Biological Approach
Chemical messenger (neurotransmitter) linked to depression
Serotonin
Name 3 factors affecting a disorder prevalence rates (etiology)
1. Economic factors
2. Genetics
3. Culture
4. Hormones
5. Experiences
6. Addictions
Is the constant and excessive focus on a given thought or stimulus, and is a common symptom of both depression and anxiety disorders.
Rumination
What is etiology?
Cause or origin of a disease.
The DSM and the ICD are ------- manuals
diagnostic
Is the relationship between low serotonin levels and depression causal or correlational? and why?
Correlational
Because even with low levels of serotonin, a patient might not develop depression unless environmental or genetics factors are also involved.
What is the prevalence rate? Give an example
The prevalence rate is how many people in a group have something (like a disease, problem, or condition) at a certain time.
Example:
If 10 out of 100 students in a school have the flu today, the prevalence of the flu is 10 out of 100 students.
So,
“The prevalence rate is 10%.”
Is a large-scale brain network best known for being active when a person is not focused on the outside world and the brain is at wakeful rest, such as during daydreaming and mind-wandering.
DMN
Default Mode Network
A new teacher gets a student report from the previous teacher in which she labels one student a "disruptive"
The student has had a tough week because his dad has been sick so he's been distracted lately.
The teacher is not aware of his family situation so she keeps labelling as disruptive with other teachers in every opportunity she has.
What kind of bias is it?
Confirmation bias.
Difference between DSM and ICD
International Classification of Diseases classifies all kinds of diseases including mental diseases. Mainly used by physicians
Diagnostic and Statistic Manual of Mental Diseases only classifies mental diseases. Mainly used by psychiatrists and psychologists.
Which researcher and his team utilised fMRI and PET brain scan technology to identify the underlying neurobiology of depression and its main subtypes?
Drysdale et al.
What is incidence? Give an example
New cases over a period of time.
Example:
On Monday, 2 students had a cold.
By Friday, 3 more students got sick
Incidence = 3 students
Which term refers to the cognitive act of unfavourably comparing yourself to others? It frequently occurs during social media use and is linked to negative mental health outcomes
Upward social comparison
Which term refers to a framework of examining behaviour that seeks to understand the most foundational elements of a given behaviour?
Reductionism
Explain one strength of using the DSM to diagnose.
1. Provides a clinical framework
2. Allows interrater reliability
3. Standarization/ consistency
Explain the Drysdale et. al. experiment.
They used resting-state fMRI to test brain connectivity (when the brain was resting) and found FOUR distinct “biotypes” of depression
One related to anxiety
Another linked to anhedonia (loss of pleasure)
Other related to cognitive control
Another related to emotional regulation
DMN differences:
Non-depressed DMN → flexible, regulated self-referential processing
Depressed DMN → rigid, over-coupled self-focus linked to rumination
Is there a higher prevalence rate of depression in individualistic or collectivist cultures? why?
individualistic cultures, because the tendency is to praise individual success without asking for help. IT also encourages comparison among individuals.
What is the role of cognitive models?
Cognitive models explain disorders through maladaptive thinking patterns, helping guide treatments like Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT).
What is the labelling theory?
A theory claiming that diagnostic mental health labels actually cause more mental harm as a result of the individual ‘taking on’ the traits associated with that disorder.
Explain one weakness of using the DSM to diagnose
1. Labelling effect
2. Cultural bias
3. Reductionism
Explain the Caspi et al. experiment
Caspi et al. found that the short of the 5-HTT gene did have an effect on rates of depression when environmental stressors were high.
Explain the diathesis-stress model
The diathesis–stress model explains why some people develop a mental disorder and others don’t, even when they go through similar life problems.
Diathesis refers to vulnerability