You need to be able to:

1. Describe the biological approach to psychopathology.

2. Describe 3 biological causes of psychopathology.

3. Outline the nature-nurture debate in relation to the biological approach.

1. A short description of the biological approach to psychopathology. Make sure you include technical terminology. This is your A01 material.

3. An outline of the nature-nurture debate and how it relates to the biological approach to psychopathology.

2. A short explanation of 3 biological causes of psychopathology.

You need to have produced:

According to the biological approach or medical model abnormal behaviour reflects an underlying ‘disease’ process and can be thought of as an illness.

The Biological Approach

Mental health problems are regarded as illnesses.

Mental health problems are caused by damaged or malfunctioning biology.

Different parts of the brain control specific psychological and physical processes:

How we think.

What we feel.

Our behaviour.

Neurons

Abnormal biochemistry

Neurotransmitters are the chemicals that brain cells use to communicate.

Biological cause 1

An imbalance in neurotransmitters can lead to abnormal thinking, feeling and behaviour.

According to the biological approach depression is linked to an imbalance in a neurotransmitter called serotonin.

People become depressed when the level of serotonin in in areas of the brain that regulate feelings is too low.

According to the biological approach schizophrenia is linked to an imbalance in a neurotransmitter called dopamine.

People become schizophrenic when the level of dopamine in the brain is too high.

Biological cause 2

Abnormal neuroanatomy

Depression may be caused by structural abnormalities in the brain.

Schizophrenia may be caused by tissue loss in the brain, especially grey matter.

Research has shown that schizophrenics have enlarged spaces in their brains due to the shrinkage of brain tissue.

Biological cause 3

Genetics

According to the biological approach we inherit mental illnesses in the same way we may inherit physical characteristics.

Read p.184 of your textbook: ‘Genetic inheritance’

(a) List three biological causes of psychopathology (3 marks)

(b) Outline one of the causes selected in (a) (3 marks)

Psychopathology results from disorders of biological systems.

Mental disorders are ‘illnesses’ and treated like physical illness.

Biological approach