Treatment of Psychological Disorders

learning_notes

Last updated: 8/16/2025

Meta-analytic Studies: psychotherapies are generally effective

Evidence-based interventions: such as building a therapeutic alliance

Ethics: nonmaleficence, fidelity, integrity, and respect for people's rights and dignity

Deinstitutionalization: releases patients into community after increased use and effectiveness of medication

Insight Therapy (Psychoanalytic/Psychodynamic Approach): brings unconscious/repressed feelings into consciousness

  • Psychoanalysis: free association, dream interpretation, defense mechanism, repression, catharsis (releasing repressed emotions), transference (client transfer emotions about other people onto therapist/analyst), countertransference (therapist/analyst transfer emotions about other people onto client)
  • Humanistic Approach: fosters self-acceptance and self worth
  • Client/Person-Centered Therapy: unconditional positive regard, self-actualization, real self, ideal self; active listening, empathy

Behavioral Therapy

  • Exposure Therapy (classical conditioning; extinction of feared stimuli)
  • Flooding: direct confrontation with feared stimuli until the anxiety settles
  • Systematic Desensitization: anxiety hierarchy (clients rate levels of anxiety), step by step, working from the least anxiety-provoking to the most anxiety-provoking
  • Aversive conditioning: uses unpleasant stimuli to train avoidance/aversion of something
  • Behavioral (Operant Conditioning): corrects maladaptive behavior
  • Behavior Modification: shaping, operant, step by step, easiest to hardest behavior
  • Token Economy: reward behavior with secondary reinforcer (can be exchanged for primary reinforcer)
  • Biofeedback: operant, trains self to calm down through self-monitoring physiological response
  • Social Skill Training: improve social skills through instructions and exercises, often in groups
  • Modeling: imitate others to learn skills

Cognitive Therapies: corrects irrational/maladaptive thoughts & behavior; cognitive restructuring, fear hierarchies

  • Cognitive-Behavior Therapies: combines cognitive and behavioral techniques
  • Dialectical Behavior Therapy: focuses on skills to manage intense emotions, cope with challenges, and improve relationships; mindfulness training
  • Rational Emotive Therapy: ABC (Action-Belief-Consequence)

Biological Approach

  • Antidepresssants: SSRIs; depression
  • Lithium: bipolar
  • Antianxiety: anxiolytics/tranquilizers; benzodiazepines
  • Antipsychotics: tardive dyskinesia is a side effect of taking antipsychotic medicine
  • Psychosurgery: invasive surgical operation to remove affected brain tissues, may involve lesioning
  • Electroconvulsive treatment (ECT): "shock therapy", last resort for severe depression
  • Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (TMS): painless, often effective for severe depression
  • Prefrontal Lobotomy (outdated treatment)

Hypnosis: effective for treating pain and anxiety; not effective for retrieving accurate memories ore regressing in age

Cross-Cultural Therapy: addresses conflicts that arise because of cultural differences

Primary intervention (Prevention Approach) (prevention for mental health issues; usually by community psychologist)

Therapy Mode

  • Individual Therapy
  • Couple Therapy: marriage / parenting issues
  • Group Therapy: more affordable, allows clients to see that their issues are not unique
  • Self-Help Group: no therapist involved, AA (Alcohol Anonymous)

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