hlthage 1cc3 test 1 UPDATED ACTUAL
Questions and CORRECT Answers
why is defining mental health and mental illness difficult? - CORRECT ANSWER definitions vary
across professionals, models, cultures, and time. symptoms can reflect normal human responses to stress
or trauma, and research often contradicts itself. this complexity requires a critical, multi-perspective
approach rather than a single definition.
"neurons that fire together, wire together" in ocd - CORRECT ANSWER repeating compulsive
behaviors strengthens the neural pathways associated with the disorder, making the habit harder to break.
tardive dyskinesia - CORRECT ANSWER a serious side effect of typical anti-psychotic
medications involving involuntary, repetitive body movements.
neurasthenia - CORRECT ANSWER term used to describe exhaustion and anxiety linked to the
stresses of modern industrial life in the 19th century
hysteria - CORRECT ANSWER 'archaic' diagnosis once used to describe unmanageable emotional
excess in women, wrongly attributed to the uterus
demedicalization - CORRECT ANSWER the process of de-classifying a mental illness to focus on
social causes rather than individual pathology
biomarker - CORRECT ANSWER measurable substance in the body that definitively indicates the
presence of a specific disease.
social prescribing - CORRECT ANSWER a process where healthcare providers prioritize
community supports and interventions over medication or psychotherapy.
what are the two common but limited definitions of mental health? - CORRECT ANSWER 1.
freedom from suffering, abnormal behaviour, and distress
,2. absence of mental illness
what is distress, and why doesn't it automatically mean mental illness? - CORRECT
ANSWER distress involves thoughts, feelings, awareness, and behaviour. while mental "health" is
often linked to feeling good and "illness" to feeling bad, emotions like sadness, anxiety, and fear are
normal and healthy human experiences. Never feeling distress would be unrealistic and possibly
unhealthy.
how does abnormality relate to mental illness, and why is this problematic? - CORRECT
ANSWER abnormal behaviour is often assumed to be unhealthy, but many mental health
conditions are very common (e.g., 1 in 5 canadians yearly). this challenges the idea that abnormal
automatically means unhealthy.
what is dysfunction in mental health? - CORRECT ANSWER dysfunction occurs when mental
health interferes with meeting daily needs or responsibilities. it is influenced by personal capacity,
resources, and environment, not just individual symptoms.
how do the WHO and DSM define mental health and illness, and what are their limits? - CORRECT
ANSWER WHO: focuses on well-being, coping with stress, productivity, and community
contribution, but "normal stress" varies by person.
DSM: defines mental disorders as disturbances in cognition, emotion, or behaviour causing distress or
disability and relies on clinician judgment.
what does the biomedical model assume about mental illness? - CORRECT ANSWER mental
health and illness are binary. Mental illness is caused by biological dysfunctions (e.g., brain processes).
treatment focuses on medication and physical interventions like ECT. clear biomarkers are rare in mental
illness
how does the psychological-behavioural model explain mental illness and treatment? - CORRECT
ANSWER mental illness exists on a continuum and arises from personal experiences, learned
behaviours, and perspectives. treatment emphasizes psychotherapy (CBT, psychodynamic, humanistic,
existential approaches).
how does the social model understand mental health and illness? - CORRECT ANSWER mental
health is socially constructed and shaped by culture, power, and norms. marginalized groups are more
, likely to be labeled mentally ill. responses include social supports (housing, employment) and
demedicalization.
what is the biopsychosocial model? - CORRECT ANSWER mental health results from the
interaction of biological factors, psychological experiences, and social determinants such as income,
housing, and education.
how is mental illness diagnosed, what complications exist, and why does it matter? - CORRECT
ANSWER diagnosis uses DSM/ICD, clinical scales, and professional judgment. bias can come
from practitioners, diagnostic criteria, and lack of patient context. mental health matters because it shapes
experience, identity, access to care, and can lead to stigma or involuntary treatment.
DSM - CORRECT ANSWER the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) is
published by the American Psychiatric Association (APA) and is used to classify and diagnose mental
disorders. Ii shapes clinical practice, insurance coverage, research, and mental health policy. although
often treated as objective science, it is best understood as a historical and social document rather than a
neutral list of diseases.
why should we study the history of the DSM? - CORRECT ANSWER shows that mental illness
categories are not fixed or inevitable. diagnoses are shaped by cultural norms, political pressures,
economic interests, and dominant psychological theories.
mental illness: before the DSM - CORRECT ANSWER early classification systems focused on
institutional needs like record-keeping and social control rather than lived experience. diagnoses were
vague and moralistic, often framing mental illness as deviance, weakness, or social threat. care and
understanding were secondary to managing behaviour.
medical 203 - CORRECT ANSWER a classification system developed for the U.S. military. it
defined mental illness as dynamic reactions to stress rather than biologically determined conditions. it
rejected biological determinism and directly influenced the development of DSM-I.
DSM-I - CORRECT ANSWER - developed after WWII and was heavily influenced by
psychoanalysis and military psychiatry.
- mental disorders were framed as reactions to stress and environment, not fixed biological diseases.
