Policy Implications of Psychology Model of Mental Disorder

Policy Implications of Psychology Model of Mental Disorder This essay will review the article Policy implications of a psychological model of mental disorder (Kinderman, P., Sellwood, W. and Tai, S., 2007), and discuss how this article is relevant to my future career, by comparing the ideas that it espouses with those in other articles within the same field. The broad idea that underpins this article is that existing mental health service policy is predicated on the medical model of mental disorder, and that a psychological model of mental disorder could help to inform or even replace the medical model in terms of shaping policy. Kinderman et al’s (2007) article presents the view that mental disorders are â€Å"implicitly assumed to be biological disorders requiring treatment with variants on the traditional medical care systems†. The article presents evidence from a number of different sources, including the National Office of Statistics, and the charity Mind, in support of the view that people suffering from mental disorders often receive inappropriate care, and that the underlying reason is the assumption of medical rather than psychological models of therapy. The mediating psychological processes model of mental disorder (Kinderman, 2005, as cited by Kinderman et al 2007) is the psychological model proposed to enhance or replace the existing medical model. This model sees social and cultural influences, as well as biological factors as causing disturbances in the psychological processes of people suffering from mental disorders, as the diagram from Kinderman et al (2007) below illustrates; The benefits of using this model are that interventions would be designed to benefit the underlying psychological processes rather than to treat a diagnosed ‘illness’ as part of a generic medical response. The model suggests causation is external to the individual, and that mental disorder is a response to external factors. The difference with this model in relation to the medical model is that the medical model only considers biological factors, and ignores social and cultural factors. Interventions, from this perspective, would therefore be much broader, and would include in large part mental health workers, with less emphasis on the more medically inclined psychiatric approach, and more emphasis on a multi-disciplinary approach. Kinderman et al’s (2007) article goes on to look at how services could be structured around a social rather than medical framework and how existing organisational and operational structures would be altered across management and front-line departments. How users would engage with a service restructured around psychological concerns is looked at, particularly with respect to the stigma felt by patients that is currently associated with the medical model of mental ‘illness’, and the implications for patient recovery models. The more community-based, ‘quality of life’ approach to caring for people suffering from mental disorders is emphasised across all of these sections of the article. A breakdown of how the roles of specific mental health workers would be affected by adoption of Kinderman et al’s (2007) psychological model is also provided. The role of the mental health worker in this brave new world would be very much as part of a multi-discipl inary team. The role of psychiatrist focuses solely on biological interventions in terms of impact on psychological processes, and the traditional emphasis on psychiatry over other disciplines would be replaced by a more collaborative approach within a team of professionals across a number of disciples. Kinderman et al (2007) propose that nurses take on a broader role that encompasses psychological interventions, may carry more responsibility for clinical decisions, but still based on personal therapeutic relationships in both community and residential care settings. Psychologists are seen mainly as supervisors and trainers, and as formulating appropriate interventions as part of a multi-disciplinary team, rather than carrying them out. Social workers supply the social perspective to the team, and would be involved in socially based interventions, as opposed to psychological or biological interventions. Finally, occupational therapists also focus on the social aspects of care, speci fically social inclusion, and the article suggests that a closer relationship between occupational therapy and return to work advice may come about. I have attempted to place Kinderman et al’s (2007) article into context by reviewing literature related to this topic, so as to understand the issue of the medical model within the mental health services from different perspectives. Petrie, K., Broadbent, E., and Kydd, R. (2008) look at the affect of the patient’s own perception of their illness in terms of how the patient engages with mental health services and rehabilitative efforts. The self-regulation theory proposes that individuals form common-sense beliefs about their illness so that they can â€Å"understand and cope with health threats† (Leventhal et al., 1997; Leventhal, Nerenz, and Steele, 1984, as cited by Petrie et al 2008). Individuals actively try to understand their symptoms and their illness, which â€Å"†¦drives the patients coping and emotional responses to the health threat.