Biological Psychology of Mental Health
(24/25)
Assessment Information
- Quiz (30%)
o 40 questions in varying formats (e.g., multiple choice, true/false or
matching questions)
o This will cover module lecture content and essential readings from weeks
1-5.
o This will be delivered remotely in week 6 via Canvas (29th November 2024)
- Unseen Exam (70%)
o This will assess the overall module content and be conducted online.
o There will be 3 sets of questions (A, B & C) where you will have to answer
one question from each set.
o There will be a 500-word limit per question answered.
Study Plan
Week Lecture Reviewed Revised Confident
1 Diagnosis, Epidemiology & Pharmacology
2 Risk Factors
3 Depression
4 Bipolar Disorder
5 Neuropsychology of Aberrant Behaviour
7 Behavioural Addiction & Gambling Disorder
8 Eating Disorders
9 Ageing & Dementia (1)
10 Ageing & Dementia (2)
11 The Pandemic’s Impact on Mental Health
,Table of Contents
DIAGNOSIS, EPIDEMIOLOGY & PHARMACOLOGY .......................................................................... 3
Lecture Content ......................................................................................................................... 3
Relevant Essential and Further Reading ..................................................................................... 11
Sample Essay Questions .......................................................................................................... 13
RISK FACTORS............................................................................................................................ 14
Lecture Content ....................................................................................................................... 14
Relevant Essential and Further Reading ..................................................................................... 21
Sample Essay Questions .......................................................................................................... 24
PRACTICE QUIZ QUESTIONS ....................................................................................................... 25
DEPRESSION ............................................................................................................................. 27
Lecture Content ....................................................................................................................... 27
Relevant Essential and Further Reading ..................................................................................... 39
Sample Essay Questions .......................................................................................................... 44
BIPOLAR DISORDER ................................................................................................................... 45
Lecture Content ....................................................................................................................... 45
Relevant Essential and Further Reading ..................................................................................... 56
Sample Essay Questions .......................................................................................................... 59
NEUROPSYCHOLOGY OF ABERRANT BEHAVIOUR ........................................................................ 60
Lecture Content ....................................................................................................................... 60
Relevant Essential and Further Reading ..................................................................................... 69
ADHD & OCD.............................................................................................................................. 76
Lecture Content ....................................................................................................................... 76
BEHAVIOURAL ADDICTIONS & EATING DISORDERS (1) ................................................................. 90
Lecture Content ....................................................................................................................... 90
EATING DISORDERS (BEHAVIOURAL ADDICTIONS) (2) .................................................................. 97
Lecture Content ....................................................................................................................... 97
AGEING & DEMENTIA (1) ........................................................................................................... 104
Lecture Content ..................................................................................................................... 104
AGEING & DEMENTIA (2) ........................................................................................................... 115
Lecture Content ..................................................................................................................... 115
THE PANDEMIC’S IMPACT ON MENTAL HEALTH .......................................................................... 129
Lecture Content ..................................................................................................................... 129
,Diagnosis, Epidemiology & Pharmacology
Lecture Content
Lecture Summary:
- Discusses mental health research and diagnostic systems.
- Covers the epidemiology of mental health conditions (incidence vs. prevalence).
- Discusses the basic neurobiology by coving neuroanatomical terms, excitation
and inhibition)
- Covers the different methods of understanding the brain (e.g., brain imaging,
postmortem studies and peripheral measures)
- Discusses the study of psychopharmacology, and its subfields of
pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics (a branch of medicine which studies
drug uses, effects and modes of actions).
What is Mental Health?
- According to WHO, mental health is a fundamental part of health. It is where an
individual’s state of well-being allowed one to acknowledge their own abilities,
cope with life stressors, and enables productivity. Collectively and individually,
mental health enables humans’ abilities to portray emotions, think, allows social
interactions and live functional lives. As such, mental health is vital for
promoting and protecting daily living, with restoration of mental health being a
major concern to enable this for those suffering from psychiatric conditions.
- A variable of different factors, such as socioeconomic, biological and
environmental factors determine one’s mental health.
- The goal of WHO, regarding mental health, is to research and provide cost-
effective interventions and strategies for promotion, protection and restoration
of mental health.
- Although diagnostic manuals categorise mental health conditions as ‘disorders’,
many people may not consider themselves this way.
- Neurodiversity should be recognised and embraced in society.
How Are Conditions Characterized and Diagnosed?
- Diagnostic criteria are used to characterise mental health conditions. This
outline sets of specific symptoms and signs that the individual presents with, to
meet the criteria or diagnosis.
- Signs can be defined as phenomena which can be observed and confirmed by
other individuals.
