - Behaviour that society doesn’t like or understand