† Petrie et al (2008) are arguing that the perceptions of the patient influence how they seek help, cope with interventions, rehabilitate, and respond emotionally to mental disorder. This view aligns to Kinderman et al’s (2007) view that social and cultural factors are as important as biological factors in how the mental health services engage with people suffering from mental disorders, and how well people respond to interventions. People’s perceptions of themselves are heavily contingent upon how they think other people see them, which is a social and cultural influence on an individual psychological construct. As an example of this Kondo, D. (1990), in reflecting as a researcher on her own experiences as a Japanese American describes how people â€Å"seemed to be constituted in and through social relations† and how the self is a dynamic construction. From this point of view, it is likely that an individuals’ perception of themselves, because it is a social construct, will change over time, and particularly with respect to how they perceive the state of mental disorder they suffer from, and how any intervention progresses (or not). This fits with Kinderman et al’s (2007) recognition that individuals are stigmatised through the application of the medical model to them, in the hands of the mental health service. Rose, Thornicroft, Pinfold, Kassam, (2007, as cited by Petrie et al 2008) point out that â€Å"the diagnoses used for mental health problems are more often associated with negative connotations.† Mà ¼ller DJ, Mandelli L, Serretti A, DeYoung CG, De Luca V, Sicard T, Tharmalingam S, Gallinat J, Muglia P, De Ronchi D, Jain U, Kennedy JL. (2008) carried out research into the influences of genetic and non-genetic factors on adult Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD). According to Muller et al (2008), there is â€Å"strong evidence that ADHD is highly heritable and has a neurobiological underpinning† (Faraone and Biederman, 1999, as cited by Muller et al 2008), and that â€Å"low socioeconomic status, parental psychopathology, and family conflict† (Scahill et al., 1999 and Biederman et al., 2002, as cited by Muller et al 2008) are all strong contributors to the risk of ADHD. This view aligns to Kinderman et al’s (2007) view that social and cultural factors as well as biological factors need to be incorporated into the model that underpins mental health services policy. Muller et al (2007) concludes that the inclusion of â€Å"environmental factors in genetic studies, [would help] to resolve†¦Ã¢â‚¬  inconsistencies in studies of ADHD and of â€Å"†¦other psychiatric disorders.† Again, the importance of social and cultural factors as well as biological factors in understanding mental disorder is emphasised. Much research has linked suicide, and having suicidal thoughts, to depressive disorders. For example, â€Å"most adolescents with depressive disorders report significant suicidal ideation, and a significant minority report having made a suicide attempt during the course of their depression (Myers, McCauley, Calderon, Treder, 1991, as cited by Brown, R., Antonuccio, D., DuPaul, G., Fristad, M., King, C., Leslie, L., McCormick, G., Pelham, W., Piacentini, J., Vitiello, B., and Brown, R. 2008). It can be argued that suicide is a profoundly individual act. According to Durkheim, the motives of an individual could be explained by psychology, but psychology did not provide a general explanation of suicide as a ‘social fact’ (Smith, M., 1998). In Suicide (1897/1952, as cited by Smith, M. 1998), Durkheim studied suicide rates across time and place, and found patterns between suicide rates and amongst other factors, the geographic location of people that committed suicide, and membership of religious groups. It would seem that social and cultural factors had a very real impact upon the state of mind of individuals, and that there may also be psychological factors at play. In relation to the article under review here, it would therefore seem that not only do social and cultural processes need to be taken into account when caring for people with mental disorders, but psychological factors also influence, or perhaps mediate how social and cultural factors influence, the