Mental Disorders and Therapies

This assignment delves into the world of mental disorders and psychopathology, discussing the various types of mental illnesses, their symptoms, and treatment options. From clinical psychology to psychoanalytic theories, it covers a wide range of topics related to mental health. The report also touches on the importance of therapy in preventing and treating mental disorders, including sensory integration therapy, speech therapy, and hippo-therapy. With its emphasis on evidence-based practice, this assignment is ideal for students of psychology, psychiatry, or social work.

PSYCHOPATHOLOGY & CLINICAL
PSYCHOLOGY

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION..............................................................................................................................1
MAIN BODY.................................................................................................................................... 1
CONCLUSION................................................................................................................................. 9
REFERENCES...................................................................................................................................10

INTRODUCTION
Psychopathology can be defined as the study which is linked with all the mental
disorders (Gluckman, 2017). Knowing a person’s diagnosis and understanding that diagnosis is
important, but it is not sufficient to understanding the person. It is important to take a person’s
culture into consideration when thinking about their symptoms.
People are not defined by their diagnosis but they are characterized on basis of their
behaviour.
In modern time, features of people's mental health considered collectively and these
comes under overall clinical psychological scientific study. Present report will focus on different
disorders like anxiety, personality disorder and autism. Away with this, proper discussion will
take place of treatment issues, complexity of mental illness, causes and various treatments that
are available to resolve the issues in specific time frame.
MAIN BODY
Psychological disorder can be understood on the basis of behavioural, mental syndrome
and activity that takes place with in a person. According to Basham and et. al., (2016), pain,
disability, loss of someone special and fear are some of basic factors which leads an individual
to go through different mental issues depending on the situation through which he/she is going
through. In addition to this, behavioural, psychological, or biological dysfunction within an
individual cannot only be found on the basis of complex symptoms, but this can also take place
because of different reasons as well like financial issues, career related, tensions related to
family, loss of loved one and so on. Away with this. Biological, Psychodynamic, Cognitive,
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Behavioural, Humanistic are some of paradigm within psychopathology. In present report,
different mental health conditions that has been taken and these are anxiety, personality
disorder, and autism.
Anxiety can be defined as change in behaviour like nervousness, feeling of worry, or
uneasiness at the time of not completion of task and so on (Alterman, 2014). According to
Yerkes – Dodson Law (Model), there are two factors like performance along with arousal mainly
stays related directly with anxiety. In present context, it is being analysed that rapid
enhancement among arousal may easily improve performance level. But when it crosses the
optimal level overall performance comes to a phase where it starts declining. This law was
found for the first time in 1908 and it consists with low, optimum and high optimal level.
Personality, trait, skill level and task complexity are some of influencers which mainly being
considered as the reason for arousal of anxiety disorder within an individual.
In this context, complexity of anxiety can be seen through an example where an
individual's negative mood state basically gets characterized related to bodily symptoms
focused on physical tension and set of behaviours as well. On the other hand, specific, social
phobia, panic disorder with or without agoraphobia
, generalized
, separation anxiety disorder and selective mutism are some common DSM.
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Stress is the basic cause of anxiety where an example can be taken is of an individual
who is going through severe anxiousness which is directly impacting upon medical conditions
(heart palpitations, panic attack, shortness of breath and so on). On the other hand, there are a
few risk factors relies on this anxiety disorder and these are conditioning, genetics
, neurobiological, personality traits and cognitive factors (Cicchetti, 2016).
On the basis of conditioning a basic model i.e. Mower’s two factor (1947), it is required
for an individual to focus on some circumstances which are basically needed to examine
information that is not putting direct impact considering stimuli from environment but with the
help of mediators like thoughts or emotions (Fonagy and Target, 2014). Away with this,
Neurobiological factor is consists with fear which can be generated through different phobias.
Here, an individual can have any kind of phobia related to needle, height, water, crowded
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Illustration 1: Very well Mind. (2018)

