EXPLORING PSYCHOLOGY EIGHTH EDITION IN MODULES David Myers PowerPoint Slides Aneeq Ahmad Henderson State University Worth Publishers, © 2011

2 Therapy

The Biomedical Therapies Module 36 3

4 Drug Therapies  Antipsychotic Drugs  Antianxiety Drugs  Antidepressant Drugs  Mood-Stabilizing Medications Brain Stimulation  Electroconvulsive Therapy  Alternative Neurostimulation Therapies Psychosurgery Therapeutic Life-Style Changes

Psychosurgery Therapeutic Life-Style Changes 5

6 The Biomedical Therapies Biomedical therapies treat psychological disorders through prescribed medications or medical procedures that act directly on the nervous system. For the most part, only psychiatrists (as medical doctors) can offer biomedical treatments.

7 Drug Therapies Psychopharmacology is the study of drug effects on mind and behavior. With the advent of drugs, hospitalization in mental institutions has rapidly declined.

8 Drug Therapies To test the effectiveness of a drug they are test in a double-blind procedure. Patients are tested in two groups, one getting the drug and the other a placebo. Both the patients and medical health professionals are unaware of who is taking the drug and who is taking the placebo. These studies have shown that several medications are useful in treating psychological disorders.

9 Antipsychotic Drugs Antipsychotic drugs are used to treat schizophrenia and other forms of severe thought disorders. Antipsychotics (such as Thorazine) work by dampening responsiveness to irrelevant stimuli and are helpful in treating patients with hallucinations or delusions. However they can also have serious side effects. Newer atypical antipsychotics (Clozaril), also work for patients exhibiting negative symptoms and have less side effects than classic antipsychotics.

10 Antianxiety Drugs Antianxiety drugs (Xanax and Ativan) depress the central nervous system. They are often used along with psychotherapy. Critics warn that antianxiety drugs eliminate symptoms without addressing the underlying causes. They can also cause physiological dependence.

11 Antidepressant Drugs Antidepressant drugs are used to treat depression as well as being increasingly used to treat anxiety. Selective-serotonin-reuptake-inhibitors (SSRIs) like Prozac, Zoloft, and Paxil improve the mood by elevating levels of serotonin by inhibiting reuptake. Other antidepressants work by blocking the reabsorption of both norepinephrine and serotonin. However, these drugs have more potential side effects than SSRIs.

Everyone agrees that patients improve after a month on antidepressants, but these results may be influenced by other factors. Double-blind studies have shown that placebos account for about 75% of the active drug’s effect (Kirsch 1998, 2002). 12 Antidepressant Drugs

Biology of Antidepressants 13

14 Mood-Stabilizing Medications Lithium Carbonate, a common salt, has been used to stabilize manic episodes in bipolar disorders. 7 of 10 people with bipolar disorder benefit from a long-term daily dose of lithium. Their risk of suicide is one-sixth that of patients not taking the drug.

15 Brain Stimulation Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) ECT is used for severely depressed patients who do not respond to drugs. The patient is anesthetized and given a muscle relaxant and then a brief electrical current is sent through the brain. It is often effective, but the results can be short-lived with 4 of 10 patients having a relapse within 6 months.

Helen Mayberg and her colleagues have been studying deep brain stimulation for the treatment of severe depression. It works by stimulating a particular area of the brain’s cortex through an implanted electrode. 16 Alternative Neurostimulation Therapies

17 Alternative Neurostimulation Therapies Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS) In rTMS, a pulsating magnetic coil is placed over prefrontal regions of the brain to treat depression with minimal side effects.

18 Psychosurgery Psychosurgery – surgery that removed or destroys brain tissue - is used as a last resort in alleviating psychological disturbances. The most well-known psychosurgery, the lobotomy, is a procedure which cuts the nerves connecting the frontal lobe to the inner brain. Because of its drastic effects it is almost never used today. Other psychosurgeries are rare, more precise, and used only when necessary.

The biomedical therapies assume that mind and body are a unit: Affect one and you will affect the other. Perhaps, then, treating mind and body separately is no longer valid. 19 Therapeutic Life-Style Changes

Ilardi and his colleagues promote therapeutic life-style changes. In a 12-week study they treated people with depression: -Aerobic exercise – at least 30 min a day, 3 days a week -Adequate Sleep – 7 to 8 hours a night -Light exposure – 30 minutes with a light box each morning -Social Connection – 2 meaningful social engagements a week -Anti-rumination – identifying and redirecting negative thoughts -Nutritional supplements – including a daily fish oil supplement 77% of those who completed the program reported relief from the symptoms of depression. 20 Therapeutic Life-Style Changes