5.4 Treatment of Psychological Disorders

Biomedical Therapies

Biomedical therapy treats disorders by altering brain chemistry or function. Psychopharmacology uses drugs like antidepressants, antipsychotics, and anti-anxiety medications to correct neurotransmitter imbalances. Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) applies electric current to treat severe depression when other treatments fail. Psychosurgery, like the historic lobotomy, alters brain tissue directly and is rarely used today.

Psychotherapy Approaches

Psychotherapy treats disorders through psychological techniques. Psychodynamic therapy explores unconscious conflicts rooted in childhood. Humanistic therapy (e.g., Rogers' client-centered therapy) emphasizes unconditional positive regard and self-growth. Behavioral therapy uses conditioning techniques like systematic desensitization and exposure therapy to change maladaptive behaviors. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) combines changing negative thought patterns with behavioral techniques.

Group & Evaluating Treatment

Group therapy and family therapy treat multiple people simultaneously, offering support and addressing relational patterns, often more cost-effective than individual therapy. Treatment effectiveness is evaluated through research; the placebo effect and clinician bias can confound results, so studies use control groups. Many practitioners use an eclectic approach, combining multiple methods for the client's specific needs.

Key terms

Biomedical therapy

Treatment that changes brain chemistry/function using drugs, ECT, or psychosurgery.

Systematic desensitization

Behavioral technique pairing relaxation with gradual exposure to a feared stimulus to reduce anxiety.

Client-centered therapy

Rogers' humanistic approach using unconditional positive regard, empathy, and genuineness.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)

Combines changing negative thought patterns with behavioral techniques to treat disorders.

Eclectic approach

Combining multiple therapeutic techniques tailored to a client's specific needs.

Try an AP-style question

Which approach is this?

1. Psychoanalysis
2. Cognitive therapy
3. Systematic desensitization
4. Biomedical therapy