Applications for the biological treatment | Antidepressants that can restore imbalances in neurotransmitters |
The biochemical explanation of mental health model | Depression ic caused by a deficiency in these neurotransmitters. stressful events can lead to less seratonin. seratonin regulates and leads to a reduction in noradrenaline and dopamine
research suggested this was over simplistic and said they is an imbalance in several neurotransmitters |
Seratonin | mood , well being, memory |
noradrenaline | heart rate , concentration , attention |
Dopamine | motivation , pleasure , reward |
What is genetic vulnerability | genes aren't always transferred onto the next generaltion |
seratonin transporter gene hSERT | the short form gene leads ineficient seratonin so less resilient to stress and more vunerable to depression |
Brain abnormality as an explanation for mental health | smaller hippocampus trend in depressed people
hippocampus is associated with emotions and memories and
increased activity the frontal cortex also associated with emotions |
Evaluation of the biochemical explanation for mental health | strengths - useful - identifiying a imbalance drug therapies can be devised
- supports nature - scientific methods can be used
weaknesses - reductionist - ignores role of genetics , upbringing and cognition
deterministic - does the imbalance cause depression or is it the effect |
evaluation of the genetic explanation | strengths - useful - by identifying a genetic link you can identify genetic counselling
- nature - face validity as genetics are what humans are made of
weak |
Gottesman key research sample | 2.7 million Danish people from why Danish psychiatric centre |
Gottesman key research procedure | two experimental groups - couples who had both been admitted with schizoprenia and bipolar disorder or couple with one parent been admitted
control group was the general public |
Results for Gottesman key research | Results showed couples with both parents with a psychotic disorder were more likely to have a diagnosis them selves so increases the risk of developing a disorder |
Evaluation of the brain abnormaliltiy explanation | useful - brain surgery and treatments or therapies as brain plasticity
reductionist - ignores roles of genetics and upbringing but more holistic than over explanations
deterministic - does the abnormality cause depression or the effect of depression |
Gottesman evaluation | Validity - secondary data , poppulation validity but high v as only recorded people with a diagnosis
sample - ethnocentric so pop v but large sample size so more generalisable
useful - understanding how they can passed you can educate parents to have genetic counselling |
Applications for the biological treatment | Antidepressants that can restore imbalances in neurotransmitters |