Download Schizophrenia and Mood Disorders

Schizophrenia and Mood
Disorders
Lesson 4
Objectives
• Describe the disorder of schizophrenia
• Describe several theories that try to explain
mood disorders
Bell Ringer
• Read exploring psychology p.465
Schizophrenia
• Difficulty using language
• Go from one phrase to another in random
association
– Don’t remember beginning of sentence so
finish in random
• Is the most severe and complex
psychological disorder
What is schizophrenia?
• Affects 1 in 100 worldwide
• 1 in 10 within families
• Involves confused and disordered thoughts
and perceptions
• Lose contact with reality
• Serious difficulty meeting demands of life
What is schizophrenia?
• Many experience delusions
– False beliefs maintained in the face of contrary
evidence
• Hallucinations- perceptions in the absence
of corresponding sensation
– Hear voice when no sound present
• Incoherence- marked decline in thought
process
What is schizophrenia?
• Emotions may be inappropriate for the
circumstances
• Deterioration of normal movement- slow
• Decline in previous levels of functioning
– Dropoff at work
• Diverted attention
Types of Schizophrenia
• Paranoid type- hallucinations and delusions
• Catatonic type- remain motionless for long
periods
• Disorganized type- incoherent language,
inappropriate emotions, hallucinations, and
delusions
What is schizophrenia?
• Remission type- anyone whose symptoms
are not severe enough or are seen as being
in remission
• Very complex
• Long term hospitalization required,
sometime institutionalization
• No real cure exists
Causes of Schizophrenia
• Genetics
– But not completely
– Studied identical twins and only 42% of the
twins had the disease develop in the other twin
• Biochemistry
– Chemicals may be involved
Causes of Schizophrenia
• Deteriorated brain tissue
– Shown by CAT and MRI scans
• Family Interactions- Freud- blamed family
– Do tend to be in families on verge of falling
apart
• Diathesis-stress hypothesis- inherit
predisposition, but placed in environment
with stressors
Schizophrenia
• Affects more males than females
• First signs appear in teenage years
Schizophrenia
• April 1997- mass suicide of Marshall
Applewhite and 38 followers of Heaven’s
Gate cult
– Many were identified as schizophrenic
Schizophrenia And Autism
• Autistic children do not respond to other
people
• Child is slow to develop language and
communication skills
• Autistic children are very limited in their
interests and behaviors
Research People With
Schizophrenia
• John Nash-mathematician and Nobel Prize
winner
• Lionel Aldridge- defensive end for Green
Bay Packers
• Peter Green-guitarist for Fleetwood Mac
• Syd Barrett-guitarist for Pink Floyd
• Vaclav Nijinsky- Russian dancer
Catatonic Schizophrenia
• See p. 468
Effects of Diagnosis on
Treatment
• 1970’s David Rosenhan and seven others
became psudopatients at a hospital
• Were diagnosed as schizophrenic
• After admission, none exhibited any
abnormal behaviors
• Staff did not recognize them as normal
• Many patients knew they didn’t belong
Mood Disorders
• Everyone experiences mood swings
• Occasional depression is common
Major Depressive Disorder
• At least two weeks feeling depressed, sad,
anxious, fatigued or agitated
• Reduced ability to function and interact
with others
• Feelings not attributed to bereavement
Major Depressive Disorder
• Have 4 other symptoms: problems eating,
sleeping, thinking, concentrating, decision
making, lack energy, consider suicide, feel
worthless or guilty
Postpartum Depression
•
•
•
•
Relatively common
3 to 4 weeks after birth of a child
Usually attributed to wide hormonal swings
These episodes increase the risk for
developing other types of depressive
disorders
Research People With Depressive
Disorders
•
•
•
•
•
Vincent Van Gogh
Robert Schumann
Hector Berlioz
William Styron
Gustav Mahler
Films dealing with mental illness
•
•
•
•
Blue Sky (1994)
A Fine Madness (1966)
Mr. Jones (1991)
The Snake Pit (1947)
• Awakenings (1990)
• Possessed (1947)
Bipolar
Schizophrenia
Bipolar Disorder
• People are excessively happy or unhappy
• Manic phase- up phase
– Read excerpt p. 471
• Depressive- low phase
• Caused by a chemical imbalance
Seasonal Affective Disorder
• People who develop a deep depression in
the winter
• Believe hormone melatonin plays a role
– Higher levels in their blood
• Many treated by sitting under bright
fluorescent lights
Explaining Mood Disorders
• Aaron Beck and Martin Seligman
– Beck- depressed people draw illogical
conclusions about themselves
– Blame themselves for normal problems
– Minor failure is a catastrophe
– Seligman- Learned helplessness
– No control over their life so it’s useless to try
Explaining Mood Disorders
Explaining Mood Disorders
• Think neurotransmitters may play a role
– Serotonin
– noradrenaline
Explaining Mood Disorders
• After adolescence, women are twice as
likely to experience depression
– Hormonal changes
– More women report their depression and seek
help
– Men try and distract themselves during
depression so not to think about feelings.
Suicide and Depression
• Escape physical or emotional pain
• End the torment of unacceptable feelings
• Punish themselves for wrongs they
committed
• Punish other who have not perceived their
needs
Suicide and Depression
• Each year 32,000 Americans end their lives
– 1 every 16 minutes
• More women than men attempt suicide
– Men are more successful
• Common among college students
Suicide and Depression
• People who threaten suicide or make an
unsuccessful attempt are usually serious
– 70% threaten to do so within 3 months
preceding their death
• Unsuccessful attempt is often a trial run
• All threats MUST be taken seriously
Suicide
• Suicide is a permanent solution to a
temporary problem.