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8.7 Introduction to Treatment of Psychological Disorders

2 min readdecember 31, 2022

Emily Pedrazzi

Emily Pedrazzi

Jillian Holbrook

Jillian Holbrook

Emily Pedrazzi

Emily Pedrazzi

Jillian Holbrook

Jillian Holbrook

The treatment of psychological disorders has vastly changed as perceptions of mental illnesses and their causes have shifted throughout history. Modern treatment varies based on the condition and approach, but it often focuses on several key ideas: 

  • 🧠 Correcting thought patterns that are psychologically damaging

  • 📚 Conditioning proper emotional responses to various situations

  • 😌 Teaching proportionate and healthy responses

  • 🙍 Coping with various conditions and symptoms

https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/fiveable-92889.appspot.com/o/images%2F-4bYPm0fSrjxv.jpg?alt=media&token=7bab8907-a8a3-4247-8c3f-194e57754c4c

Image Courtesy of Allure.

These advancements in psychology would not be possible without the following key figures and their contributions.

Psychologists to Know

Aaron Beck

is known for , , , the , and . He sought to change patients' beliefs about themselves and their lives. 😊

Albert Ellis

is known for , and he believed that problems come from irrational thinking.

Sigmund Freud

Freud is known for his subfield of and research in , , , and . He tries to bring unconscious thoughts into awareness during therapy to gain insight, point out resistance in the mind, and transfer feelings.

Mary Cover Jones

came up with an called . She is a behavioral psychologist and aimed to treat phobias by exposing patients to stimuli in a present context, meaning she introduced systemic desensitization.

Carl Rogers

is a humanistic psychologist who believed in . The therapist uses and provides an accepting, genuine, and empathic environment for the patient to express their feelings and overcome disorders. 👩‍⚕️

B.F. Skinner

is known for , , and the . He believed in , which uses learning principles to eliminate unwanted thoughts and fears.

Joseph Wolpe

is a behavior psychologist like who refined .

Key Vocabulary

Cognitive Behavioral TherapyRational-Emotive Behavior Therapy
InsightResistanceInterpretation
TransferenceBiomedical therapyEclectic approachTalk Therapy
Counter ConditioningHierarchiesVirtual Reality
Aversive ConditioningBehavior ModificationToken EconomyPsychopharmacology
AntidepressantsAntipsychoticMood-Stabilizers Antianxiety drugs
SSRISNRITardive DyskinesiaECT
rTMSPsychosurgeryDeep Brain StimulationTherapeutic Alliance

Key Terms to Review (32)

Aaron Beck

: Aaron Beck is a renowned psychiatrist and psychotherapist, known for developing Cognitive Therapy (CT) and the Beck Depression Inventory. He has significantly contributed to the field of cognitive psychology.

Active Listening

: A communication technique used in counseling where the listener fully concentrates, understands, responds, and then remembers what is being said.

Albert Ellis

: Albert Ellis was an influential psychologist who developed Rational-Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT), a form of cognitive behavioral therapy that emphasizes the role of thoughts and beliefs in our emotional responses.

Anxiety Inventory

: An Anxiety Inventory is a psychological test used primarily in clinical settings to measure levels of anxiety in individuals. One popular example is the Beck Anxiety Inventory developed by Aaron Beck.

B.F. Skinner

: B.F. Skinner was a psychologist who developed the theory of operant conditioning, which posits that behavior is determined by its consequences, be they reinforcements or punishments.

Beck Scales-depression inventory

: The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) is a 21-item, self-report rating inventory that measures characteristic attitudes and symptoms of depression.

Behavior Modification Therapy

: Behavior Modification Therapy is a type of psychotherapy that aims to change undesirable behaviors through the use of various techniques, such as positive or negative reinforcement.

Carl Rogers

: An influential American psychologist who developed client-centered therapy (also known as Rogerian therapy) which emphasizes unconditional positive regard and self-acceptance.

Client-centered talk therapy

: A form of psychotherapy developed by psychologist Carl Rogers that involves the therapist being non-directive and reflective, focusing on the individual's own thoughts and feelings.

Client-centered Therapy

: Client-centered therapy is a non-directive form of talk therapy developed by Carl Rogers that emphasizes understanding the client's experience from their perspective.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

: A type of psychotherapy that helps patients understand the thoughts and feelings that influence behaviors. It's often used to treat a wide range of disorders, including phobias, addiction, depression, and anxiety.

