Get Thinking Questions
Ok, let’s begin. Many of you may want to be jumping right into a review of the specific disorders such as schizophrenia, anxiety disorders, etc. However, we must first review the history of our understanding of mental disorders, and how they have changed over the course of history.
First, I would like you to consider the following questions:
• What do you think would be the available mental health services available if you lived in the United States in 1900? How might they be different that what services are available today?
• How do we define a mental disorder? If someone reports being depressed, what does that actually mean? If someone has felt depressed for a few weeks, does that mean they have clinical depression? Does depression change over time, or is it a fixed condition that is stable over time? How about schizophrenia?
• Let’s say that you or someone you know has experienced clinical depression. What caused it? Which of the following do you think contributed the most to this depression: genetics, biological hard wiring, temperament or personality traits, early childhood stressors, job loss, bereavement, health impairment, divorce, or unconscious factors?
Please continue to the next page for a wrap up of the Lesson 1 Overview and a link to the Lesson 1 Power Point Presentation.