individual. This is broadly in line with Kinderman et al’s (2007) model, although the relationship between biological and psychological factors is not clear, and could stand further research, notwithstanding the limitations of this particular essay. It would also seem that professionals and researchers across several disciplines and schools of thought relating to mental disorders agree with Kinderman et al’s (2007) article, in terms of the need to include social and cultural factors in understanding and caring for people with mental disorders. In terms of my own career, Kinderman et al’s (2007) article illustrates the inadequacies within the existing structure and approach of mental health services, and how the mental health services could be improved by broadening the focus of the underlying model to include social and cultural causation of disruptions to individual psychological processes. I am unsure of how biological processes and psychological processes interrelate in terms of Kinderman et al’s (2007) model, but I would assume that in line with the deterministic causation of social and cultural factors, that psychological factors were are derived from biological factors. As a student considering a career in the mental health services, I see Kinderman et al’s (2007) article as very relevant. I chose the Kinderman et al (2007) article for review as it was of personal interest to me, and relevant to issues I may have to confront both in my future studies, and in my chosen career. I am specifically in terested in how people are engaged with by the mental health services, and how effective that engagement is, in terms of promoting individual agency, and respecting individual differences. My own feelings and thoughts around how people shape themselves, how people are shaped by external factors, and how people should be treated by society and by the mental health services, tend toward equality and non-judgemental institutions, processes and workers. Kinderman et al’s (2007) article and the thinking it embodies is provocative and very interesting, as it challenges the status quo, and the accepted medical model; a model that sees people as merely organisms rather than people with their own feelings, thoughts, histories and needs. As someone planning to work in the mental health arena, I would prefer to work within a structure that aligned with my own ideals and values, rather than being constrained by the ideas and values of the institution, and not being able to work in a way that I thought was effective and valuable. In writing this essay, the academic skills I have used include summarising, picking out key points, selecting relevant materials relating to the article under review, and constructing a logical flow of argument. I read the article itself through several times, first just to get a broad idea of the thrust of the article, and then again more carefully, paying attention to the points raised, and any thoughts I had related to the points raised. I noted down all of the ideas I had about the article at each reading, and used them to formulate a list of subjects for searching under on-line. These subjects included the main ideas underpinning the article, which included terms like medical, biological, illness, sickness, treatments, diagnosis, social / cultural influences (family, environment, socio-economic) psychological disorders, and related ideas like mental health, mental illness, intervention, child development, genetics, and psychiatry. I accessed the Open University library and carri ed out key word searches using different combinations of the terms themselves until I found articles that I could relate to the Kinderman et al (2007) article under review, and read, summarised and picked out key points. I then wrote up a rough essay plan that threaded all of the articles together, incorporating the key points of each, and led to the conclusion I had in mind, that is, the article was relevant to me, and was more or less supported by the additional reading I had done. I find studying academic skills as a subject useful, in that I feel as if I am developing a technique for better comprehending information and better expressing myself, by utilising evidence to support my views. This helps me to feel confident in approaching tasks that I may have felt previously were challenging because I was not comfortable that I knew how to achieve the objectives. I think I understand more about the process of working through information and evidence, with a view to applying that evidence to what I need to achieve. I feel as if I can see a logical path, which will help me to understand something and apply it in the way that I need to. In reflection, I think that one of the skills I have learnt is to break down things into smaller chunks