Topic 1 Historical Views

Question 1

Explain the first views of mental disorders

Answer 1

The earliest views on abnormal behavior (16BC-400BC) attributed it to supernatural causes such as possessions of good or bad spirits, demons,or gods. The cure for possessions was exorcisms which included prayer, magic or trepanation (carving holes into ppls heads)

400 bc Hippocrates was revolutionary for the time because everyone thought like above

Shift away from the supernatural. Attributed disorders to brain pathology as brain was central organ of intellectual activity.
- heredity and predisposition
- injuries to brain cause motor and sensory disorders
- physical or mental illness resulted from adverse mixtures of blood, phlegm, bile and black bile physiological and mental being linked

Question 2

Describe Plato, Aristotle and Galena’s views

Answer 2

Plato: The mentally ill are not responsible for their actions, partly divinely caused, should be cared for in community

Aristotle (pupil of Plato): notion of consciousness and hippocratic bile theory

Galen: contribution to anatomy of the nervous system

Question 3

What were the views of the Middle Ages?

Answer 3

-Middle East had more scientific approach the first mental health hospital was established in Baghdad

-Europe was devoid of humane treatment and scientific thinking. Treatment consisted of prayer, holy water, laying of hands and were carried out by religious figures

Question 4

1500-1600 Humanistic approach

Question 5

What is abnormality?

Answer 5

There is no universal definition for Abnormality, many are possible and not necessarily mutually exclusive
- statistical deviation
-maladaptive behavior
-norm or value violation
- deviation from the ideal
- personal distress/discomfort
- medical disorder

Question 6

What are the elements of Abnormality

Answer 6

-Suffering
-Maladaptiveness
- deviancy
- violation of standards of society
- social discomfort
- irrationality and unpredictability
- dangerousness

Question 7

What is a mental disorder?

Answer 7

Biological, psychological or developmental dysfunction in an individual associated with distress/ disability. Clinically significant disturbance in behavior, emotional regulation or cognitive function

Question 8

Describe Moral Management

Answer 8

Moral management is a treatment approach put forth by Benjamin Rush based on Pinel’s kindness and consideration approach. It emphasizes the patient’s social, individual and occupational needs. It focused on rehabilitating a patient’s moral character and spirituality as opposed to the disorder

Question 9

The Mental hygiene movement

Answer 9

Dorothea Dix lead this movement that advocated for the physical needs/wellbeing of mentally ill hospital patients mainly the infrastructure of their facilities.

Question 10

The Mental hygiene movement

Answer 10

Dorothea Dix lead this movement that advocated for the physical needs/wellbeing of mentally ill hospital patients mainly the infrastructure of their facilities.

Question 11

Principle Diagnosis

Answer 11

The disorder that is considered to be the primary reason the individual seeks professional help

Question 12

Differential diagnosis

Answer 12

Process of systematically ruling out alternative diagnoses

Question 13

Comorbidity

Answer 13

Situation that occurs when multiple diagnostic conditions occur simultaneously within the same individual

Question 14

Acute

Answer 14

Disorder of sudden onset usually with intense symptoms

Question 15

Chronic

Answer 15

Long standing or frequently recurring disorder often of progressing seriousness

Question 16

Mild, moderate, severe

Answer 16

Mild- low order of severity
Moderate- intermediate order of severity
Severe- high degree of seriousness

Question 17

Episodic Disorder

Answer 17

Describes a disorder that tends to abate and recur

Question 18

Recurrent

Answer 18

Describes a disorder pattern that tends to come and go