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REVIEW The Biomedical Therapies and Preventing Psychological Disorders

Learning Objectives

Test Yourself by taking a moment to answer each of these Learning Objective Questions (repeated here from within the module). Research suggests that trying to answer these questions on your own will improve your long-term memory of the concepts (McDaniel et al., 2009).

Question

45-1 What are the drug therapies? How do double-blind studies help researchers evaluate a drug's effectiveness?
ANSWER: Psychopharmacology, the study of drug effects on mind and behavior, has helped make drug therapy the most widely used biomedical therapy. Antipsychotic drugs, used in treating schizophrenia, block dopamine activity. Side effects may include tardive dyskinesia (with involuntary movements of facial muscles, tongue, and limbs) or increased risk of obesity and diabetes. Antianxiety drugs, which depress central nervous system activity, are used to treat anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and posttraumatic stress disorder. These drugs can be physically and psychologically addictive. Antidepressant drugs, which increase the availability of serotonin and norepinephrine, are used for depression, with modest effectiveness beyond that of placebo drugs. The antidepressants known as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (often called SSRI drugs) are now used to treat other disorders, including strokes and anxiety disorders. Lithium and Depakote are mood stabilizers prescribed for those with bipolar disorder. Studies may use a double-blind procedure to avoid the placebo effect and researcher's bias.

Question

45-2 How are brain stimulation and psychosurgery used in treating specific disorders?
ANSWER: Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), in which a brief electric current is sent through the brain of an anesthetized patient, is an effective, last-resort treatment for severely depressed people who have not responded to other therapy. Newer alternative treatments for depression include repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) and, in preliminary clinical experiments, deep-brain stimulation that calms an overactive brain region linked with negative emotions. Psychosurgery removes or destroys brain tissue in hopes of modifying behavior. Radical psychosurgical procedures such as lobotomy were once popular, but neurosurgeons now rarely perform brain surgery to change behavior or moods. Brain surgery is a last-resort treatment because its effects are irreversible.

Question

45-3 How, by taking care of themselves with a healthy lifestyle, might people find some relief from depression? How does this reinforce the idea that we are biopsychosocial systems?
ANSWER: Depressed people who undergo a program of aerobic exercise, adequate sleep, light exposure, social engagement, negative-thought reduction, and better nutrition often gain some relief. In our integrated biopsychosocial system, stress affects our body chemistry and health; chemical imbalances can produce depression; and social support and other lifestyle changes can lead to relief of symptoms.

Question

45-4 What is the rationale for preventive mental health programs, and why is it important to develop resilience?
ANSWER: Preventive mental health programs are based on the idea that many psychological disorders could be prevented by changing oppressive, esteem-destroying environments into more benevolent, nurturing environments that foster growth, self-confidence, and resilience. Struggling with challenges can lead to posttraumatic growth. Community psychologists are often active in preventive mental health programs.

Terms and Concepts to Remember

Test yourself on these terms.

Question

biomedical therapy (p. 593)
psychopharmacology (p. 593)
antipsychotic drugs (p. 594)
antianxiety drugs (p. 594)
antidepressant drugs (p. 595)
electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) (p. 597)
repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS) (p. 598)
psychosurgery (p. 599)
lobotomy (p. 599)
resilience (p. 603)
posttraumatic growth (p. 603)
the study of the effects of drugs on mind and behavior.
drugs used to treat depression, anxiety disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and posttraumatic stress disorder. (Several widely used antidepressant drugs are selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors—SSRIs.)
a biomedical therapy for severely depressed patients in which a brief electric current is sent through the brain of an anesthetized patient.
surgery that removes or destroys brain tissue in an effort to change behavior.
positive psychological changes as a result of struggling with extremely challenging circumstances and life crises.
drugs used to treat schizophrenia and other forms of severe thought disorder.
the application of repeated pulses of magnetic energy to the brain; used to stimulate or suppress brain activity.
drugs used to control anxiety and agitation.
prescribed medications or procedures that act directly on the person's physiology.
a psychosurgical procedure once used to calm uncontrollably emotional or violent patients. The procedure cut the nerves connecting the frontal lobes to the emotion-controlling centers of the inner brain.
the personal strength that helps most people cope with stress and recover from adversity and even trauma.

Experience the Testing Effect

Test yourself repeatedly throughout your studies. This will not only help you figure out what you know and don’t know; the testing itself will help you learn and remember the information more effectively thanks to the testing effect.

Question 15.17

1. Some antipsychotic drugs, used to calm people with schizophrenia, can have unpleasant side effects, most notably

A.
B.
C.
D.

Question 15.18

2. Drugs such as Xanax and Ativan, which depress central nervous system activity, can become addictive when used as ongoing treatment. These drugs are referred to as drugs.

Question 15.19

3. A simple salt that often brings relief to patients suffering the highs and lows of bipolar disorder is .

Question 15.20

4. When drug therapies have not been effective, electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) may be used as treatment, largely for people with

A.
B.
C.
D.

Question 15.21

5. An approach that seeks to identify and alleviate conditions that put people at high risk for developing psychological disorders is called

A.
B.
C.
D.

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