NAAN Flashcards
(12 cards)
Biological Normal
The biological explanation would explain normal and abnormal behaviour in terms of physical and biological factors such as neurotransmitters, neuroanatomy and genetics.
Biological Abnormal
Therefore it would suggest that mental illness is the result of imbalances in the neurotransmitter levels, variations in brain structure or our genes. One explanation of schizophrenia is that it is genetically inherited via the C4 and CRM3 genes or that an imbalance in levels of the neurotransmitter dopamine in the doperminergic pathways cause schizophrenic symptoms.
Biological Aim
Biological explanations of schizophrenia have implications for how behaviour should be modified. The explanation can be usefully applied to help modify schizophrenia through drug treatments such as antipsychotics. the aim of antipsychotics is to target dopamine imbalances in the doperminigic pathways which will reduce the symptoms of schizophrenia.
Biological Return to Normal
Antipsychotic drugs such as phenothiazine in the 50s revolutionised psychiatry by reducing symptoms e.g delusions and hallucinations by blocking the build up of dopamine i.e reducing levels. Atypical antipsychotics such as clozapine antagonise serotonin 5-HT2A and dopamine D2 receptors equally resulting in an increase in dopamine in the mesocortical pathway, therefore the drug is effective in reducing both positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia.
Individual Differences Normal
Individual differences explanations of behaviour would explain normal and abnormal behaviour in terms of characteristics that separate people and make people different to one another. Individual differences could be development (childhood or cognitive) gender, personality, attitude, values etc.
Individual Differences Abnormal
Some explanations of schizophrenia have identified and focused on these individual differences which help us understand who is most at risk from these disorders. The psychodynamic explanation focuses on our unique childhood experiences and fixations at the oral stage as well as schizophrenogenic mothers.
Cognitive explanations focus on the development of our individual cognitive malfunctions such as faulty attentional filters which could manifest as schizophrenic symptoms.
Individual Differences Aim
Therefore individual differences explanations have implications for how behaviour should be modified. The cognitive explanation can be usefully applied to help modify schizophrenia through cognitive therapies such as CBT. The aim of CBT is to challenge and correct maladaptive thoughts and replace them with constructive thinking which will help reduce the symptoms of schizophrenia.
Individual Differences Return to Normal
the therapist will try to make these maladaptive thoughts conscious and then by challenging them the client will see that there is no basis for them . This is achieved through a variety of cognitive and engagement strategies. Hearing voices can be helped by clients focusing on the nature of the voices that they hear e.g if they are male or female, or by drawing pictures of the voices. Clients begin to recognise the voices represent part of who they are are and are taught strategies to protect them against the wishes of the voices e.g relaxation or focus on/indulge the voices for 2 hours a day.
Social Psychological Normal
Social psychological explanations would explain normal and abnormal behaviour in terms of our social environmental i.e social and cultural factors such as family, life events and urbanicity.
Social Psychological Abnormal
Suggest that mental illness is the result of factors in our environment which would make us more prone to mental health issues. One explanation of schizophrenia is the level of expressed emotion in families which could be dysfunctional. Other factors in our social environment such as living in cities, lack of green space, social isolation and discrimination could all be influential in the development and maintenance of schizophrenia.
Social PSychological Aim
Therefore social psychological explanations have implications for how behaviour should be modified. This explanation can be usefully applied to help modify schizophrenia through making changes in our social environment with the aim of reducing schizophrenic risk factors and symptoms. Interventions to reduce stress through improved urban design e.g more green space and less pollution. Intervention could be more in the form of family based therapy which aims to reduce the level of conflict ina. Family and to improve the expression and communication of emotions and feelings.
Social Psychological Return to Normal
Family interventions help families by addressing the way emotion is expressed and helping them to re-establish normal communication which could help prevent relapse and reduce hospital admissions. Techniques such as maintaining reasonable expectations for behaviour and increasing the capacity of relatives to anticipate and solve problems.