- Symptoms are subjective to the individual and are complaints which is caused
by the presence of a disease or condition.
, - Within psychiatry, there are a wide range signs and symptoms which can be
experienced. This includes delusions, perceptions, mood, obsessions, attention,
concentration, hallucination, depression and many more.
Classification Systems for Mental Health Conditions
- There are two main classification systems for health conditions which are used
in western countries. This is the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental
Disorders (DSM-5) and the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11).
Other diagnostic systems include the Chinese Classification of Mental Disorders
(CCMD-3) and the Specialised systems for different life stages.
- Both the DSM-5 and the ICD-11 both have similar definitions of mental disorders,
where they both characterise mental disorders as a dysfunction in the biological,
psychological or developmental processes regulate behavioural and mental
functioning, with these dysfunctions reflecting a clinically significant
disturbance.
- Dysfunctions can be determined by the individual behaving in a way that is not
expected or culturally disapproved to a common stressor or loss. Causes
disruption to daily functioning.
- Both the DSM and ICD’s diagnostic categories may not adequately align with
research findings from neuroscience and genetic research and are primarily
based on consensus of disorders. As such, the underlying mechanisms of
dysfunction in the psychological, biological and developmental processes may
not be adequately captured by the signs and symptoms of psychiatric disorders.
This is because similar symptoms can be a representation of unique underlying
biological processes, but also multiple symptoms can be presented in single
biological conditions.
- Gandal et al (2018) argued that there is a polygenic architecture in the
predisposition to neuropsychiatric disease, where they found that there is a
shared molecular neuropathology across major psychiatric disorders (autism,
schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression and alcoholism). Findings from
investigating the patterns of gene-expression perturbation in shared and distinct
genes, they found that there is a sharing of transcriptional dysregulation in a
single-nucleotide caused the overlap across these disorders. The authors
concluded that there is substantial evidence to suggest that there is a causal
genetic component. It suggest particular molecules may be responsible to
different mental health conditions.
Research Domaine Criteria Initiative (RDoC)
- The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) launched the RDoC in 2010, to
highlight the importance of the inclusion of genetics, neuroscience and
behaviour science research when categorising mental disorders. Through this
attempt, the RDoC’s aim was to create a new taxonomy for mental disorders.
Attempts to bring a biological understanding of mental health conditions.
(24/25)
Assessment Information
- Quiz (30%)
o 40 questions in varying formats (e.g., multiple choice, true/false or
matching questions)
o This will cover module lecture content and essential readings from weeks
1-5.
o This will be delivered remotely in week 6 via Canvas (29th November 2024)
- Unseen Exam (70%)
o This will assess the overall module content and be conducted online.
o There will be 3 sets of questions (A, B & C) where you will have to answer
one question from each set.
o There will be a 500-word limit per question answered.
Study Plan
Week Lecture Reviewed Revised Confident
1 Diagnosis, Epidemiology & Pharmacology
2 Risk Factors
3 Depression
4 Bipolar Disorder
5 Neuropsychology of Aberrant Behaviour
7 Behavioural Addiction & Gambling Disorder
8 Eating Disorders
9 Ageing & Dementia (1)
10 Ageing & Dementia (2)
11 The Pandemic’s Impact on Mental Health
,Table of Contents
DIAGNOSIS, EPIDEMIOLOGY & PHARMACOLOGY .......................................................................... 3
Lecture Content ......................................................................................................................... 3
Relevant Essential and Further Reading ..................................................................................... 11
Sample Essay Questions .......................................................................................................... 13
RISK FACTORS............................................................................................................................ 14
Lecture Content ....................................................................................................................... 14
Relevant Essential and Further Reading ..................................................................................... 21
Sample Essay Questions .......................................................................................................... 24
PRACTICE QUIZ QUESTIONS ....................................................................................................... 25
DEPRESSION ............................................................................................................................. 27
Lecture Content ....................................................................................................................... 27
Relevant Essential and Further Reading ..................................................................................... 39
Sample Essay Questions .......................................................................................................... 44
BIPOLAR DISORDER ................................................................................................................... 45
Lecture Content ....................................................................................................................... 45
Relevant Essential and Further Reading ..................................................................................... 56
Sample Essay Questions .......................................................................................................... 59
NEUROPSYCHOLOGY OF ABERRANT BEHAVIOUR ........................................................................ 60
Lecture Content ....................................................................................................................... 60
Relevant Essential and Further Reading ..................................................................................... 69
ADHD & OCD.............................................................................................................................. 76
Lecture Content ....................................................................................................................... 76
BEHAVIOURAL ADDICTIONS & EATING DISORDERS (1) ................................................................. 90
Lecture Content ....................................................................................................................... 90
EATING DISORDERS (BEHAVIOURAL ADDICTIONS) (2) .................................................................. 97
Lecture Content ....................................................................................................................... 97
AGEING & DEMENTIA (1) ........................................................................................................... 104
Lecture Content ..................................................................................................................... 104
AGEING & DEMENTIA (2) ........................................................................................................... 115
Lecture Content ..................................................................................................................... 115
THE PANDEMIC’S IMPACT ON MENTAL HEALTH .......................................................................... 129
Lecture Content ..................................................................................................................... 129
,Diagnosis, Epidemiology & Pharmacology
Lecture Content
Lecture Summary:
- Discusses mental health research and diagnostic systems.
