Treatment of Psych Disorders Flashcards
(53 cards)
Different treatment approaches
-Psychanalytic
-Humanistic
-Existential
-Behavioral
-Cognitive Theories
-Biological Approaches
Therapy
-Clients are guided be reflective & introspective find their own answers
-Reduce stress & improve ability to function in daily life
Psychotherapy
-Seeks to improve relationships, social skills, and overall wellbeing promote personal growth
-Not just talking– therapist uses clinical techniques, exercises, and assignments
Treatment
A variety of strategies to help people manage psychological disorders
Psychopharmacology
-Administer psychotropic medications
-May not be sufficient way to treat disorder
Why many fail to seek treatment
-People may not realize that they have a mental disorder can be effectively treated.
-People’s beliefs may keep them from getting help
-Structural barriers prevent people from physically getting to treatment
Psychologist
-Usually holds a doctorate (PhD or PsyD)
-Extensive training in:
-Therapy
-Assessment of Psychological Disorders
-Research
-Must be licensed by their state to practice.
-Sometimes will have a specialty
Psychiatrist
-Medical doctor who has completed a Medical Degree (MD)
-Specialized training in assessing and treating mental disorders
-Can prescribe medications
-Some also practice psychotherapy (talk therapy)
-General practice doctors can also prescribe medications for mental disorders but typically don’t receive much training in the diagnosis & treatment of mental disorders and do not practice psychotherapy.
Social Worker
-Typically have a masters degree in social work
-Training in working with people in dire life situations such as:
-Poverty
-Homelessness
-Family Conflict
-Disabilities
-Special training to help people in these situations who have mental disorders
Therapist/Counselor
-Therapist is a broad term that describes master’s-level mental health professionals
-Counselors, marriage and family therapists, alcohol and drug abuse counselors
-Trained in assessment and treatment of psychological disorders and practice in a variety of settings
History of Mental Health Treatment
-History of Mental Health Treatment is complicated and controversial.
-In the middle ages, mentally ill patients became outcasts and were often left to their own devices in society.
-Harsh perceptions of mentally ill:
-Viewed mentally ill as witches or proof of demonic possession.
-Women were condemned as witches more frequently than men:
-Hysteria & epilepsy were the two illnesses that were most frequently confused with witchcraft or demonic possession, especially if they were accompanied by tremors, convulsions or loss of consciousness.
-Treatment for ”demonic possessions” almost appeared as torture
Asylums
-Isolation became the preferred treatment for mental illness beginning in the medieval times
-Mental Asylums became widespread by 17th century
-”warehouses” for mentally ill
-“The purpose of the earliest mental institutions was neither treatment nor cure, but rather the enforced segregation of inmates from society,”
-Conditions were often harsh, cruel, and inhumane.
-Overcrowding, poor sanitation, harsh treatments of patients
Prefrontal Lobotomy
-Was used to treat severe cases of psychosis
-1st in 1936
-Severs the connection between prefrontal lobe and rest of brain.
-Very invasive, often involved creating holes in one’s skull.
-Very dangerous and controversial procedure, and had very mixed results…..
-Now obsolete procedure
Trephination
-Involved removing a small part of the skill.
-Began around 7,000 years ago and was perceived to released demons though to be causing illness.
-Most people died from this procedure.
One of the earliest forms of “psychosurgery”.
Insulin Shock Therapy
-Injecting high levels of insulin into patients to cause convulsions and a coma.
-After several hours, they would be revived form coma, and thought cured of their madness.
Electroconvulsive Shock Therapy
-A generalized seizure is electrically induced to manage mental disorders
-Wasn’t without side effects including amnesia (memory loss), increased suicidal tendencies, etc.
-Very controversial treatment but still used more as a last resort treatment if nothing else is working.
Move to Evidence-Based Treatment
-Shift to a scientific approach and need for evidence of treatment success
-Modern standards for treatment
-Medication, licensure, and training programs
Efficacy
Therapy works under strictly controlled conditions
Effectiveness
Therapy works in the “real world”
Psychotherapy
-An interaction between a socially sanctioned clinician & someone suffering from a psychological problem, with the goal of providing support or relief from the problem.
-Eclecticism: Draws techniques from many different forms of therapy, depending on the client and the problem
-Psychotherapy focuses on:
-Changing internal experiences
-Adjusting of expression of internal experiences via behavior
Individual therapy
-Collaborative relationship between the individual and their therapist
-Formation of a rapport- individual’s comfort and willingness to engage with his or her therapist
Group therapy
-A treatment option in which a therapist works with multiple individuals at one time
-Specific focus on a mental health concern vs. a space where individuals can explore their feelings together
-Group dynamic- how individuals in the group relate to and interact with one another
Schools of Psychotherapy
3 major schools of therapy, typically rooted in scientific theory and empirical methods:
1. Psychodynamic therapy
2. Humanistic therapy
3. Behavior and cognitive therapy
Psychodynamic Therapy
Explores childhood events and encourage individuals to use the understanding gained from the exploration to develop insight into their psychological problems.