that are more manageable. Taking a more methodical approach allows me to make sure I understand something fully before I move on to the next thing. This makes me feel as if I am achieving something at each step, rather than just gr inding through a long task with no clear end in sight. It helps me to feel as if I am in control, and as if I know what I am doing, which I think is what makes me feel more confident. In conclusion then, studying academic skills makes me feel more confident about tackling difficult tasks for which I would not previously have had the skills or confidence to tackle, and I demonstrated this to myself in carrying out this assignment. Bibliography References Kinderman, Peter, Sellwood, William and Tai, Sara (2007)Policy implications of a psychological model of mental disorder, Journal of Mental Health,17:1,93 — 103 Kinderman, Peter, and Tai, Sara (2008)‘Psychological models of mental disorder, human rights, and compulsory mental health care in the community’, International Journal of Law and Psychiatry, Volume 31, Issue 6, December 2008, Pages 479-486 Petrie, Keith J. ; Broadbent, Elizabeth ; Kydd, Robert , (2008), Illness perceptions in mental health: Issues and potential applications, Journal of Mental Health, Volume 17, Issue 6 December 2008 , pages 559 564 Mà ¼ller DJ, Mandelli L, Serretti A, DeYoung CG, De Luca V, Sicard T, Tharmalingam S, Gallinat J, Muglia P, De Ronchi D, Jain U, Kennedy JL. (2008). Serotonin Transporter Gene and Adverse Life Events in Adult ADHD. American Journal of Medical Genetics Part B 147B:1461-1469. Kondo, D. (1990), Crafting Selves: Power, Gender and Discourses of Identity in a Japanese Workplace, Chicago, University of Chicago Press, pp. 9, 11-24 Brown, R.T.; Antonuccio, D.O.; DuPaul, G.J.; Fristad, M.A.; King, C.A.; Leslie, L.K.; McCormick, G.S.; Pelham, W.E. Jr.; Piacentini, J.C.; Vitiello, B. (2008), Depressive disorders and suicidality, in Childhood mental health disorders: Evidence base and contextual factors for psychosocial, psychopharmacological, and combined interventions.; pp. 69-85. Washington, DC, US: American Psychological Association. xii, 207 pp. Smith, M., (1998), Social Science in Question, London, Sage Publications in association with the Open University Press, p84

Limiting Factors to Upward Social Mobility in America Essay -- Social

In the land of the â€Å"American Dream,† it is the common belief that there is a direct relationship between hard work and success. In this ideal prototype, those who put in long hours are bound for success and movement up the social ladder. Theoretically, one could be born into the â€Å"bottom of the food chain,† and with some hard work, rise into the realm of the social elite. As a testament to this global view of the United States, immigrants from all over the world have made the journey to the â€Å"land of opportunity† in hopes of better education, jobs, government, communities and lives for themselves and the generations following them. All of this is based on a system of social stratification – a guide to how successful one has been at achieving the American Dream. This evaluation of social class is based on many components, some of which are presented to people at birth, and not gained through hard work or money. The class system at play in the United States has become extremely complex – no longer adhering to the basic class values of our forefathers. Those trying to move up in the class system of America are often caught emulating the behaviors of the rich and famous, but this does not necessarily make them higher class. Many people think that there is a checklist to fill on their way up in the class system, but there is more to being upper class than just talking the talk or having the right credentials. One way to look at class is with the model developed by Janny Scott and David Leonhardt in their article, â€Å"Shadowy Lines That Still Divide,† in The New York Times. They state that â€Å"[o]ne way to think of a person’s position in society is to imagine a hand of cards. Everyone is dealt four cards, one from each suit: education, incom... ...at it has always been – being born into privilege. Works Cited Henwood, Doug. "Trash-o-nomics." White Trash : Race and Class in America. Ed. Matt Wray and Annalee Newitz. New York, NY: Routledge, 1997. 177-91. Malone, Bill C. Don't Get above Your Raisin' : Country Music and the Southern Working Class. New York, NY: University of Illinois P, 2005. 28. People Like Us. Dir. Louis Alvarez and Andrew Kolker. 2001. Scott, Janny, and David Leonhardt. "Shadowy Lines That Still Divide." Shadowy Lines That Still Divide. 15 May 2005.The New York Times.13 Nov. 2008 . Tse, Archie, and Ben Werschkul. "How Class Works." Graphic: How Class Works. 15 May 2005. The New York Times. 13 Nov. 2008 .

