mental health - medical model Flashcards
(18 cards)
what are identical twins refered to as?
MZ ( monozygotic)
what is concordance rate?
how often the individual share the condition
what does the genetic explanation believe?
mental health comes from a physical process inside our bodies. It is in our genes
what is the genetic explanation for depression?
- focused on one gene called the serotonin transporter
- short/short version of ST highest risk
- long/long lowest risk
outline the results of the adoption studies
- Adoption studies show children of schizophrenic mothers have higher risk
- 5.8% of children raised in healthy environments developed schizophrenia
what are some limitations of the genetic explanation?
- never 100% concordance rate
- Environmental factors also play a role in schizophrenia and depression development ( adoption studies)
- Genetic predisposition does not guarantee any disorder will manifest at any point in life
what is the biochemical explanation for mental illness?
- normally functioning brain would have neurotransmitters that would work properly
- presynaptic cells have vesicles which contain neurotransmitters
- vesicles release neurotransmitters which diffuse across the synaptic cleft to the receptors which are on the postsynaptic cells
- this is a continuous cycle
- In mental illness there could be a low number of neurotransmitters or receptors
what is the dopamine hypothesis for schizophrenia?
- imbalance of dopamine causes symptoms of schizophrenia
- increased levels = positive symptoms
- decreased levels = negative symptoms
what evidence supports the dopamine hypothesis?
- antipsychotics reduce dopamine levels and alleviate symptoms
what does the brain abnormality explanation believe in?
they believe that there is something wrong in the structure or function of the brain
what is the brain abnormality explanation for depression?
- role in the frontal lobe
- coffey et al. compared sizes of frontal lobe using MRI scan
- mean frontal lobe for depressed is smaller
- Milo et al. PET scan showed the frontal lobe in the depressed do not draw blood flow in the brain and found that ECT improved blood flow
- hippocampus 20% smaller
- amygdala activity increased when shown a negative stimuli
what is the aim for Gottesman?
To calculate the risk to offspring of having both parents with a psychiatric disorder
what is the research method for gottesman?
- cohort study
- natural experiment
what is the sample for gottesman?
- denmark
- 2.6 million people
- schizophrenia and bipolar
- data from public records
outline the procedure for Gottesman
- comparison of two or more naturally occurring variables
- IV: receiving diagnosis of either bipolar or schizophrenia using ICD
- DV: child receiving a diagnosis
what were the findings for Gottesman?
- for both bipolar and schizophrenia having two parents increased the chances by 27.3% any mental issue - 67.5%
- schizophrenia with 1 parent = 7%
- schizophrenina with 0 parents = 1.1%
what are the conclusions for Gottesman?
strong rule of genetics has two parents increased the chances by a lot
- The role of genetics in schizophrenia and other mental health issues are highly influential so useful for counselling
- evidence to support genetic explanation
- genetic counsellors
give one biological treatment
ECT (electroconvulsive therapy) for depression
- electrical shocks to the brain
- induces seizures
- bilateral and lasts 15-60 seconds
- 2-3 weeks of treatment
- repeated 6 - 12 times
- muscles need to be paralysed and under general anaesthesia
