Mental illness is a condition that impacts a person’s thinking, feeling or mood and may affect his or her ability to relate to others and function on daily basis.
With the background and element that goes into the concept of mental illness we can now describe some prominent frames that have been used to explain such phenomena in modern time.
It is widely accepted that individuals can be disturbed or troubled of mind and what is controversial is how we should understand this.
Asides psychiatrists, many professional disciplines work and research in the field of mental disorder. Each discipline approached the subject from their own view point using their own conceptual models to explain what they find before them.
There is no single model that …show more content…
In the disease model, a disorder affecting mental functioning is assumed to be a consequence of physical and chemical changes which take place primarily in the brain. Just like any other disease a mental disease can be recognized by specific and consistent signs, symptoms and test results. These distinguish it from other diseases.
Psychiatrists who adhere to the disease model are often referred to as ‘biological psychiatrists’ (as in ‘he’s very biological’). With a biological approach comes a preference for physical treatment methods, primarily drugs, but also ECT. This model best applies to schizophrenia.
THE PSYCHODYNAMIC MODEL
The central tenet of the psychodynamic model is that a patient’s feelings have lead to problematic thinking and behavior. These feelings may be unknown to the patient and have formed during critical times in their life, due to interpersonal …show more content…
Symptoms, as understood by the behavioral model, are a patient’s behavior. This behavior has come about by a process of learning, or conditioning. Most learning is useful as it helps us to adapt to our environment, for example by learning new skills. How-ever some learning is maladaptive and behavior therapy aims to reverse this learning (counter conditioning).
This model best applies to phobias.
THE COGNITIVE MODEL
The cognitive model understands mental disorder as being a result of errors or biases in thinking. Our view of the world is determined by our thinking, and dysfunctional thinking can lead to mental disorder. There-fore to correct mental disorder, what is necessary is a change in thinking.
This model will be familiar to anyone who has trained or undergone cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). CBT aims to identify and correct ‘errors’ in thinking. In this way, unlike psychodynamic therapy, it takes little interest in a patient’s past.
This model is widely used, but classically applies to depression and anxiety.
THE SOCIAL
With the background and element that goes into the concept of mental illness we can now describe some prominent frames that have been used to explain such phenomena in modern time.
It is widely accepted that individuals can be disturbed or troubled of mind and what is controversial is how we should understand this.
Asides psychiatrists, many professional disciplines work and research in the field of mental disorder. Each discipline approached the subject from their own view point using their own conceptual models to explain what they find before them.
There is no single model that …show more content…
In the disease model, a disorder affecting mental functioning is assumed to be a consequence of physical and chemical changes which take place primarily in the brain. Just like any other disease a mental disease can be recognized by specific and consistent signs, symptoms and test results. These distinguish it from other diseases.
Psychiatrists who adhere to the disease model are often referred to as ‘biological psychiatrists’ (as in ‘he’s very biological’). With a biological approach comes a preference for physical treatment methods, primarily drugs, but also ECT. This model best applies to schizophrenia.
THE PSYCHODYNAMIC MODEL
The central tenet of the psychodynamic model is that a patient’s feelings have lead to problematic thinking and behavior. These feelings may be unknown to the patient and have formed during critical times in their life, due to interpersonal …show more content…
Symptoms, as understood by the behavioral model, are a patient’s behavior. This behavior has come about by a process of learning, or conditioning. Most learning is useful as it helps us to adapt to our environment, for example by learning new skills. How-ever some learning is maladaptive and behavior therapy aims to reverse this learning (counter conditioning).
This model best applies to phobias.
THE COGNITIVE MODEL
The cognitive model understands mental disorder as being a result of errors or biases in thinking. Our view of the world is determined by our thinking, and dysfunctional thinking can lead to mental disorder. There-fore to correct mental disorder, what is necessary is a change in thinking.
This model will be familiar to anyone who has trained or undergone cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT). CBT aims to identify and correct ‘errors’ in thinking. In this way, unlike psychodynamic therapy, it takes little interest in a patient’s past.
This model is widely used, but classically applies to depression and anxiety.
THE SOCIAL