place, suffocation, so on and any situation related to this may lead to increase anxiety level
within a person.
Another factor i.e. neuroticism which is coming under personality factor, and if an
individual who is having this trait
may directly develop anxiety disorder (Mash and Barkley, 2014). Cognitive approach consists
with different negative beliefs where any sort of phobia may directly generate the circuit of fear
within a person's mind. There are ample number of symptoms that shows an individual is
having anxiety. Racing heart, falling sensation, chest pressure, dizziness, body jolts, chronic
fatigue, frequent urination, lump in throat, sweating, knot in stomach, head pressure, restless
legs, memory loss and so on, if an individual is having than, it can be said that the person is
going through anxiety disorder. In some cases, muscle tension, palpitations, twitching, sudden
weight loss are some of the symptoms as well that shows anxiety with an individual.
Away with this, there are a number of treatments present in today's world which could
be utilised to pull out an individual from anxiety. According to Andrews and Bonta, (2014),
anxiety disorder can only be treated but it cannot be cured. Here, a number of treatments that
are structured among different sections and these are psychological, medical, strategies and
other sources that can be used or utilised by healthcare providers to cure the individual from
anxiety. It is being found that treatment is being given to a person based on type of anxiety that
the person is having. Recognising and utilising right approach is necessary because failure into
this, may lead sufferer to increase in anxiety level because he/she might feel disgraceful
without finding out right results after getting treatment for the same thing.
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In present context, Cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) is one of the essential treatment
that recognised as the best result where anxiety could easily be treated in specific time frame.
Basically, this therapy states that cognition along with behaviour are the two factors which
directly impacts upon the feeling that are coming in an individuals mind (Carr and McNulty,
2016). Therapy involves working with a professional (therapist) to identify thought and
behaviour patterns that are either making an individual more likely to become anxious, or
stopping him or her from getting better at the time of experiencing anxiety. Once the individual
recognises any unhelpful patterns that are contributing to anxiety, person may make alterations
to replace these with new ones that reduce anxiety and improve over all coping skills. On the
other hand, as mentioned by Frith, (2014), there are many other treatments are also present in
today's clinical environment like behaviour therapy, Antidepressant medication,
Benzodiazepines, e-therapies and many more.
Personality Disorder can be defined through considering the viewpoint of Stella
Tsermentseli where a deeply ingrained and maladaptive pattern of behaviour of a specified
kind, typically apparent by time of adolescence, causing long-term difficulties in personal
relationships or in functioning in society. According to Vine and Aldao, (2014), there are many
indispensable characteristic of personality
disorder are impairments in personality
(self and interpersonal) functioning and the
presence of pathological personality traits. On the basis of survey, from 9 to 13% of adults in all
over the world having personality disorder. This has impacted negatively on their overall
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behaviour against others. It has been analysed that Describing a Personality Disorder is a
difficult task and
leads to one of the most contradictory fields of psychiatry. It is the responsibility of psychiatrist
to deliver right kind of treatment on out general medical condition (e.g., severe head
trauma). Away with this, Prevalence and comorbidity basically relates to prevalence focused on
PD among psychiatric out/in patients is high. In this context, borderline PD could be considered
as one of most prevalent among psychiatric settings. Along with this, personality disorders are
particularly prevalent among inpatients with drug,
alcohol, and eating disorders, Frequently > 70%.
This directly overlaps with other PDs. In present time, there are many personality disorder
types that can be seen and these are: Schizoid, Paranoid, Schizotypal, Borderline and Antisocial
Personality Disorder (Iacoviello and Charney, 2014).
Complexity of Personality Disorder can be expressed with an example where an
individual is going through a number of difficulties and is having borderline personality disorder,
he/she might go with or feel unstable moods, behaviours or instability among relationships as
well. It can also come with efforts to avoid abandonment, impulsivity, emotional instability,
identity disturbances, and feelings of emptiness. Person with this disorder is not at all easy to
handle and can harm himself or herself or to others as well with intention or without (Harkness,
Reynolds and Lilienfeld, 2014).
Here, Linehan’s Diathesis-Stress Theory which is showing all different attempts which
shows attempts of disorder, or its trajectory, as the result of an interaction between a pre-
dispositional vulnerability and a stress caused by life experiences.
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On the other hand, major causes of development of personality disorder are unstable
family genetics, high reactivity, abusive, mental abuse in childhood and so on. Away with this,
there are a number of behaviours present that could easily be considered as symptoms as well
like eccentric, dramatic and erratic or fearful behaviour. Physical Symptoms can be understood
with an example where disregard of anything may lead suffered to go from from insomnia due
to fearful thoughts, while a person who is obsessive-compulsive may have raw skin from
excessive washing.
Based on study which was given by Hunsley and Lee, (2017), personality disorder is
being considered as a disorder which may lead an individual to harm himself or to others.
Henceforth, it is necessarily required to be treated right on time. In present time, ample
number of treatments that are presented by different healthcare providers and these are:
Psychotherapy, dialectical behaviour therapy (DBT), psychodynamic psychotherapy, psycho-
education, Interpersonal therapy (IPT) and Family-focused therapy are some of theories which
could be utilised by the healthcare providers to cure individuals that have this disorder.
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Illustration 2: Diathesis–stress model

