Psychological problems

• Dopamine Hypothesis


  Dopamine system is overactive - high levels of dopamine binding to receptors
• Brain dysfunction in schizophrenia

  • Less blood flow in frontal lobe (responsible for logic, reasoning, problem solving etc.)
  • Reduced volume of hippocampus (poor cognitive functioning & accessing/processing memories)
• Social Drift Theory


  • Label of schizophrenia could lead to the condition worsening - due to the associated stigma around mental illness -> discrimination
  • Person withdraws from society (due to symptoms & fear of discrimination) then leads to rejection by society -> further deterioration of mental health
• Social Rank Theory


  • We behave in a certain way for survival reasons
  • When we lose a level of status we can lose confidence in our abilities (depressed state)
  • If we try to regain our rank we may suffer further losses which would be detrimental for our survival (be rejected from the social group)
  • Therefore depression allows us to accept a subordinate role & reduces further conflict
• ABC Model


  • Depression is the result of an Activating event, which leads to irrational Beliefs, which then cause negative Consequences
  • According to Ellis the 'B' is the most important part of the model
  • Depression = result of irrational beliefs, individuals who are prone to depression will perceive events in a more negative way than other people
• Mental Health Continuum


  Good mental health = high self-esteem, autonomy, self-actualisation, accurate perception of reality
• Difficult to measure as not all problems diagnosed. Statistics: 1 in 4 in UK, affects both sex equally, but men develop sz. earlier than women. Asians more likely to develop depression.
• Neuropsychological Tests & Scans

  • Wisconsin Card Sort test (WCST)- frontal lobe function
  • Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) – severity of depression
  • PET scan - shows blood flow in the brain
• Use of Drugs to Treat Conditions

  • Depression: anti-depressant drugs increase the number of neurotransmitters in the brain (serotonin or noradrenaline). Excess serotonin helps the neurons communicate better, which helps people feel less depressed.
  • Schizophrenia: anti-psychotic drugs act by blocking some of the dopamine receptors. By reducing the level of dopamine, it reduces the effects of the psychotic episode.
• Psychotherapy


  CBT – aims to change how the individual thinks & behaves- to confront the negative irrational thoughts and how they impact on the individual. Uses Ellis' A-B-C model and adds D= Disputing (questioning) the persons irrational beliefs and E= Effect of changing the interpretation of an event.