Impairing Behavior Disorder

Each year, the U. S. Department of Education reports the percentage of school aged children receiving special education for learning disabilities in public schools. Impairing behavior disorders occur in approximately 3%-5% of school aged children. Attention Deficit Disorder (ADD) is one common disability in students. ADD is a neurological disorder that causes inattentiveness and impulsiveness. Inattentiveness means not concentrating or paying attention. Incomplete assignments the child brings home and the appearance of their papers is a good indicator that they rushed through the work without regard for quality (Umansky, Smalley, 1994).Inattentive students often seem to be paying attention as they sit quietly and stare directly at the instructor. Yet, during this time, their thoughts have drifted off from around them. Impulsiveness is acting without thinking (Peacock, 2002). Rapid decisions made without reflecting on the consequences. A child will act quickly on an idea that comes to mind without considering that they were in the middle of doing something else that should be finished first (Barkley, 2005). Behavioral areas include the ways teachers and children cope and react.These reactions can be divided into flexible reactions, which do not include any thought processes about consequences, and consequential responses, which include some processing before action. It is rare to find school professionals these days who have not heard of Attention Deficit Disorder. Fortunately, there are larger numbers of teachers who are willing to listen to the concerns and make accommodations for children with ADD. Informal outline speaker will use to speak from. I. Inattentiveness means not concentrating or paying attention.A. Rapid decisions B. Act quickly C. Thought processes D. No consequences II. Impulsiveness is acting without thinking A. Not Thinking B. Never finish C. Processing D. Flexible reactions The above is how your informal outline will look. This is the docume nt you will speak from. This document must be typed. No typing is required if using an index card. However, you must speak from an informal outline. Remember, the informal outline main points are complete sentences and sub points are key words and phrases.

The Journey Into Cedar Forest - 1307 Words

Gilgamesh, powerful, charismatic, and burly that he was hankering to make a title for himself, therefore commencing on a perilous journey into Cedar Forest. Gilgamesh presumed that if he executed the imposing Humbaba, the citizens of Uruk would gaze upon him with astonishment and awe. He yearned for his name to surpass his demise so that all would know the glorious king of Uruk who defeated the fearsome Humbaba. Gilgamesh blatantly disregards nature and its beauty in his conquest to slay the monstrous Humbaba. Nature has been long forgotten and demolished by beings who do not understand nor value its beauty. Humbaba was delegated by Enlil to be entrusted with the forest to keep human beings whose only desire was to log the luscious trees that thrived within the woodland. He was viewed by the majority as a ferocious beast that bestowed fear in all. In contrast to that, we see near the end of book V that Humbaba may not be as malicious as he was portrayed. He even begs for his life, saying that if they spare him, then he will become their personal slave. This makes Gilgamesh have a moment of contemplation on whether or not he should end Humbaba’s life. However, this moment is quickly terminated by Enkidu as he encourages Gilgamesh to continue with his mission. Though we will never know if Humbaba truly meant what he uttered to Gilgamesh we feel empathy for him. Seem genuine, yearning to safeguard the forest as he was put on Earth to do so and for doing so he was viciouslyShow MoreRelatedThe Greatest Lesson Of The Cedar Forest884 Words   |  4 Pagesthe Cedar Forest, and the only t hing that lasts is fame. But when Enkidu is cursed with an inglorious, painful death, their bravado rings hollow. Shamash, the sun god, consoles Enkidu by reminding him how rich his life has been, but though Enkidu finally resigns himself to his fate, Gilgamesh is terrified by the thought of his own. Mesopotamian theology offers a vision of an afterlife, but it gives scant comfort—the dead spend their time being dead. If Gilgamesh’s quest to the Cedar Forest was inRead MoreEpic of Gilgamesh Theme1707 Words   |  7 Pagesin the Cedar Forest, and the only thing that lasts is fame. But when Enkidu is cursed with an inglorious, painful death, their bravado rings hollow. Shamash, the sun god, consoles Enkidu by reminding him how rich his life has been, but though Enkidu finally resigns himself to his fate, Gilgamesh