Treatment of Psychological Disorders
What to know
Treatments divide into biomedical and psychological. Biomedical: antipsychotics (reduce dopamine; treat schizophrenia; side effects like tardive dyskinesia), antidepressants (SSRIs, MAOIs, tricyclics), lithium (bipolar), antianxiety drugs (benzodiazepines), and ECT (severe depression). Psychotherapy approaches: psychoanalysis/psychodynamic (insight, transference, free association), humanistic/client-centered (Rogers: empathy, unconditional positive regard), behavior therapy (systematic desensitization, exposure, token economies, aversion therapy), cognitive therapy (Beck: restructure distorted thoughts), cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT, widely effective), and group/family therapy.
Evidence and ethics
Evidence-based practice matches treatment to disorder and client. Placebo controls and randomized trials establish efficacy. Ethical issues include informed consent, confidentiality and its limits, and competence. Prevention can be primary (before onset), secondary (early detection), or tertiary (reducing disability).
Traps
Don't confuse antipsychotics (psychosis/schizophrenia) with antidepressants. Systematic desensitization treats phobias via gradual exposure and relaxation-not insight. CBT targets thoughts and behaviors; psychodynamic targets unconscious conflict. ECT is used for severe depression, not as punishment or routine first-line care.
Rule of thumb
Match treatment to target: phobia → exposure/desensitization; distorted thinking → cognitive/CBT; psychosis → antipsychotic medication; bipolar → lithium.
Worked example
A client with spider phobia is taught relaxation and gradually exposed to a hierarchy of spider-related stimuli until fear subsides-systematic desensitization, a behavior therapy.