Drug therapy - biological Approach
- Created by: Stephkyte
- Created on: 13-05-16 11:30
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- Drug Therapy
- Antipsychotic Drugs:
- Treats psychotic disorders such as Schizophrenia. (Lost touch with reality) with Dopamine.
- Atypical antipsychotic drugs: Clorazil act by temporarily occupying dopamine receptors.
- Antidepressant Drugs:
- Depression is linked to high levels of serotonin being produced by the Synapse.
- SSRI's - Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors.
- Antianxiety Drugs:
- The drugs most commonly used for anxiety and stress are neurotransmitters such as benzodiazepines (BZs)
- BZs are slowed down the activity of the Central Nervous System and enhance the GABA.
- Beta-blockers: They reduce the activity of the adrenaline and Noradrenaline.
- Evaluation:
- Drugs verses placebo's
- Typically a random control trial used to compare a placebo and the effectiveness of the drug.
- Case Study: Soomro et al - 17 studies of SSRI's with OCD with a component of depression.
- Side Effects
- Nausea, headache and Insomnia are common side effects of SSRI's.
- Side effects of Tricyclic antidepressants are hallucinations and irregular heartbeat. These are only used when SSRI's are ineffective.
- Symptoms not cause
- One criticism is that, while drugs may be effective in treating the symptoms of the psychological disorder but doesn't address the underlying problem.
- Example: If a person is suffering depression in adulthood because of a serious childhood trauma so antidepressants may provide an effective short term solution.
- Comparison with other treatments: Drug therapy is cheap for the patient. The practitioner has to invest less time in the patient because they only meet a couple times a month.
- Ethical Issues
- Use of Placebo's: The effectiveness of the drug, If the effectiveness existed then it should be used as the controlled condition when it is being tested.
- Patient Information: Lack of Valid Consent, forgetting all the relevant facts of the side effects of the drugs, Medical professionals may not fully explain the benefits of the drugs are slim.
- Drugs verses placebo's
- Antipsychotic Drugs:
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