Module 56 (Therapy - Biomedical Therapies and Preventing Psychological Disorders - Psychology in Modules)

Irving Kirsch and his colleagues (1998, 2002, 2010, 2014)

Their analyses of double-blind clinical trials indicate that placebos accounted for about 75 percent of the active drug's effect. -In a follow-up review that included unpublished clinical trials, the antidepressant drug effect was again modest

The drugs given most often to treat depression are called ______________. Schizophrenia is often treated with ______________ drugs.

antidepressants antipsychotic

Psychoses

disorders in which hallucinations or delusions indicate some loss of contact with reality

antianxiety drugs

drugs used to control anxiety and agitation

antidepressant drugs

drugs used to treat depression, anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and posttraumatic stress disorder. (Several widely used antidepressant drugs are selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors—SSRIs.)

psychosurgery

surgery that removes or destroys brain tissue in an effort to change behavior.

repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS)

the application of repeated pulses of magnetic energy to the brain; used to stimulate or suppress brain activity.

neurogenesis

the birth of new brain cells

resilience

the personal strength that helps most people cope with stress and recover from adversity and even trauma.

psychopharmacology

the study of the effects of drugs on mind and behavior.

How is brain stimulation used in treating specific disorders?

-Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), in which a brief electric current is sent through the brain of an anesthetized patient, is an effective, last-resort treatment for severely depressed people who have not responded to other therapy. -Newer alternative treatments for depression include repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) and, in preliminary clinical experiments, deep-brain stimulation that calms an overactive brain region linked with negative emotions.

What are some examples of lifestyle changes we can make to enhance our mental health?

-Exercise regularly, get enough sleep -Get more exposure to light (get outside and/or use a light box) -Nurture important relationships -Redirect negative thinking -Eat a diet rich in omega-3 fatty acids.

Rosemary Kennedy failed lobotomy

-Her father, on medical advice, approved a lobotomy that was promised to control her reportedly violent mood swings. -The procedure left her confined to a hospital with an infantile mentality (at age 22) until her death in 2005 at age 86.

Helen Mayberg and her colleagues (2005, 2006, 2007, 2009)

-Neurologist

George Albee

-Noted that improving a person's condition helps ward off psychological disorders. -This includes anything that can help the person: finances, self-esteem, strengthening the family, etc.

Egas Moniz (1930`s)

-Portuguese physician -developed what became the best-known psychosurgical operation: the lobotomy -found that cutting the nerves connecting the frontal lobes with the emotion-controlling centers of the inner brain calmed uncontrollably emotional and violent patients

What is the difference between preventive mental health and psychological or biomedical therapy?

-Psychological and biomedical therapies attempt to relieve people's suffering from psychological disorders. -Preventive mental health attempts to prevent suffering by identifying and eliminating the conditions that cause disorders.

How is psychosurgery used in treating specific disorders?

-Psychosurgery removes or destroys brain tissue in hopes of modifying behavior. -Radical psychosurgical procedures such as lobotomy were once popular, but neurosurgeons now rarely perform brain surgery to change behavior or moods. -Brain surgery is a last-resort treatment because its effects are irreversible.

How do researchers evaluate the effectiveness of particular drug therapies?

-Researchers assign people to treatment and no-treatment conditions to see if those who receive the drug therapy improve more than those who don't. -Double-blind controlled studies are most effective. -If neither the therapist nor the client knows which participants have received the drug treatment, then any difference between the treated and untreated groups will reflect the drug treatment's actual effect.

What are 3 criticisms of drug therapies? (they share one criticism with behavioral therapies)

-That they reduce symptoms without resolving underlying problems -Can become addictive -Can produce withdrawal symptoms

Stephen Ilardi (2009)

-Training seminars promoting therapeutic lifestyle change. -Human brains and bodies were designed for physical activity and social engagement -Our ancestors hunted, gathered, and built in groups. Indeed, those whose way of life entails strenuous physical activity, strong community ties, sunlight exposure, and plenty of sleep rarely experience depression. -For both children and adults, outdoor activity in natural environments—perhaps a walk in the woods—reduces stress and promotes health

What are 3 types of drug treatments?

