Pathogen/disease Genetic flaw (chromosomal abnormality v. genetic mutation) Diathesis-stress model Explain and give an example of each pathway to mental illness…
Selye (1956) developed a model called the General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS) which explained the short-term effects of exposure to stressors. He proposed that all stressors cause the same biological response in all animals and humans. The GAS has 3 stages.…
During strenuous times, our body undergoes many physiological changes in order to aid our survival, and this is an inherited function (Canon’s ‘fight or flight’ theory). Stress in small doses, in fact is needed and useful to humans, however long term stress can take its toll on the body. The General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS) model was developed by Selye to explain the effects of exposure to stressor. The GAS model consists of these 3 stages; Alarm – when our HPAC and SAM pathways are activated, causing stress related hormones like adrenaline and cortisol to be releases into blood, which in turn, converts to glucose, giving the body a sudden surge of energy, allowing ‘fight or flight’ like behaviours, until the stressor is gone and the parasympathetic nervous pathway activates, allowing us to calm down. Resistance – When the stressor remains however the person appears unaffected on the outside, but internally the stress related effects are occurring, e.g. stress hormones still being released and a continued elevation in heart rate. The resistance stage can harm health, as the immune system is not as effective. However the body attempts to resist disease. Further stressors make this much harder. Exhaustion – stressor still persists (and would now be referred to as Chronic stress) and Selye claimed that the body’s defences can no longer cope with the demands that are made, resources are drained, causing a drastic fall in blood sugar levels, and our adrenal glands no longer function properly. However this is inaccurate, which is a criticism of the GAS model, as while the body is ‘exhausted’ in terms of full ability, it could still perform if immediate action and release of energy was needed. It is also believed that many of the long lasting effects of raised stress hormones is what causes stress related illnesses, rather than the body’s sources being depleted. The study lacks ecological…
In today’s society we are always face with different stressors and crisis that we must deal with even though we might feel unable to cope. When faced with crisis if adequate intervention is provided during this state the possibility exist that the affected individual will not function at a level that is considered appropriate or to able to function at the pre crisis state. These events in one’s life can be additional stressors that must be faced and dealt with. According to Kenel, 2007 this pattern can go for years and leaves the individual exhausted and looses the capacity to deal in a rational manner. Such behavior could result in self-destructive behavior such as committing suicide, murder, or even a psychotic breakdown.…
Individual differences in personality and adjustment capability are the reason I feel why not all who experience a trauma go on to develop the disorder, as rightly advocated by Friedman.…
The approach suggesting that psychological disorders are illnesses that have underlying biological causes is called the:medical model…
1. Refer to a character from a book or movie that portrays some sort of mental illness. Describe how the disorder would be diagnosed in real life. Were there problems with the accuracy in the portrayal mental illness of the fictional character? What were they?…
Biological and medical frameworks (sometimes referred to as the disease model) view psychological problems as resulting, in the main, from physical causes such as brain defects, hereditary factors or as the results of accidents or injury.…
There are three major components of the Sociological Model of Mental Illness: Stress Theory, Structural Strain Theory, and the Labeling Theory. The Medical Model of Mental Illness is the approach to the diagnosis and treatment of illness. The main focus is using a problem solving technique that is concerned with defect or dysfunction. The Medical Model of Mental Illness is based on physical, emotional, mental, and spiritual dimensions that perceives the individual. Comparing the Sociological and Medical Model of Mental Illness, the Medical Model for mental illness totally eliminate the social causes, allowing government and society to avoid its responsibility.…
In this article Dr. Abed, a consultant psychiatrist, provides proposals on how life history theory (LHT) can be applied “to the classification of psychopathology and mental disorder” (Abed, 2014, p. 301). LHT is a branch of ecology and evolutionary biology; it aims to predict the observed patterns in the life histories of living organisms. This theory was developed to explain the diversity in the life history of living organisms from gestation to death.…
A psychological crisis refers to an individual's inability to solve a problem. We all exist in a state of emotional equilibrium, a state of balance, or homeostasis (Aguilera,1998). This theory states that a crisis is unique to every individual, although our crisis may seem similar of that of another individual, the way we interpret and deal with our crisis is very much different. Aguilera states that we all at some point in our lives will find an inability that denies us from solving a problem. Aguilera describes crisis as the state of our psychological equilibrium being continuously threatened by stressors. The better that people come through each crisis, the better they will tend to deal with what lies ahead, but this is not to say that all is lost and never to be recovered if a person has had a…
John Adams, who was a significant part of United States history, once said, "The Revolution was effected before the war commenced. The Revolution was in the minds and hearts of the people." Between 1642 and 1648 England gives the colonies a period of Salutary Neglect in which they are fighting a civil war. During this time, the colonies develop an even stronger sense of unity and rebellion against authority. The colonists' location and demography, autonomous institutions, and unifying measures against British law helped them to already be an independent nation before the Revolution had begun.…
Certain factors such as biological or genetics, personality, childhood experiences, social support, and the severity of trauma helps to determine how a person may be affected by an event that could potentially cause stress disorders.…
Living from day to day with a mental illness, such as bipolar disorder, can take over somebody’s life with the struggles given to them and the ones that care about them. Bipolar Disorder is not necessarily something that people are born with. It can be passed down through genetics, but it can also take place at any time in somebody’s life. Stressors are things that can create bipolar disorder, such as living with a parent who has mood swings out of random, abusing drugs and alcohol, or hospitalizations. A parent who is abusing alcohol or drugs can lose control of their emotions quickly, and over react to a minor situation. However, the message is received by infants and children that this is an acceptable way to behave (Golberg, 2013).…
The most common types of psychological disorder that we will most likely develop are depression and anxiety disorders. Psychological disorders might seem to affect a few people. There are problems in everyone's lives; it's just the matter about how they handle it. If you look at anyone's life, you’ll find problems with family, friends, money, co-workers, society, etc. Some people seek help and some don't because of various different reasons such as fear of being judged, or money problems. (Kessler et al.,…