Clinical psychology is a branch of the psychology discipline that is concerned with applying the principles of psychology within a mental health setting. The aims of clinical psychology are to promote both emotional and physical health and to help individuals attain an acceptable quality of life (Plante, 2011). To achieve this, it is of high importance to continually conduct new research into areas which help expand our knowledge of diagnoses, symptoms and treatment in order to create and revise theories for different debilitating conditions. Research can be conducted for both academic and applied purposes, with two aims: to investigate efficacy (ability for beneficial change) or to investigate effectiveness (how well a treatment works in …show more content…
However, this is now a slightly outdated view; it has been recognized that to dismiss qualitative methodology completely is to neglect a valuable tool. To assess the contribution of both quantitative and qualitative research within clinical psychology I will focus on the issue of Bipolar disorder. Bipolar disorder is a crippling condition which is reported to affect around two percent of the population of the United Kingdom (Merikangas, Akiskal, Agnst, Greenberg, Hirschfield, Petukhova & Kessler, 2007). Bipolar disorder is characterised as the incessant occurrence of phases of depression, mania and affective state (Goodwin and Jamison, 2007). I aim to study how both types of research have helped contribute towards a better understanding of the condition and provided new light into areas such as diagnoses and treatment, within clinical psychology.
Bipolar disorder has a number of potentially negative impacts on the lives of those with the condition, such as restlessness, depression and feelings of isolation (Goodwin and Jamison, 2007). Therefore in order for a healthcare professional to be able to recommend any sort of treatment, it is of paramount importance to understand the brain activity which causes the behaviour in the first place. Quantitative research methodology such as neuroimaging allows psychologists to research how bipolar disorder affects the function of different regions of the brain. It enables researchers to objectively measure brain activity between
In pop culture Bipolar Disorder is described as someone quickly switching emotions. The term gets flown around easily without evidence of the alleged diagnosis. This publication changed my perspective on mental illness due to always hearing society's opinion on the phrase. Kay’s experience shows an individual who suffered tremendously behind doors that no one else could relate to, having episodes last days to months not switching every minute like society's stereotypes. It is obvious that there is not control and while medication helps, there is a significant consequence when missing treatment. Additionally, material learned within this book can help fundamentally determine someone suffering this illness. For example, if someone has manic highs and lows that force them to change their daily lifestyle for a period of time and developes changing impulsive decisions there could be an underlying illness. Even though there are few details that can fall into the category of Bipolar, it is still rare and unless diagnosed by a doctor one should never jump to conclusions about another
Bipolar disorder is a mood disorder known for severe persistent mood instabilities between mania and depression, . It causes unusual changes in mood, energy, and activity levels which makes ability to perform daily tasks very hard. (Concepts Advisory Panel [CAP], 2015). BPD affects more than 2.3 million adult Americans, or 1% of the population. (Guo, Patel, Li, & Keck 2010). There are four basic types of bipolar spectrum; All of them involve clear change in the mood energy, and activity levels (CAP,2015). These mood incidences’ ranges from periods of extremely high and energized behavior known as Manic episodes to very sad, or hopeless periods known as depressive episodes. Bipolar I disorder, the client has at least one episode of manic followed by major depression. Bipolar II disorder, the client has one or more hypomanic and major depressive episodes, the other not so severe and less diagnoses type of Bipolar is chronic mood disorder that lasts more two years with combination of hypomania and dysthymia. (CAP,2015). This paper will go into, Bipolar I, Manic episodes, the pathophysiology, Sign and symptoms, treatments, comorbidity, nursing intervention and nursing and patient therapeutic relationship.
Write a three- to four-page article review in which you discuss methodological issues unique to psychological research and analyze basic applied psychological research relevant to the treatment of mental disorders. In your paper, you will discuss
Bipolar disorder also known as manic depression has always been a mystery since the 16th century. History has shown that it can appear in almost everyone. Bipolar disorder causes mood swings in energy, thinking, and other behavior. Having a bipolar disorder can be very disabling (Kapczinski). A study was evaluated and about 1.3% of the U.S population of people suffers from bipolar disorder. Stressors and environmental influences can trigger and cause a person to go through numerous episodes. Bipolar disorder is characterized according to the severity of the stages. According to Kapczinski, there are four different stages that a person with bipolar disorder can experience. The prognosis of a disorder is different in each particular patient
Bipolar disorder also known as manic depressive illness is a brain disorder that causes shifts in mood, energy, activity levels, and the ability to carry out everyday task (National Institute of Mental Health, 2016). Every year, 2.9% of the U.S population is diagnosed with bipolar disorder, with nearly 83% of causes being classified as severe (NAMI). According to Miller, Ghadiali, Larusso, Wahlen, Ani-Barron, Mittal, Greene (2015), bipolar disorder is the leading cause of disability worldwide. Most people that experience this disorder experience highs and lows of the illness. In this paper, various components of bipolar disorder will be discussed. The components include: population dynamics, physical illnesses that accompany the disorder, risk factors and social determinants, treatment, prevention, health promotion, and cultural differences found globally.
