The Psychology Of Mental Illness - 1177 Words

When it comes to mental illness, I have the point of view of someone who is training to be a health care professional. During my past clinical experience as a nursing student at the Alberta Hospital Edmonton, I was immersed in an environment filled with individuals who were acutely mentally ill, and two of these individuals were my patients. While â€Å"The Sociology of Mental Illness† is an excellent source of information about mental illness in the context of sociology, based on my experience at Alberta Hospital and on the nursing theory that I have learned, I disagree with the fact that Weitz groups all clinicians together in basing their practice solely on the medical model of mental illness. Weitz (2013) states that â€Å"[t]o doctors and most†¦show more content†¦As a result of seeing individuals as not just biological organisms but as biopsychosocial, nurses and nursing students are able to look at most illnesses, including mental illness with an eye that trie s to understand the social aspects of that person’s illness. As students, we are taught in a way that makes us see mental illness from both the medical and sociological points of view. I feel that integrating concepts from both the medical and the sociological models of mental illness, creates a better picture of mental illness. Neither model alone is the best. Although I was taught concepts which reflected that â€Å"[o]bjectively measurable conditions define mental illness† (Weitz, 2013), during my psychiatry clinical I realized that the assumption from the sociological model, â€Å"[m]ental illness is defined through subjective social judgments† (Weitz, 2013), is more so the case. While I was there, I got the chance to read patient charts. I noticed that one person’s diagnosis could change over time. If mental illness was objective and measurable, there would be one diagnosis that fit all the symptoms and that diagnosis would not change unless symptoms changed. What I actually was seeing was that depending on the circumstances, the diagnosis could change, and differentShow MoreRelatedThe Psychology Of Mental Illness973 Words   |  4 PagesPsychiatric Diagnostic System,† 2013). The psychological disorders videos in MyPsychLab were all informative. Out of the 10 videos I found the â€Å"History of Mental Illness†, â€Å"Personality Disorders† and â€Å"Tami Greens Congressional Briefing on Borderline Personality† to be informative and created awareness in different areas and ways. The â€Å"History of Mental Illness† is an informative podcast based off of an interview with Dr. Rodger Christenfeld, the research director at the Hudson River Psychiatric Center locatedRead MoreThe Psychology Of Mental Illness1410 Words   |  6 Pagesusually goes hand in hand with mental illness, as people who are considered mentally ill will then be considered as deviant, since it is contemplated not a norm. Sociologists have paid close attention to different concepts of mental illness and how it fits in with sociology. The focus on women and the idea of mental illness is a fairly new phenomenon and a lot of research and models have taken place by sociologists throughout time to find out why women experience mental illness more than men. Social causesRead MoreCognitive Psychology And The Management And Treatment Of Mental Illness1352 Words   |  6 Pagessimilarities and how they would be applied to the management and treatment of mental illness. Also I will explain the theories of two psychologist highlighting their strengths and weaknesses and there similarities and differences. AC1.1, AC3.1 Biological psychology looks at the biological aspects of behaviour. It looks at how the brain s structure, chemistry, activity and genetic make-up etc. relates to behaviour. Cognitive psychology focuses on the way the brain processes information, how people perceiveRead MoreClinical Psychology : Mental Illness, Emotional, And Behavioral Disorders1027 Words   |  5 PagesClinical Psychology is a branch of psychology that work with treating mental illness, emotional, and behavioral disorders. Psychologists work with patients that have disabilities such as depression, anxiety, eating disorders and substance abuse. However, clinical psychology roles are well-suited to individuals with a strong work ethic who are able to show empathy while also being very oriented to solving problems. A Christian who is a clinical psychologist must choose whether to treat a patientRead MoreExploring Psychology Careers Essay1100 Words   |  5 PagesExploring Psychology Careers Destiny Brotherton PSY 305 May 4, 2015 Dr. Jon Stern Exploring Psychology Careers Although there is an inordinate amount of diverse types and areas of specialization in psychology, such as Clinical Neuropsychology and School Psychology, the overall idea is the study and research of the human mind and behavior. Psychology is known to aid those who suffer from a variety of mental illnesses while also helping people to comprehend better the mind and how exactly theRead MoreA Nurse For A Long Time947 Words   |  4 PagesStill none of those felt right. I’ve always been fascinated with psychology, but kept pushing it to the back of my head because of how much extra school it required. The thought of studying psychology kept nagging at me though, and finally I decided to switch my major to Psychology. I went in to Brother Eric Gee’s office, which is the department chair of psychology, to talk to him about my idea of switching my major over to Psychology. Speaking to him really confirmed to me that this really is somethingRead MoreEssay about What Is Abnormal Psychology? What Is Normal Psychology?1141 Words   |  5 Pagesnbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;What is Psychology? In my research of Psychology and its meaning I have come up with many definitions. To sum all of the definitions into one it’s the study ones feelings, thoughts, and their way of thinking and using all of there senses rather its cognitive, physical, or mental. Some other questions that came to mind during my research are what is normal psychology and what is abnormal psychology? nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;What is normal psychology? Most people consider oneRead MoreCritically Compare and Contrast Community Psychology and Public Health Approaches to Social Problems851 Words   |  4 Pagescommunity psychology and public health approaches to social problems. I will do this by comparing strengths and weaknesses of both approaches, as well as similarities between these approaches. To compare these two concepts, one should first have a basic understanding of the origins and historical development of community psychology and public health. According to the American Heritage Medical dictionary (www.ahdictionary.com) Community Psychology is â€Å"the application of psychology to communityRead MoreAbnormal Psychology and Therapy: Physical Illnesses and Disorders1228 Words   |  5 PagesAbnormal Psychology and Therapy If you have an infection, you go to the doctor. There are many different treatments for any number of physical illnesses and disorders, but what if the illness or disorder is in your mind? For psychology to have any validity as a science, research must show there is a common way to think, react, and feel amongst humans; uniform mental processes. So far, research has shown that one can study the behaviors of a small group and compare them to a larger population;Read MoreComparison with Community Psychology and Public Health1055 Words   |  5 PagesIntroduction The American Heritage Medical dictionary (Website one, 2007) defines community psychology (CP) as â€Å"the application of psychology to community programs for the prevention of mental health disorders and the promotion of mental health.† Public health (PH) on the other hand is defined as â€Å"the science and practice of protecting and improving the health of a community as by preventative medicine; health education; control of communicable diseases; application of sanitary measures and monitoring