Here, the best therapy for preventing patients who is suffering from personality disorder
i.e. Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, where faulty or wrong perceptual experience for their own
(sufferer), or for people can be changed considering this theory. In present time, psychiatrists
or the therapists basically combine two different therapies so that thoughts that they are
having could be changed in specific time frame (Alterman, 2014).
Autism can be defined as mental condition which basically stays present among early
childhood stage of children. This could easily be identified or characterized when a child faces
difficulty while doing communication or facing trouble at the time of making relationships with
others. Complexity can be seen among autistic child where his or her brain gets affected
virtually and basically it affects entire brain. According to Gluckman, (2017), brain of child which
finds out directly gets replaced by prior opinion that only brain areas generally managed with
interactions made among social, reasoning abilities and communication behaviours as well.
Taking antidepressants during pregnancy can be considered as one of Since
1992, autism prevalence
has increased at an average
of 22% each year. As mentioned by Fonagy and Target, (2014), faulty genes basically develops
autism among children and this basically takes place when chemical imbalance,
viruses, insufficient oxygen at time of birth. Autism spectrum consists with
different symptoms and these are problems while communicating in both non-verbally and
verbally, thinking along with behaving flexibly with others and so on (Mash and Barkley, 2014).
In present time, there are ample number of vaccines that are presented and these are
autism antipsychotic, Sensory integration therapy, Speech Therapy and Hippo-therapy can be
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used by healthcare providers so that they may easily cure the children that are suffering from
autism (Alterman, 2014).
CONCLUSION
With the help of above mentioned report, it has been concluded that mental disorders
can only be treated but it cannot be cured. There are ample number of therapies which could
be used for preventing the patient from mental disorders.
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REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Gluckman, M. (2017).Clinical psychology: The study of personality and behavior. Routledge.
Basham, K. & et. al., (2016).Inside out and outside in: Psychodynamic clinical theory and
psychopathology in contemporary multicultural contexts. Rowman & Littlefield.
Alterman, A. (2014).Substance abuse and psychopathology. Springer.
Cicchetti, D. (2016).Developmental psychopathology, theory and method(Vol. 1). John Wiley &
Sons.
Fonagy, P., & Target, M. (2014).Psychoanalytic theories: Perspective from developmental
psychopathology. Routledge.
Mash, E. J., & Barkley, R. A. (Eds.). (2014).Child psychopathology. Guilford Publications.
Andrews, D. A., & Bonta, J. (2014).The psychology of criminal conduct. Routledge.
Carr, A., & McNulty, M. (Eds.). (2016).The handbook of adult clinical psychology: an evidence
based practice approach. Routledge.
Frith, C. D. (2014).The cognitive neuropsychology of schizophrenia. Psychology press.
Vine, V., & Aldao, A. (2014). Impaired emotional clarity and psychopathology: A transdiagnostic
deficit with symptom-specific pathways through emotion regulation.Journal of Social
and Clinical Psychology.33(4). 319-342.
Iacoviello, B. M., & Charney, D. S. (2014). Psychosocial facets of resilience: implications for
preventing posttrauma psychopathology, treating trauma survivors, and enhancing
community resilience.European journal of psychotraumatology.5(1). 23970.
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Harkness, A. R., Reynolds, S. M., & Lilienfeld, S. O. (2014). A review of systems for psychology
and psychiatry: Adaptive systems, personality psychopathology five (PSY–5), and the
DSM–5.Journal of personality assessment.96(2). 121-139.
Hunsley, J., & Lee, C. M. (2017).Introduction to clinical psychology. John Wiley & Sons.
Online
Verywell Mind. (2018). Why Optimal Arousal Levels Lead to Better Athletic Performance.
[online] Available at: https://www.verywellmind.com/what-is-the-yerkes-dodson-law-
2796027 [Accessed 20 Dec. 2018].
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