is terrified by the thought of his own. Mesopotamian theology offers a vision of an afterlife, but it gives scant comfort—the dead spend their time being dead. If Gilgamesh’s quest to the Cedar Forest was inRead MoreHeroes and How to Represent Them929 Words   |  4 Pagesself sacrifice† (Vogler, pg. 29). A hero represents an ego which distinct them from the rest of the human race. The journey of many heroes separates them from a family or tribe. They begin a long journey of only wisdom and power which keeps them distant from their home. According to Christophe r Vogler, the author of The Writers Journey: Mythic Structure for writers, a hero’s journey requires many inner strength and functions. One of these functions is growth. Growth meaning growing from a young manRead MoreThe Journey Of Gilgamesh And Enkidu904 Words   |  4 PagesGilgamesh had a journey that he had begun with Enkidu which they had to travel to Cedar Forest to defeat Humbaba. When Enkidu died, Gilgamesh had to deal with his own journey that’s when everything begins for him. He learned immortality from which he got from Utnapishtim. His journey ended when he had return to Uruk. The second part of his journey was for wisdom. When Gilgamesh had to find Utnapishtim, he believes that it was for immortality. But it was impossible. It was not possible.Read MoreGilgamesh : A Hero Or Hero?1623 Words   |  7 PagesHumbaba and sharing fame. He made it sound as he would get all of that if Enkidu helped, so Enkidu should be just a helper and supporter and no more than that. Besides that, when Gilgamesh was going to the Cedar Forest he was giving long speech to his people in Uruk and he said â€Å" I will journey/I will walk / I will face/give me†¦Ã¢â‚¬ (95) why he didn’t mention Enkidu even that he was asking his help and to join him? He is so selfish to even mention his friend name on that moment before he left Uruk soRead MoreThe Epic Of Gilgamesh : The Jeopardy Of A Hero1271 Words   |  6 Pages half god. Enkidu, Gilgamesh’s friend is a man that was created from clay to balance out Gilgamesh. Gilgamesh and Enkidu emerge to depart t o various adventures. During the initiation of their very first adventure Gilgamesh and Enkidu go to the Cedar Forest to fight the ruthless monster, Humbaba. Later on, Enkidu has a spell casted onto himself which caused his death. Gilgamesh recovery from the death of himself, Gilgamesh arrives home with the unknown boatman of Utnapishtim, Urshanabi. Joseph CampbellRead MoreThe Epic Of Gilgamesh Essay1198 Words   |  5 Pagespoem The Epic of Gilgamesh, described the characteristic of king Gilgamesh from the beginning, middle, and end. Throughout the poem, there are immature and petrified moments of Gilgamesh, but more importantly he learned to grow as he explore his journey. Friendship, love, and fear appears to be essential in this poem. Why are those terms relevant ? and how does it connect with the trait of Gilgamesh ?, let’s continue to find out the truth about Gilgamesh. In the beginning of the poem, GilgameshRead MoreEpic of Gilgamesh Essay915 Words   |  4 Pageslove, and journeys and the one I would like to discuss is the theme of death. Also, I will discuss if Gilgamesh accepts morality at the end of the story and the development of Gilgamesh’s character throughout the story. The story mainly focuses on the character Gilgamesh and this wild man created by the gods, Enkidu in which Gilgamesh and Enkidu later become good friends. Together they go upon quests to defeat creatures and upset the gods to help Gilgamesh find immortality. The first journey they goRead MoreGilgamesh And Enkidu Analysis901 Words   |  4 PagesEnkidu continues to push Gilgamesh to smite Humbaba. On p. 44, once Enkidu makes the final case to Gilgamesh to kill Humbaba, Humbaba curses both of them: â€Å"My friend, Humbaba who guards the Forest [of Cedar —]/ [finish him,] slay him, [do away with his power,] /.../ Humbaba heard...and†¦[bitterly cursed them:]/ ‘May the pair of them not grow old,/ besides Gilgamesh his friend, none shall bury Enkidu!† Humbaba curses Enkidu for fervently encouraging a hesitant Gilgamesh to kill him. Although GilgameshRead More The Friendship of Gilgamesh and Enkidu Essay778 Words   |  4 Pagesto the city of Uruk and meet Gilgam esh. From that moment on, the two were very close. They planned a trip to the forest of cedars to defeat the monster known as Humbaba so that Gilgamesh could show his power to the citizens of Uruk. However, Enkidu tried â€Å"vainly to dissuade† (18) Gilgamesh in going to the forest. Despite Enkidu’s plead, the two continued on their voyage to the forest where Humbaba lives. Once they arrived, they found the monster and killed him. They cut down trees, â€Å"then Enkidu