1.) Antianxiety drugs 2.) Antidepressant drugs 3.) Antipsychotic drugs

What are two types of therapy/treatment for psychological disorders like schizophrenia?

1.) Biomedical -Seeking to treat a disorder through medication - 2.) Psychotherapy -For example, to explore childhood events to develop insight into psychological problems

Enthusiasm about a new treatment including drug therapy often diminishes after researchers subtract the rates of what 2 things?

1.) Normal recovery among untreated persons 2.) Recovery due to the placebo effect, which arises from the positive expectations of patients and mental health workers alike.

How, by taking care of themselves with a healthy lifestyle, might people find some relief from depression?

Depressed people who undergo a program of aerobic exercise, adequate sleep, light exposure, social engagement, negative thought reduction, and better nutrition often gain some relief.

What are the most widely used biomedical treatments today?

Drug therapies

How does taking care of themselves with a healthy lifestyle, might people find some relief from depression reflect our being biopsychosocial systems?

In our integrated biopsychosocial system, stress affects our body chemistry and health; chemical imbalances can produce depression; and social support and other lifestyle changes can lead to relief of symptoms.

What is the rationale for preventive mental health programs?

Preventive mental health programs are based on the idea that many psychological disorders could be prevented by changing oppressive, esteem-destroying environments into more benevolent, nurturing environments that foster growth, self-confidence, and resilience. -Struggling with challenges can lead to posttraumatic growth. -Community psychologists are often active in preventive mental health programs.

Why is it important to develop resilience?

Psychological disorders could be prevented

What are the drug therapies?

Psychopharmacology, the study of drug effects on mind and behavior, has helped make drug therapy the most widely used biomedical therapy. 1.) Antipsychotic drugs -Used in treating schizophrenia, block dopamine activity -Side effects may include tardive dyskinesia (with involuntary movements of facial muscles, tongue, and limbs) or increased risk of obesity and diabetes. 2.) Antianxiety drugs -Depress central nervous system activity -Used to treat anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and posttraumatic stress disorder. -These drugs can be physically and psychologically addictive. 3.) Antidepressant drugs -Increase the availability of serotonin and norepinephrine -Used for depression, with modest effectiveness beyond that of placebo drugs. -The antidepressants known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (often called SSRI drugs) are now used to treat other disorders, including strokes and anxiety disorders. -Lithium and Depakote are mood stabilizers prescribed for those with bipolar disorder.

How do double-blind studies help researchers evaluate a drug's effectiveness?

Studies may use a double-blind procedure to avoid the placebo effect and researcher's bias.

Mind-body interaction

The biomedical therapies assume that mind and body are a unit: Affect one and you will affect the other.

electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)

a biomedical therapy for severely depressed patients in which a brief electric current is sent through the brain of an anesthetized patient.

lobotomy

a psychosurgical procedure once used to calm uncontrollably emotional or violent patients. The procedure cut the nerves connecting the frontal lobes to the emotion-controlling centers of the inner brain.

antipsychotic drugs

drugs used to treat schizophrenia and other forms of severe thought disorder

Severe depression that has not responded to other therapy may be treated with ______________ ______________, which can cause brain seizures and memory loss. More moderate neural stimulation techniques designed to help alleviate depression include ______________ ______________ magnetic stimulation, and ______________ - ______________ stimulation.

electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) repetitive transcranial deep-brain

placebo effect

experimental results caused by expectations alone; any effect on behavior caused by the administration of an inert substance or condition, which the recipient assumes is an active agent.

What are 2 other neural stimulation techniques that treat depression?

magnetic stimulation and deep-brain stimulation

posttraumatic growth

positive psychological changes as a result of struggling with extremely challenging circumstances and life crises.

biomedical therapy

prescribed medications or procedures that act directly on the person's physiology.