Topic 2 - The Medical Model Flashcards
(21 cards)
Key Explanations of Mental Health
Biochemical
Genetic
Brain Abnormality
Biochemical Explanation of Depression
The Biochemical explanation of depression is that it could be caused by a lack of serotonin.
It is suggested that what is happening is that the body is not responding in an appropriate way to the stimulus, as there is too little serotonin in the nervous system to transmit electrical impulses correctly across the synaptic gap.
Biochemical Explantaion of Schiziophrenia
It is suggested that schiziophrenia could be related to high levels of dopamine within the CNS, causing an overload of dopamine to reach post-synaptic nerve cells.
Objectives of Biochemical Treatment
Focusing on restoring normal levels of neurotransmitter activity, Eg. Increasing serotonin / reducing dopamine
Genetic Explanation 1 - Parents
Certain disorders can be passed from parents to children through genetic transmission.
Supported by Gottesman’s research.
Genetic Explanation 2 - Evolution
Humans have inherited traits that have a positive effect on our chances of survival.
eg. Phobias of dangerous things
Potential treatment of Genetic Explanations
Embryo manipulation to reduce the inheritence of physical disorders.
Brain Abnormality Explanations of Schiziophrenia
Brown et al (1986) - The Brains of Schiziophrenics wer 6% lighter as they had enlarged lateral ventricles (hollow areas) and a thinner para-hippocampal cortices.
Weinberger (1992) - MRI scans of identical twins, where one had Schiziophrenia - revealed differences in pre-frontal cortex and the hippocampus volume.
Brain Abnormality Explanations of Depression
Patients with depression can show a smaller Hippocampus volume.
This may have occured as people with depression may have been stressed, triggering the secretion of cortisol.
Cortisol destroys hippocampal cells, making them unable to respond to serotonin
Sheline et al (1995) - Elderly women with depression in remission had smaller hippocamuses than in women of the same age without depression
Brain Abnormality potential treatment
Drug Therapy
Surgery
Key Research
Gottesman et al (2010) - Disorders in offspring with two psychiatrically ill parents
Aim
To investigate in a large sample the probability of a child being diagnosed with a mental disorder if either or both their parents had the disorder.
Sample
2.7 million
Denmark
10-52 years old
Clear biological link to their parents
Procedure
Data was obtained through the Psychiatric Central Register
Gottesman created 4 groups to compare-
- Two parents admitted with Schiziophrenia, Bipolar or depression
- One parent admitted with Schiziophrenia, Bipolar or depression
- Neither Parent admitted
- ‘General Public’
Findings
% of people admitted to mental hospital with a diagnosis of schiziophrenia
Both Parents - 27.3%
One Parent - 7%
Neither - 0.86%
General pop. - 1.12%
Conclusions
Where both parnets have been admitted with schiziophrenia or bipolar , offspring are at ‘super-high risk’ of being admitted with the same disorder.
Application - Biological Treatments
Drug Therapy
Brain Stimulation
Drug Therapy
Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) are used to treat depression.
They block the reabsorbtion of serotonin into the pre-synaptic neuron.
Consequently, with a greater amount of serotonin in the synapse, there is an increased transmission of serotonin into the psot-synaptic neuron.
Types of Brain Stimulation
Electro-Convulsive Therapy (ECT)
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS)
Electro-Convulsive Therapy (ECT)
Electrodes placed on the patients temples and an electic shock is given.
This aims to induce an epileptic shock to ‘jump-start’ the entire brain.
Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS)
An electromagnetic coil is held against the patient’s head and an electromagnetic field passes through the brain.
