psychological problem

• Positive engagement with society is a characteristic of psychological health
• Effective coping with challenges is a characteristic of psychological health
• Not being overwhelmed by difficult feelings is a characteristic of psychological health
• Positive relationships and support networks are a characteristic of psychological health
• Unipolar depression


  Someone has been clinically diagnosed after a long period of low mood in combination with other symptoms like reduced energy, low self-confidence and sleep disturbance
• Dealing with disappointments positively without excessive self-criticism is a characteristic of psychological health
• Not over-thinking or procrastinating about decisions is a characteristic of psychological health
• Bipolar depression


  As well as having the symptoms of unipolar depression, there are periods of excessively high mood known as mania
• Dependence

  The physical need for a substance, with signs including tolerance and withdrawal
• Western society has developed medical/biological explanations for mental health problems that are tested scientifically
• Sadness


  A normal human response to negative life events, it's temporary and while unpleasant people are able to continue to function
• Non-western cultures have explanations for mental health based more on the mind and spirituality, with treatment based on religious ideas
• Addiction


  A compulsive and irrational behavior to use a substance, with the behavior being out of control and ignoring negative consequences
• This can lead to increased stigma towards people suffering from mental health conditions in non-western cultures
• International Classification of Diseases (ICD)


  A medical tool listing symptoms that psychiatrists will match the patient's experience to in order to diagnose unipolar depression
• Symptoms of mental health conditions can be interpreted differently around the world
• Substance misuse


  When legal drugs like prescription drugs are not used according to guidelines
• Symptoms of unipolar depression (from ICD)

  • Low mood (shown by behavioural and emotional aspects)
  • Reduction in energy levels
  • Change in sleep patterns
  • Change in appetite level
  • Decrease in self-confidence
  • Poor concentration
  • Guilt
  • Loss of pleasure
  • Suicidal thoughts
  • Agitation
• One example is hearing voices, which would be interpreted as an auditory hallucination and a symptom of schizophrenia in the UK, but can be seen as an acceptable and positive religious experience in some cultures
• Substance abuse


  Using drugs with the intention of changing mental state to get an emotional high, with illegal or prescription drugs
• This contributes to people from an Afro-Caribbean background being more likely to be diagnosed with schizophrenia in the UK
• ICD for diagnosing depression


  • Helps clinicians be objective, regularly updated with latest scientific knowledge
  • Could reduce clinicians' ability to use their own judgement, symptoms may not apply to everyone due to cultural differences
• Mental health is linked to the environment people live in
• ICD


  A medical tool used to diagnose addiction, where the patient's experience is matched against criteria for a disorder. It is updated frequently to match latest scientific knowledge and published by the World Health Organization.
• Biological approach to depression


  Considers the physical causes like brain structure, neurotransmitters and hormones, influenced by genes or physical factors
• Modern living has caused particular pressures due to changes in technology, the economy, and politics
• One big change is increased social isolation, with more people living alone and having fewer close friends they can confide in
• Psychological approach to depression


  Suggests faulty mental processing is the cause, shaped by experiences, development of schemas and negative attributions
• Diagnosing addiction using the ICD


  • Clinicians consider 3 symptoms: strong desire to use despite harmful consequences, difficulty controlling use, and higher priority given to the substance than other activities/obligations
• Social media is thought to have a negative effect on the mental health of younger people
• Evaluating the use of the ICD


  Advantages: clear bullet point list helps clinicians be objective, regularly updated with new scientific knowledge. Disadvantages: may reduce clinicians' ability to use their own judgment, ICD is an international guide but mental health conditions may be experienced differently around the world, inclusion of gaming disorder may be stigmatizing
• Biological treatments for depression


  Alter the imbalance of neurotransmitters, e.g. antidepressant medication
• Changes in the economy, such as more temporary employment and job insecurity, have led to increased anxiety and depression
• Biological explanation of addiction


  Suggests some people are born with a genetic vulnerability to addictive behavior, due to inheritance of certain genes from parents. It is a polygenic trait, not a single "addiction gene".
• Prescriptions for antidepressants have risen 97% between 2008 and 2018, supporting the rise in depression
• Genes alone cannot produce an addiction, there must also be access to the addictive substance and some experience using it
• Increased awareness and understanding of mental health problems has been due to the work of charities and changes in laws like the Mental Health Act
• SSRIs (Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors)


  Antidepressants that select and inhibit the reuptake of serotonin, making it more effective in the synapse
• Study investigating genetics of addiction


  • Twin study in Sweden, found 54% concordance rate for alcohol abuse in identical twins vs 28% in fraternal twins, suggesting genetic factors in alcohol addiction
• Social stigma around mental health disorders has reduced, with high-profile campaigns encouraging people to talk more about mental health