Cognitive Therapy

: Cognitive therapy is a type of psychotherapy that helps individuals identify and change thought patterns that lead to harmful behaviors or feelings.

Consciousness

: Consciousness refers to our awareness of ourselves and our environment. It is a subjective experience of thoughts, feelings, and perceptions.

Defense Mechanisms

: Defense mechanisms are unconscious psychological strategies brought into play by various entities to cope with reality and to maintain self-image.

Exposure Therapies

: A psychological treatment that helps people confront their fears. When people are fearful of something, they tend to avoid it. The fear then becomes worse over time. Exposure therapies expose individuals to the things they fear and avoid.

Exposure Therapy

: Exposure therapy is a psychological treatment that helps people confront and reduce fear and anxiety by gradually exposing them to the feared object, situation or traumatic memory in a safe environment.

Hopelessness Scale

: The Hopelessness Scale is a psychological tool used to measure the degree of hopelessness a person may be feeling. It assesses negative expectations about future life events.

Insight Resistance Interpretation Transference

: Insight - Awareness into one’s own mental processes. Resistance - An unwillingness to bring repressed feelings into conscious awareness. Interpretation - The analyst’s noting supposed dream meanings resistances & other significant behaviors & events in order to promote insight. Transference - The patient’s transfer to the analyst of emotions linked with other relationships.

Joseph Wolpe

: Joseph Wolpe was a South African psychiatrist who is best known for developing systematic desensitization – an effective therapeutic procedure for dealing with phobias and other anxiety disorders.

Mary Cover Jones

: Mary Cover Jones was a developmental psychologist known for her work in early behavioral therapy. She is best known for her experiment on "Little Peter," which demonstrated that fears could be unlearned, leading to the development of desensitization techniques.

Negotiation through id/ego/superego

: The negotiation through id/ego/superego refers to how these three parts of our personality interact and conflict as they attempt to meet our needs. The id seeks immediate gratification; the ego balances the desires of the id with societal norms; and the superego represents moral standards and ideals.

Operant Conditioning

: Operant conditioning is a type of learning where behavior is controlled by consequences. Positive reinforcements or punishments are used to either increase or decrease the likelihood of a behavior happening again.

Psychoanalysis

: Psychoanalysis is a therapeutic approach developed by Sigmund Freud that aims to treat mental disorders by investigating the interaction of conscious and unconscious elements in the mind.

Rational-Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT)

: An active-directive form of psychotherapy aimed at resolving emotional and behavioral problems and disturbances. It helps individuals to understand that the power of their emotions comes largely from their own beliefs, evaluations, interpretations, and reactions to life situations.

Rational-Emotive Therapy

: Rational-Emotive Therapy (RET) is a type of cognitive-behavioral therapy developed by psychologist Albert Ellis, designed to identify irrational beliefs and thoughts, challenge them, and replace them with more rational ones.

Reinforcement Schedules

: Reinforcement schedules are rules that control the delivery of reinforcement. They can be based on time intervals or ratios of responses and can be either fixed (predictable) or variable (unpredictable).

Repression

: Repression is a psychological defense mechanism where an individual unconsciously pushes away thoughts, feelings, or memories that cause discomfort or distress.

Sigmund Freud

: An Austrian neurologist who founded psychoanalysis. He proposed theories about the role of the unconscious mind, childhood experiences, and sexuality in influencing human behavior and development.

Skinner Box

: The Skinner Box, also known as an operant conditioning chamber, is a device used in experiments conducted by B.F. Skinner to study animal behavior. It's designed to provide a controlled environment for reinforcing or punishing specific behaviors.

Systematic Desensitization

: A type of behavioral therapy used to help effectively overcome phobias and other anxiety disorders. It involves a patient learning relaxation skills and gradually being exposed to the situation causing anxiety.

Unconditional Positive Regard

: This is a concept developed by Carl Rogers that involves accepting and respecting others without judgment or evaluation - basically showing complete support for someone no matter what they say or do.

Youth Inventory

: The Youth Inventory is a psychological assessment tool designed by Aaron Beck. It's used to evaluate emotional and social impairment in clients aged 7-14 years old.

