INTRODUCTION TO PSYCHIATRY
LEARNING OBJECTIVE
1. Explain mental illness
2. Discuss the issues
3. Describe the impact
4. Understand the aetiology
5. Explain the treatment options
Definition
Psychiatry is the branch of medicine that
specializes in the treatment of those brain
disorders which primarily cause disturbance of thought, emotion and behaviour
PSYCHE
= Soul / Breath
like goddess psyche
Johann Christian Reil
- 1759 - 1813 ā¢ āfather of PSYCHIATRYā ā¢ German Anatomist / Physician ā¢ coined the name PSYCHIATRY in 1808
Famous peeps
ABRAHAM LINCOLN Depressive disorde
Sir WINSTON
CHURCHILL - Bipolar
RONALD
REAGON - Dementia
Princess Diana - Bulimia nervosa / Depressive disorder
Ludwig Van
BEETHOVEN - Alcohol Dependence / Depression
Prof. John NASH - Schizophrenia
won the Nobel prize for Economics in
1994
ANOJA WEERASINGHE - Depressive disorder
Suicidal attemptsMental disorders are BRAIN disorders
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āchemical imbalance theory of mental illnessā - lack of evidence ?
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Imbalance of Neurotransmitters examples
DEPRESSION - reduce - serotonin & noradrenalin
DEMENTIA - reduce - acetylchlorine
SCHIZOPHRENIA - increase - dopamine
PrevalenceĀ -
1 out 4 persons will develop a mental disorder during the lifetime
Issues
six issues
Impact
On family, community and individual
Indiividual => distress, disability, dysfunction, disease, death, discrimination
Family => helpless, hopeless, fear, stigma
Community => mental disorders, poverty, economic depreciation ALL 3 factors predispose to the other
Aetiology
Preidsposing => genetic, influence on the fetus, trauma at birth (eg hypoxia), traumatic childhood
Precipitating => physical illness (post ciral depression, ulcers, heart disease), alcohol and substance abuse, loss, social changes
Perpetuating => illness, social eg: dementia, domestic violence
IMPORTANT IN HISTORY TAKING
Treatment
Physical => Medication, ECT, Surgery (psychosurgery not used anymore)
Psychological => counselling, psychotherapy, CBT (thoughts, behaviour, feelings) etc Will learn about CBT in future
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2Es and 2Is = emotional support, esteem support, informational, institutional support
Social => occupational therapy, social skills training,Ā Horticultural therapy
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Non-pharmacological interventions
- Daily exercise - endorphins for wellbeing and serotonin decrease depression
- Behavioural activation - daily activity schedule, record how much pleasure + how much mastery of each (how much enjoyed + how much did it well)
- Gratitude journal - three things daily at night about what grateful about today
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