P1 :outline biological and psychological explanations for mental disorders
P2 : explain validity, reliability and cultural issues with regard to the diagnosis of mental
disorder
P1( )/M1: Using the case study summaries, compare the six studies and categorise them as biological
or psychological di...
A) The bio-psycho-social model of causation theory has proven that clinical depression is
caused by a complex interaction of both psychological and biological factors. This
theory has therefore been accepted among metal health professionals as well as the
researchers of the cause of disorders such as depression.
Moreover, recent researchers have reinforcements to overlook the importance of the gut
microbiome, which is simply the types of number of important bacteria that live in our
digestive systems. It has been stated that depression can be stimulated by the imbalance or
the health of certain bacteria. Also, some specific major depression run in families,
suggesting that a biological vulnerability is hereditary. This also seems to be the case with
many other types of mental illnesses, such as schizophrenia and or substance abuse
disorder. Additionally, there was a focus on the neurotransmitter, dopamine hypothesis
which suggested that hyper-reactive dopamine causes the transition into psychosis (as a
result of two different brain chemicals interacting with each other stimulating the
development of psychotic disorders such as schizophrenia).
There are some studies of certain families who have had members in each generation
diagnosed with bipolar disorder. This is known as a form of clinical depression. During the
studies, it was found that the individuals with this illness have a slightly different genetic
makeup in comparison to the ones who did not get ill. Nevertheless, the reverse is not true:
Not everybody with the genetic makeup that causes vulnerability to bipolar disorder will
have the illness. Apparently additional factors, such stress at work, home, or school, are
involved in its onset. In some families, major depression also seems to occur generation
after generation — which points to both genetic and parental factors (being that parents
normally teach their children the same coping skills and psychological coping techniques,
they themselves learned). Additionally, individuals in families with no history of depression
can also be affected. Could it be by inheritance or not, major depressive disorders are
usually associated with structural changes (or function) in the brain function. Finally, based
on a theory that was researched in the 1930s, the cause of schizophrenia was thought to be
as a result of ‘schizophrenogenic families’, implying that an overprotective and rejecting
mother can be the cause of schizophrenia. There was a study with 45 participants who had
schizophrenia, and 2 of the participants had mothers who had mothers who were
considered as rejecting and over protecting. Further studies were conducted in the early 40s
through you’re the 50s and 60s, which supported this theory. This maternal study involved
someone who is dominating, cold and distant, overprotective, rejecting, someone who is
intrusive, aggressive and demanding. This maternal style is said to expand to a whole family
relational style (which usually have the same components of being overprotective etc).
Individuals with low self-esteem, perpetually view both themselves and the world
negatively. This is referred to as the cognitive triad which created by Beck. Also, people who
are easily overwhelmed by stress, are much more vulnerable to depression. Finally, it hasn’t
been made clear whether this represents a psychological predisposition, or an early form of
the illness. However, this the was deemed to be unreliable do to the fact that this couldn’t
have been completely he cause schizophrenia. What we can learn from this, however, is
, that parenting skills can have an impact on children, and influence their behaviour,
potentially being one of many influences to a mental illness such as depression. An example
of this is that children who aren’t told they are love or shown love by parents tend to be
introverted, because not showing love can also mean not spending time together. Such
children are much more prone to depression, as they are always by their self's when at
home due to the distant relation, they have with family members.
Case study 1: When analysing Martins story, I came across evidence of delusions,
hallucinations, and paranoia as well as thought disorder in his behaviour. These
experiences are manifested in multiple sensory modalities and include abnormalities
in all aspects of thought, cognition, and emotion. His behaviour is similar to that of a
schizophrenic diagnosed person who usually creates this false, non-existing world
that controls their thoughts and feelings. Schizophrenia is a long-term mental
condition in which causes a range of psychological symptoms which include:
delusions, hallucinations and so on. For example, in an instance where a
schizophrenic diagnosed person has a false idea of a bad influence friend that keeps
telling them to harm people, there is a high possibility of it being manifested.
However, even though the diagnosed patient doesn’t want to, they come to the
realisation that they have harmed someone by accident, after it has been done and
their “friend” in their “false world” has stopped “whispering” or “forcing” them. This
may become an uncontrollable cycle. This same behaviour is what I have analysed in
this case study. For all these reasons is why I have classified this case study as
psychological and have also diagnosed the patient as schizophrenic. My diagnoses
can be backed up from the DSM, which diagnoses patients according to patients'
symptoms and their own observations and then comparing them to the standardised
list of both criteria and symptoms within the DSM. Finally, I believe that case study
one could be argued to be not reliable. This is for the simple reason that the patient
was assessed by one person (instead of several). The results could therefore be bias,
due to the possibility of human error, implying that the diagnosis could be wrong,
making this case study invalid. Moreover, the patient who has been potentially
wrongfully diagnosed will have to enrol into a mental home, despite the fact that
they may not have schizophrenia. When two or more clinicians' asses the patient
and have similar or the same results this can be concluded as a reliable result as they
have the same results. All in all, I believe that another clinician would arrive on the
same diagnoses, because according to the DSM, to meet the criteria for diagnosis of
schizophrenia, the patient has to experience specific signs and symptoms. Being that
the DSM has devised the symptoms of schizophrenic into four domains: negative &
positive symptoms-cognitive & mood symptoms. From reading this case study, it
looks like the patient experience at least 3 symptoms from each of these categories,
which is why I believe that this case study is valid, as the carrot of diagnosing
schizophrenia can be found in axis 1 clinical disorders (anorexia or schizophrenia,
drug abuse). Axis I refers broadly to the principal disorder that needs immediate
attention; e.g., a major depressive episode, an exacerbation of schizophrenia, or a
flare-up of panic disorder. I rank this patient disorder 1-10, this is because Martin
have felt the urge hurt people (the voices he hears from time to time reinforces this),
and however this doesn’t happen all the time. Martin does not consciously think of
hurting people or herself. Although he may not always think to hurt others, it is a
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