Week 8 - Historical Perspectives

Question 1

Overview: What are the three perspectives of ‘distress’

Answer 1

Biological (somatogenesis)
- Genetic Risk: autism, bipolar, psychosis
- Brain Abnormalities: Genetic code for development? illness?

Psychological reaction (psychogenesis)
- “View one takes” (cognitive distortion)
- Developmental factors: attachment, early history, general stresses

Social Factors
- Deprivation
- Isolation
- Alienation

Question 2

Outline the historical perspective: “Pre-history” (20,000BC)

Answer 2

ANIMISM: anything explained as ‘odd’ due to possession
- Cause: an evil-doer
- Treatment: exorcism, trepanning, ostracism

Question 3

*Outline the historical perspective: Greek and Roman Period

Answer 3

SOMATOGENIC: illness due to NATURE and not ‘punishment’ from the Gods (Hippocrates)

Some consideration given to psychological aspects to emotional distress and treatment: emotional distress has biological causes

Includes HUMOURISM: Balance of body fluids (bile, phlegm, blood) affects mental state

Question 4

Outline the historical perspective: “Dark Ages” (pre-medieval) and the Medieval Era

Answer 4

Pre-Medieval: DEMONOLOGY: different behaviour interpreted as possession
- Treatment: prayers, relics
- Lack of scientific methods

Medieval: No explanation systems for differences - but legal definitions of differences developed (“born fools”)
- Treatment: confined (often in church run hospitals)
- Many women put on trial for witchcraft

Question 5

Outline the historical perspective: Towards the Renaissance/Elizabethan period

Answer 5

SCIENCE- consideration of how events can cause emotional distress (Psychogenesis)

Example: Shakespeare
- Lady Macbeth has obsessive rituals triggered by guilt

Question 6

Outline the historical perspective: Towards the Industrial Revolution

Answer 6

ANIMALISM: de-humanising
- Asylums: became “theatre” for the rich
- Mad could not control themselves

Treatments: Blood letting, fright, forced vomiting

Question 7

*Outline the historical perspective: Towards Enlightenment

Answer 7

HUMANITARIANISM AND SOCIAL REVOLUTION
- Locke proposed that the ‘self’ was developed by experience
- QUaker movement in the UK: started retreats for the vulnerable
- Institutionalising people “denying light and air” worsened problems

Question 8

*Outline the historical perspective: 19th-20th Century

Answer 8

Advances in understanding mental health: a BIOLOGICAL approach
- Proposed chemical imbalances as causes of MHP
- Advances in IDENTIFICATION and TREATMENTS
(eg. germs can transmit and damage areas of the brain)

BEHAVIOURISM: Socio-behavioural approaches (eg. Watson for phobias)

Foundations of psychoanalysis

Question 9

Outline the historical perspective: Current era

Answer 9

Acceptance of Human Rights and need for Social Justice

Bio-psycho-social accounts of MHP are currently used - diagnostic and treatment plans considering holistic elements

Care in the community