8.7 Introduction to Treatment of Psychological Disorders

2 min readdecember 31, 2022

Emily Pedrazzi

Emily Pedrazzi

Jillian Holbrook

Jillian Holbrook

Emily Pedrazzi

Emily Pedrazzi

Jillian Holbrook

Jillian Holbrook

The treatment of psychological disorders has vastly changed as perceptions of mental illnesses and their causes have shifted throughout history. Modern treatment varies based on the condition and approach, but it often focuses on several key ideas: 

  • 🧠 Correcting thought patterns that are psychologically damaging

  • 📚 Conditioning proper emotional responses to various situations

  • 😌 Teaching proportionate and healthy responses

  • 🙍 Coping with various conditions and symptoms

https://firebasestorage.googleapis.com/v0/b/fiveable-92889.appspot.com/o/images%2F-4bYPm0fSrjxv.jpg?alt=media&token=7bab8907-a8a3-4247-8c3f-194e57754c4c

Image Courtesy of Allure.

These advancements in psychology would not be possible without the following key figures and their contributions.

Psychologists to Know

Aaron Beck

is known for , , , the , and . He sought to change patients' beliefs about themselves and their lives. 😊

Albert Ellis

is known for , and he believed that problems come from irrational thinking.

Sigmund Freud

Freud is known for his subfield of and research in , , , and . He tries to bring unconscious thoughts into awareness during therapy to gain insight, point out resistance in the mind, and transfer feelings.

Mary Cover Jones

came up with an called . She is a behavioral psychologist and aimed to treat phobias by exposing patients to stimuli in a present context, meaning she introduced systemic desensitization.

Carl Rogers

is a humanistic psychologist who believed in . The therapist uses and provides an accepting, genuine, and empathic environment for the patient to express their feelings and overcome disorders. 👩‍⚕️

B.F. Skinner

is known for , , and the . He believed in , which uses learning principles to eliminate unwanted thoughts and fears.

Joseph Wolpe

is a behavior psychologist like who refined .

Key Vocabulary

Cognitive Behavioral TherapyRational-Emotive Behavior Therapy
InsightResistanceInterpretation
TransferenceBiomedical therapyEclectic approachTalk Therapy
Counter ConditioningHierarchiesVirtual Reality
Aversive ConditioningBehavior ModificationToken EconomyPsychopharmacology
AntidepressantsAntipsychoticMood-Stabilizers Antianxiety drugs
SSRISNRITardive DyskinesiaECT
rTMSPsychosurgeryDeep Brain StimulationTherapeutic Alliance

Key Terms to Review (32)

Aaron Beck

: Aaron Beck is a renowned psychiatrist and psychotherapist, known for developing Cognitive Therapy (CT) and the Beck Depression Inventory. He has significantly contributed to the field of cognitive psychology.

Active Listening

: A communication technique used in counseling where the listener fully concentrates, understands, responds, and then remembers what is being said.

Albert Ellis

: Albert Ellis was an influential psychologist who developed Rational-Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT), a form of cognitive behavioral therapy that emphasizes the role of thoughts and beliefs in our emotional responses.

Anxiety Inventory

: An Anxiety Inventory is a psychological test used primarily in clinical settings to measure levels of anxiety in individuals. One popular example is the Beck Anxiety Inventory developed by Aaron Beck.

B.F. Skinner

: B.F. Skinner was a psychologist who developed the theory of operant conditioning, which posits that behavior is determined by its consequences, be they reinforcements or punishments.

Beck Scales-depression inventory

: The Beck Depression Inventory (BDI) is a 21-item, self-report rating inventory that measures characteristic attitudes and symptoms of depression.

Behavior Modification Therapy

: Behavior Modification Therapy is a type of psychotherapy that aims to change undesirable behaviors through the use of various techniques, such as positive or negative reinforcement.

Carl Rogers

: An influential American psychologist who developed client-centered therapy (also known as Rogerian therapy) which emphasizes unconditional positive regard and self-acceptance.

Client-centered talk therapy

: A form of psychotherapy developed by psychologist Carl Rogers that involves the therapist being non-directive and reflective, focusing on the individual's own thoughts and feelings.

Client-centered Therapy

: Client-centered therapy is a non-directive form of talk therapy developed by Carl Rogers that emphasizes understanding the client's experience from their perspective.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

: A type of psychotherapy that helps patients understand the thoughts and feelings that influence behaviors. It's often used to treat a wide range of disorders, including phobias, addiction, depression, and anxiety.

