How Mental Health Problems Change Over Time (AQA GCSE Psychology)

Cultural variations in beliefs about mental health problems

• Mental disorders were initially treated in the UK (and most Western, individualistic cultures) using the biomedical model i.e. drugs such as antidepressants are likely to be prescribed for someone presenting with depressive symptoms

• One issue with the biomedical model is that it ignores social factors such as culture 

• Culture bias is the assumption that:

  • one culture above all others provides a template for ‘normality’

  • other cultures are viewed as inferior/abnormal if they do not fit this model of what is perceived as normal

  • the members of such ‘inferior’ cultures may be treated negatively or unfairly

• Cultural bias in diagnosis may result in one culture being given preferential treatment over the other culture, for example: 

  • more people from African-Caribbean backgrounds are diagnosed with schizophrenia in the UK and USA than are Caucasian people (McLeod, 2018) 

  • people from Puerto Rico may respond to stress with severe physiological responses such as fainting fits and heart palpitations but these symptoms are frequently misdiagnosed as psychotic episodes by clinicians from the USA (Guaraccia et al.,1990)

• Culture may be ignored and symptoms misunderstood if culture-bound syndromes are not considered part of the diagnostic process 

• Culture bias is more likely to affect people from collectivist cultures:

  • these cultures are more likely to be guided by culture-bound concepts of mental health

  • they are more likely to use traditional forms of treatment rather than adhering to the biomedical model e.g. in Haiti voodoo is used as a treatment for a range of illnesses, both physical and mental

Increased challenges of modern living

• Modern living refers to how society functions in the twenty-first century, for example: 

  • Economic, political and cultural changes

  • Advances in technology e.g. social media

  • People living in more populated areas e.g. cities

• A major factor which poses risks to good mental health is socioeconomic status:

  • Poverty is a huge risk factor for mental illness as it brings with it a range of stressors including:

    • poor nutrition

    • money worries

    • unhealthy living conditions e.g. damp

    • polluted environment

    • lack of opportunity e.g. in education and employment

• Social isolation is increasingly common as people move to larger cities, lose contact with friends and family and live their lives online rather than in the flesh

• An ageing population brings with it an increased risk of people suffering from dementia, experiencing loneliness, becoming prone to depression

Increased recognition of mental health problems

• The diagnosis of mental health problems worldwide has significantly increased over time, with some mental health problems being more prevalent than others, for example:

  • there has been a rapid rise in depression, whereas schizophrenia (Sz) has increased at a more stable rate

• The increase in diagnosis is not always due to more individuals experiencing mental health problems:

  • Changes in symptoms and classifications of mental health problems may result in more individuals meeting the criteria to be diagnosed with a mental health problem

  • Mental health problems have become less of a stigma in some cultures, meaning more individuals are seeking treatment e.g. medication or therapy

• The view that mental health problems are caused by biological or psychological factors became increasingly prominent in the nineteenth century:

  • The development of psychiatry focused on the diagnosis and treatment of mental health disorders 

  • Classification systems were developed e.g. the International Classification of Diseases (ICD)

  • Discoveries in biology: genetics, an imbalance in neurochemistry and abnormalities in brain structure linked to mental health problems

  • Discoveries in cognitive psychology including faulty information processing and irrational thoughts linked to mental health problems

  • Treatments such as drugs and psychoanalysis became common in the twentieth century 

• The Biopsychosocial model is now widely used to diagnose mental health problems, particularly in Western countries, with the biomedical model now appearing outdated