Questions and CORRECT Answers
why is defining mental health and mental illness difficult? - CORRECT ANSWER definitions vary
across professionals, models, cultures, and time. symptoms can reflect normal human responses to stress
or trauma, and research often contradicts itself. this complexity requires a critical, multi-perspective
approach rather than a single definition.
"neurons that fire together, wire together" in ocd - CORRECT ANSWER repeating compulsive
behaviors strengthens the neural pathways associated with the disorder, making the habit harder to break.
tardive dyskinesia - CORRECT ANSWER a serious side effect of typical anti-psychotic
medications involving involuntary, repetitive body movements.
neurasthenia - CORRECT ANSWER term used to describe exhaustion and anxiety linked to the
stresses of modern industrial life in the 19th century
hysteria - CORRECT ANSWER 'archaic' diagnosis once used to describe unmanageable emotional
excess in women, wrongly attributed to the uterus
demedicalization - CORRECT ANSWER the process of de-classifying a mental illness to focus on
social causes rather than individual pathology
biomarker - CORRECT ANSWER measurable substance in the body that definitively indicates the
presence of a specific disease.
social prescribing - CORRECT ANSWER a process where healthcare providers prioritize
community supports and interventions over medication or psychotherapy.
what are the two common but limited definitions of mental health? - CORRECT ANSWER 1.
freedom from suffering, abnormal behaviour, and distress
,2. absence of mental illness
what is distress, and why doesn't it automatically mean mental illness? - CORRECT
ANSWER distress involves thoughts, feelings, awareness, and behaviour. while mental "health" is
often linked to feeling good and "illness" to feeling bad, emotions like sadness, anxiety, and fear are
normal and healthy human experiences. Never feeling distress would be unrealistic and possibly
unhealthy.
how does abnormality relate to mental illness, and why is this problematic? - CORRECT
ANSWER abnormal behaviour is often assumed to be unhealthy, but many mental health
conditions are very common (e.g., 1 in 5 canadians yearly). this challenges the idea that abnormal
automatically means unhealthy.
what is dysfunction in mental health? - CORRECT ANSWER dysfunction occurs when mental
health interferes with meeting daily needs or responsibilities. it is influenced by personal capacity,
resources, and environment, not just individual symptoms.
how do the WHO and DSM define mental health and illness, and what are their limits? - CORRECT
ANSWER WHO: focuses on well-being, coping with stress, productivity, and community
contribution, but "normal stress" varies by person.
DSM: defines mental disorders as disturbances in cognition, emotion, or behaviour causing distress or
disability and relies on clinician judgment.
what does the biomedical model assume about mental illness? - CORRECT ANSWER mental
health and illness are binary. Mental illness is caused by biological dysfunctions (e.g., brain processes).
treatment focuses on medication and physical interventions like ECT. clear biomarkers are rare in mental
illness
how does the psychological-behavioural model explain mental illness and treatment? - CORRECT
ANSWER mental illness exists on a continuum and arises from personal experiences, learned
behaviours, and perspectives. treatment emphasizes psychotherapy (CBT, psychodynamic, humanistic,
existential approaches).
how does the social model understand mental health and illness? - CORRECT ANSWER mental
health is socially constructed and shaped by culture, power, and norms. marginalized groups are more
, likely to be labeled mentally ill. responses include social supports (housing, employment) and
demedicalization.
what is the biopsychosocial model? - CORRECT ANSWER mental health results from the
interaction of biological factors, psychological experiences, and social determinants such as income,
housing, and education.
how is mental illness diagnosed, what complications exist, and why does it matter? - CORRECT
ANSWER diagnosis uses DSM/ICD, clinical scales, and professional judgment. bias can come
from practitioners, diagnostic criteria, and lack of patient context. mental health matters because it shapes
experience, identity, access to care, and can lead to stigma or involuntary treatment.
DSM - CORRECT ANSWER the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) is
published by the American Psychiatric Association (APA) and is used to classify and diagnose mental
disorders. Ii shapes clinical practice, insurance coverage, research, and mental health policy. although
often treated as objective science, it is best understood as a historical and social document rather than a
neutral list of diseases.
why should we study the history of the DSM? - CORRECT ANSWER shows that mental illness
categories are not fixed or inevitable. diagnoses are shaped by cultural norms, political pressures,
economic interests, and dominant psychological theories.
mental illness: before the DSM - CORRECT ANSWER early classification systems focused on
institutional needs like record-keeping and social control rather than lived experience. diagnoses were
vague and moralistic, often framing mental illness as deviance, weakness, or social threat. care and
understanding were secondary to managing behaviour.
medical 203 - CORRECT ANSWER a classification system developed for the U.S. military. it
defined mental illness as dynamic reactions to stress rather than biologically determined conditions. it
rejected biological determinism and directly influenced the development of DSM-I.
DSM-I - CORRECT ANSWER - developed after WWII and was heavily influenced by
psychoanalysis and military psychiatry.
- mental disorders were framed as reactions to stress and environment, not fixed biological diseases.