Cognitive Therapy

: Cognitive therapy is a type of psychotherapy that helps individuals identify and change thought patterns that lead to harmful behaviors or feelings.

Consciousness

: Consciousness refers to our awareness of ourselves and our environment. It is a subjective experience of thoughts, feelings, and perceptions.

Defense Mechanisms

: Defense mechanisms are unconscious psychological strategies brought into play by various entities to cope with reality and to maintain self-image.

Exposure Therapies

: A psychological treatment that helps people confront their fears. When people are fearful of something, they tend to avoid it. The fear then becomes worse over time. Exposure therapies expose individuals to the things they fear and avoid.

Exposure Therapy

: Exposure therapy is a psychological treatment that helps people confront and reduce fear and anxiety by gradually exposing them to the feared object, situation or traumatic memory in a safe environment.

Hopelessness Scale

: The Hopelessness Scale is a psychological tool used to measure the degree of hopelessness a person may be feeling. It assesses negative expectations about future life events.

Insight Resistance Interpretation Transference

: Insight - Awareness into one’s own mental processes. Resistance - An unwillingness to bring repressed feelings into conscious awareness. Interpretation - The analyst’s noting supposed dream meanings resistances & other significant behaviors & events in order to promote insight. Transference - The patient’s transfer to the analyst of emotions linked with other relationships.

Joseph Wolpe

: Joseph Wolpe was a South African psychiatrist who is best known for developing systematic desensitization – an effective therapeutic procedure for dealing with phobias and other anxiety disorders.

Mary Cover Jones

: Mary Cover Jones was a developmental psychologist known for her work in early behavioral therapy. She is best known for her experiment on "Little Peter," which demonstrated that fears could be unlearned, leading to the development of desensitization techniques.

Negotiation through id/ego/superego

: The negotiation through id/ego/superego refers to how these three parts of our personality interact and conflict as they attempt to meet our needs. The id seeks immediate gratification; the ego balances the desires of the id with societal norms; and the superego represents moral standards and ideals.

Operant Conditioning

: Operant conditioning is a type of learning where behavior is controlled by consequences. Positive reinforcements or punishments are used to either increase or decrease the likelihood of a behavior happening again.

Psychoanalysis

: Psychoanalysis is a therapeutic approach developed by Sigmund Freud that aims to treat mental disorders by investigating the interaction of conscious and unconscious elements in the mind.

Rational-Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT)

: An active-directive form of psychotherapy aimed at resolving emotional and behavioral problems and disturbances. It helps individuals to understand that the power of their emotions comes largely from their own beliefs, evaluations, interpretations, and reactions to life situations.

Rational-Emotive Therapy

: Rational-Emotive Therapy (RET) is a type of cognitive-behavioral therapy developed by psychologist Albert Ellis, designed to identify irrational beliefs and thoughts, challenge them, and replace them with more rational ones.

Reinforcement Schedules

: Reinforcement schedules are rules that control the delivery of reinforcement. They can be based on time intervals or ratios of responses and can be either fixed (predictable) or variable (unpredictable).

Repression

: Repression is a psychological defense mechanism where an individual unconsciously pushes away thoughts, feelings, or memories that cause discomfort or distress.

Sigmund Freud

: An Austrian neurologist who founded psychoanalysis. He proposed theories about the role of the unconscious mind, childhood experiences, and sexuality in influencing human behavior and development.

Skinner Box

: The Skinner Box, also known as an operant conditioning chamber, is a device used in experiments conducted by B.F. Skinner to study animal behavior. It's designed to provide a controlled environment for reinforcing or punishing specific behaviors.

Systematic Desensitization

: A type of behavioral therapy used to help effectively overcome phobias and other anxiety disorders. It involves a patient learning relaxation skills and gradually being exposed to the situation causing anxiety.

Unconditional Positive Regard

: This is a concept developed by Carl Rogers that involves accepting and respecting others without judgment or evaluation - basically showing complete support for someone no matter what they say or do.

Youth Inventory

: The Youth Inventory is a psychological assessment tool designed by Aaron Beck. It's used to evaluate emotional and social impairment in clients aged 7-14 years old.


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AP® and SAT® are trademarks registered by the College Board, which is not affiliated with, and does not endorse this website.


© 2024 Fiveable Inc. All rights reserved.

AP® and SAT® are trademarks registered by the College Board, which is not affiliated with, and does not endorse this website.