Lecture on Mental Health History and Today

Historical Exposés and Experiments

• Nellie Bly (Elizabeth Cochran)

  • 1887: Exposed poor conditions in US psychiatric hospitals (asylums).
  • Findings: Rotten food, cold showers, rats, abusive staff.
  • Result: Led to mental health reform.

• David Rosenhan's Experiment (1975)

  • Sent 8 sane people to psychiatric hospitals, claiming to hear voices.
  • Observations: Patients were held for an average of 19 days.
  • Critique: Diagnosis process focuses on circumstances rather than patient health.
  • Second part: Told a hospital pseudopatients would come; none were sent.
  • Conclusion: Raised questions about diagnosing and classifying mental disorders.

Concepts of Psychological Disorders

• Definition: Patterns of deviant, distressful, and dysfunctional thoughts, feelings, or behaviors.

  • Deviance depends on cultural context (e.g., speaking to spirits acceptable in some cultures).
  • Distress: Subjective feeling of something wrong.
  • Dysfunction: Impaired ability to work/live.

• Historical Context

  • Shift to seeing mental health issues as mind sickness by the 18th-19th centuries.
  • Advanced syphilis linked to neurological issues.
  • Treatment shift to medical hospitals.

Models of Mental Health

• Medical Model

  • Psychological disorders have physiological causes.
  • Diagnosed and treated based on symptoms.

• Biopsychological Approach

  • Considers biological, psychological, and social-cultural influences.
  • Emphasizes nature and nurture influences.

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5)

• Purpose: Standardize and measure psychological disorders.

  • Used by clinicians, insurance, drug companies, policy makers, legal systems.

• Evolution

  • First edition in 1952; fifth edition in 2013.
  • Changes reflect new research and understanding of mental health.
  • Example: Homosexuality removed as pathology in 1973 third edition.

Criticisms and Challenges

• DSM Concerns
  • Risks of over/misdiagnosis.
  • Potential negative impact of labeling individuals.

Conclusion

• Definitions are powerful in mental health.
• Ongoing evolution in understanding and diagnosing psychological disorders.

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Lecture Credits

• Written by Kathleen Yale
• Edited by Blake DePastino
• Consultant: Dr. Ranjit Bhagwat
• Director and Editor: Nicholas Jenkins
• Script Supervisor and Sound Designer: Michael Aranda
• Graphics Team: Thought Cafe

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Note: These notes capture the key ideas and discussions from the lecture on mental health and the development of psychological disorder classifications.