- Covers the epidemiology of mental health conditions (incidence vs. prevalence).
- Discusses the basic neurobiology by coving neuroanatomical terms, excitation
and inhibition)
- Covers the different methods of understanding the brain (e.g., brain imaging,
postmortem studies and peripheral measures)
- Discusses the study of psychopharmacology, and its subfields of
pharmacokinetics and pharmacodynamics (a branch of medicine which studies
drug uses, effects and modes of actions).
What is Mental Health?
- According to WHO, mental health is a fundamental part of health. It is where an
individual’s state of well-being allowed one to acknowledge their own abilities,
cope with life stressors, and enables productivity. Collectively and individually,
mental health enables humans’ abilities to portray emotions, think, allows social
interactions and live functional lives. As such, mental health is vital for
promoting and protecting daily living, with restoration of mental health being a
major concern to enable this for those suffering from psychiatric conditions.
- A variable of different factors, such as socioeconomic, biological and
environmental factors determine one’s mental health.
- The goal of WHO, regarding mental health, is to research and provide cost-
effective interventions and strategies for promotion, protection and restoration
of mental health.
- Although diagnostic manuals categorise mental health conditions as ‘disorders’,
many people may not consider themselves this way.
- Neurodiversity should be recognised and embraced in society.
How Are Conditions Characterized and Diagnosed?
- Diagnostic criteria are used to characterise mental health conditions. This
outline sets of specific symptoms and signs that the individual presents with, to
meet the criteria or diagnosis.
- Signs can be defined as phenomena which can be observed and confirmed by
other individuals.
- Symptoms are subjective to the individual and are complaints which is caused
by the presence of a disease or condition.
, - Within psychiatry, there are a wide range signs and symptoms which can be
experienced. This includes delusions, perceptions, mood, obsessions, attention,
concentration, hallucination, depression and many more.
Classification Systems for Mental Health Conditions
- There are two main classification systems for health conditions which are used
in western countries. This is the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental
Disorders (DSM-5) and the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-11).
Other diagnostic systems include the Chinese Classification of Mental Disorders
(CCMD-3) and the Specialised systems for different life stages.
- Both the DSM-5 and the ICD-11 both have similar definitions of mental disorders,
where they both characterise mental disorders as a dysfunction in the biological,
psychological or developmental processes regulate behavioural and mental
functioning, with these dysfunctions reflecting a clinically significant
disturbance.
- Dysfunctions can be determined by the individual behaving in a way that is not
expected or culturally disapproved to a common stressor or loss. Causes
disruption to daily functioning.
- Both the DSM and ICD’s diagnostic categories may not adequately align with
research findings from neuroscience and genetic research and are primarily
based on consensus of disorders. As such, the underlying mechanisms of
dysfunction in the psychological, biological and developmental processes may
not be adequately captured by the signs and symptoms of psychiatric disorders.
This is because similar symptoms can be a representation of unique underlying
biological processes, but also multiple symptoms can be presented in single
biological conditions.
- Gandal et al (2018) argued that there is a polygenic architecture in the
predisposition to neuropsychiatric disease, where they found that there is a
shared molecular neuropathology across major psychiatric disorders (autism,
schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression and alcoholism). Findings from
investigating the patterns of gene-expression perturbation in shared and distinct
genes, they found that there is a sharing of transcriptional dysregulation in a
single-nucleotide caused the overlap across these disorders. The authors
concluded that there is substantial evidence to suggest that there is a causal
genetic component. It suggest particular molecules may be responsible to
different mental health conditions.
Research Domaine Criteria Initiative (RDoC)
- The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) launched the RDoC in 2010, to
highlight the importance of the inclusion of genetics, neuroscience and
behaviour science research when categorising mental disorders. Through this
attempt, the RDoC’s aim was to create a new taxonomy for mental disorders.
Attempts to bring a biological understanding of mental health conditions.
