Transcript Biomedical Vs Social Approaches to Mental Health

Biomedical Vs Social Approaches to
Mental Health Difficulties
• To explore the contrast between
the biomedical and social
approaches to mental health.
• To appreciate that there are a
range of view points regarding
the approach to mental health
In 1845 one of the motivating beliefs was that
medicine would cure insanity.
Drug Treatment
The film ‘One flew over the cuckoo’s nest’
demonstrates the way in which drugs are
handed out like ‘smarties’ – merely to
keep the patients subdued.
In the film the same type of drug is given
to every patient with no regard for the
individual’s case history or symptoms.
https://www.youtube.com/watc
h?v=RGRD6JBnHrU
One flew over the cuckoo’s nest Medication time (4.28mins)
Does ‘doctor’ really know what’s best?
•
Health educators take on the responsibility of telling
people what to do and what not to do
•
Their expert led activity reinforces the authority of
medical and health professionals
•
Health promoters get people to comply and cooperate
with treatment
•
They can be authoritarian – threatening or negative in tone
•
They assume people behave rationally and follow
instructions
Strengths of the biomedical
approach
It has given insight into the causes of some conditions,
such as Alzheimer's disease, an organic condition
causing confusion in the elderly.
The sickness label has reduced the fear of those with
mental disorders. Historically, they were thought to be
possessed by evil spirits or the devil – especially women
who were burned as witches!
Anti-psychotic drug treatment has long
been established as a relatively cheap
effective treatment, which rapidly
reduces symptoms and enables many
people to live fairly normal lives
(Van Putten, 1981)
Weaknesses
The treatments have serious side-effects, for example
ECT can cause memory loss, and they are not always
effective. Drugs may not 'cure' the condition, but
simply act as a chemical straitjacket.
There are also ethical problems in labelling someone
mentally ill – Thomas Szasz (1974) says that, apart from
identified diseases of the brain, most so-called mental
disorders are really problems of living.
Labelling can lead to discrimination and loss of rights.
The medical model has been the one that has
been most influential in determining the way
that mentally disturbed people are treated,
but most psychologists would say that at best,
it only provides a partial explanation, and may
even be totally inappropriate.
Pro’s & Con’s
 Between 50 – 65% of
patients benefit from
drug treatment
 Patients welcome
drug therapy, as it is
quicker, easier and
less threatening than
talk therapy
 Drug treatment is
usually superior to
NO treatment
 Relapse is likely when
drugs are discontinued
 Drugs do not deal with
the cause of the problem,
they only reduce the
symptoms
 Anti-psychotics can
produce a range of side
effects, including motor
tremors and weight gain
(this can lead to pt’s
discontinuing treatment)
 Can cause dependency
Points to discuss…
 Does drug therapy work?
 How much does it cost
the NHS?
 Why are the numbers
increasing not
decreasing?
 What if people don’t
have the time for talking
therapies?
 Do the government
initiatives help?
 Are MH difficulties just
‘problems of living?’
Psychiatry is a fraud and all about
control…(9.05 minutes)
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BhC6hUZJIJ0
What’s wrong with the medical
approach?
 Doesn’t promote positive health
 Ignores social and environmental dimensions of
health
 Ignores other factors which affect people’s beliefs
and values which influence health related behaviour
 Is the expert always right? ECT treatment?
 Ignores the need to motivate people
Electro-Convulsive Therapy
 Electro Convulsive Therapy (ECT) began in the 1930’s
after it was noticed that when cows are executed by
electric shocks they appear to convulse as if they are
having an epileptic shock.
 The idea was extrapolated to humans as a treatment
for schizophrenia on the theoretical basis that
nobody can have schizophrenia and epilepsy
together, so if epilepsy is induced by electric shock
the schizophrenic symptoms will be forced into
submission!
ECT side effects include impaired language and
memory as well as loss of self esteem due to
not being able to remember important
personal facts or perform routine tasks.
There is a debate on the ethics of using ECT,
primarily because it often takes place without
the consent of the individual and we don’t
know how it works!
Clips on mental health attitudes
 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QW0ZTPNZESY
Preparation for the guest
speaker Margaret
Mental Health Therapy
What is it?
What is available?
Who will benefit the most?
References
 Breggin, P. R. (1979). Electroshock, Its Brain-disabling
Effects. New York: Springer Publishing Company.
 Van Putten, T., May, P. R., Marder, S. R., & Wittmann,
L. A. (1981). Subjective response to antipsychotic
drugs. Archives of General Psychiatry, 38(2), 187-190
 Szasz T.S. (1974) The myth of mental illness. In:
Ideology and Insanity. Penguin, Harmondsworth