Historical views of mental illness

• What are the historical views of mental illness: Part 1?

  1. Humorism- The theory that the body contained 4 fluids (blood, yellow bile, black bile, phlegm). It was believed that if there is an imbalance in these it would lead to sickness

  • TREATMENT- purging- leeches attached to the body

  2. Hysteria- Uncontrollable fits of emotion seen as a mental illness that only women could get. This was the belief that women were defective creatures due to original sin or sexual forwardness.

  • TREATMENT- hydrotherapy, pelvic massage
• What are historical views of mental illness: Part 2?

  3. Posession- Where a human body is taken control by spirits. This was believed to happen if a person had sinned as this was their punishment.

  • TREATMENT- exorcism- ridding people of evil spirits
• What are the 3 definitions of abnormality?

  Statistical infrequency

  Failure to function adequately

  Deviation from ideal mental health
• What is statistical frequency?

  A way of thinking or behaviour should be classified as abnormal if it is rare. Any behaviour which is 3 standard deviations below or above the mean should be considered abnormal.

  DADV: behaviours we may consider abnormal may not be abnormal to others
• What is failure to function adequately?

  Where a person is abnormal if they are unable to cope with the demands of everyday life

  Rosenhan and Seligman suggest that suffering and maladaptiveness violate social standards

  ADV: can be easy to assess and recognise

  DADV: hard to determine when distress becomes dysfunctional
• What is deviation from ideal mental health?

  Where we define what is normal and anything that deviates from this is regarded as abnormal.

  Jahoda defines ideal mental health as positive view of self, autonomy and independence, positive friendships and relationships and capability for growth

  ADV: focuses on positive characteristics which can be used to set goals for treatment

  DADV: many of the criteria are difficult to measure
• How can you categorise mental illness?

  1. ICD-10

  • diagnoses physical and mental disorders

  2. DSM-V

  • diagnoses only mental health
  • clinicians consider environmental factors
• What is OCD?

  Recurrent obsessional thoughts or compulsive acts which can be violent or senseless. The sufferer often tries unsuccessfully to resist them. This is because the individual's own thoughts and actions are viewed as preventing some objectively unlikely event which often involves harm.
• What are the diagnostic guidelines of OCD?

  • Obsessional or compulsive symptoms/acts must be present on most days for at least 2 successive weeks
  • The symptoms must be a source of distress or interference with activities
  • There must be at least one thought or act resisted unsuccessfully
  • The thought of carrying out the act must not be pleasurable
• What is depression?

  A mood disorder affecting a person's mental state. There are 2 different types:

  1. Unipolar depression- depressed mood, emotional symptoms, motivational symptoms, cognitive somatic symptoms (loss of energy etc)
  2. Bipolar depression- manic depression, involves cycles of depression and mania. Shown through an abnormally euphoric or irritated mood and then a depressive mood
• What is BPD?

  repeated episodes where a person's activity levels are significantly disturbed by an elevation of mood (hypomania or mania) and then a lowering of mood and decreased energy (depression).

  Manic episodes usually last between 2 weeks to 5 months

  Depressive episodes have a median of 6 months
• What are the diagnostic guidelines for BPD?

  • The current episode a patient is in must fulfil the criteria of hypomania or mania
  • There must have been at least one other affective episode (hypomanic, manic or depressive)
• What is schizophrenia?

  A distortion of thinking and perception where delusions may develop. The person will experience hallucinations, most commonly auditory. Perception is frequently disturbed.
• What are the diagnostic guidelines for schizophrenia?

  A minimum of two very clear symptoms for one month. Symptoms such as:

  • Persistent delusions that are inappropriate
  • hallucinatory voices
  • Catatonia
  • negative symptoms (reduction of normal activity)
  • change in quality of life