Nusslock is a professor at Northwestern University. After graduating with a Ph.D. from University of Wisconsin-Madison, he went on to study neuroscience at Pittsburg medical school. This journal focuses on how criteria regarding bipolar disorders may fail to include milder bipolar syndromes. The main argument is the criteria for diagnosing mental illnesses, such as bipolar disorder, is not adequate. He argues there is no reliable criteria equipped for diagnosing mild cases of bipolar disorder. Mild bipolar disorder is significant and should not go unnoticed, argues Nusslock. “Individuals with major depressive disorder (MDD) who display subsyndromal hypomanic features, not concurrent with a major depressive episode, have a more severe course compared to individuals with MDD and no hypomanic features, and more closely resemble individuals with bipolar disorder on a number of clinical validators,” claims Nusslock. His findings prove what he hypothesized. The article gives the reader an insight to how important subtle symptoms are and how no person or behavior deserves to go unnoticed. He suggests there is a fault with how we are diagnosing bipolar disorders. We tend to group patients into a larger category, rather than finding a diagnosis that fits properly. The evidence in this article is a combination of research and Nusslock’s own ideas. Because he is able to combine thoughts and ideas, the information is more reliable. This article may be biased because he seems to be solely talking about his perspective than the opposite perspective. Nusslock continuously reflects on his strong sense of opinion. He seems to be very passionate about bipolar disorder and wants to be a part of making a difference. In my opinion, the information is reliable for one side. It does not show reliability for an opposing opinion because there seems to be no other opinion present. This article is a
There are many concerns when it comes to the mental health of individuals throughout the world. Mental health problems can manifest in a variety of different ways and range in severity from attention deficits to hallucinations. One of the most severe forms of disorders that can affect an individual is bipolar disorder. Bipolar disorder is a brain disorder that presents a wide variety of different symptoms that affect the ability of an individual to live a complete and satisfied life. By examining the overall prevalence of the ailment, its symptoms, and the forms of treatments available, a more complete understanding of bipolar disease can emerge.
Bipolar disorder (BD) is a severe and chronic neuropsychiatric disorder characterized by alternating episodes of major depression and mania. Episodes of mania are characterized by a distinct period of abnormally and persistently elevated mood and increased goal-oriented activity lasting at least one week. Diagnostic criteria for BD have shown two subsets of BD (BD I and BD II), which are differentiated by the severity of the manic episodes. BD I is characterized by traditional manic episodes while BD II is characterized by hypomanic episodes, which are less severe than manic episodes, experienced in BD I. Major depressive episodes are characterized by pervasive and persistent low mood that is accompanied by low self-esteem and anhedonia (American Psychiatric Association, 2013). In the United States, BD has a lifetime and 12-month prevalence of approximately 5% (Merikangas et al., 2007) and has been ranked in the top six most debilitating illnesses in the world (Sanchez-Moreno et al., 2009). BD is likely to result from interactions between genetic vulnerability and environmental stressors that cause a widespread dysfunction across a wide range of neurobiological systems with current theories suggesting that BD can be conceptualized as a disorder of neuroplasticity (Machado-Vieira et al., 2014).
Because of the frequent mood swings, affected anatomical pathways in rapid cycling are those in neural pathways that are thought to regulate human mood. In this study, a simple brain scan revealed the differences in structural volume when looking at a person with the disorder compared to a healthy individual. A patient with the bipolar disorder had an enlarged amygdala, which is responsible for emotions, memory and survival instincts. According to the researchers, there is a role of amygdala dysfunction in bipolar disorder. The way researchers have studied this problem so far is by comparing scanned MRIs of rapid cycling bipolar disorder patients with healthy people that are equivalent in age, gender, race, and education. Researchers have also been studying the peripheral and central nervous systems in rodents and pigs to observe the flow of BDNF and neurotrophin 3 (NT-3) through these systems, uncovering that both these neurotrophic factors have the ability to cross the blood brain barrier.
Bipolar Disorder, sometimes referred to as a manic-depressive disorder, is best described as an illness that results in drastic and unpredictable mood swings, energy levels and one’s ability to complete daily tasks. Not to be confused with simply being tired or in a bad mood, the symptoms associated with bipolar disorders are drastic, severe and frightening for many. It can easily annihilate relationships, jeopardize careers and in some cases, those with diagnosed bipolar can attempt and succeed in committing suicide. This paper will take a look at how this illness can affect one’s daily life and what that might mean to an outsider looking in.
Children exhibit behaviors that are associated with Bipolar Disorder (BPD) as early as 2 years of age. However, many children are not diagnosed until older due to the subjectivity of diagnosing children with mental disorders while their brains are still developing. This leads to a prolonged delay in diagnosis and treatment. However, with recent research, we are able to view and compare brain structures of those with BPD to those who are not affected by BPD. By MRI and fMRI scans, there are regions in the brain that are associated with BPD at certain sizes and activity levels. Individuals with Bipolar show decreased brain volumes in emotion related neurocircuitry, such as the amygdala and the prefrontal cortical regions (Marrus, Bell, & Luby, 2014). With being able to see structural abnormalities within the brain we are also able to determine if treatments for these disorders are effective. With the use of proper medication, volumetric differences occur in the regions of the brain that are associated with BPD and therefore provide evidence that brain structure abnormalities can be “normalized” with medication. However, even with treatment, individuals with BPD tend to follow the trend that they are still more susceptible to drug abuse, aggressive behavior, and binge drinking later on in life (Swendsen et al., 2010). Additionally, BPD used to always be considered the sole mental illness an individual had but recently it has been shown that BPD is comorbid with other diseases,