Abnormal Psychology that Involves Studying Mental Disorders - Coursework Example

Is clinical nutrition not abnormal psychology? Introduction Abnormal psychology involves studying mental disorders, which are inclusive of psychopathology, mental illness and psychological disorders, and is meant to unravel their symptoms, etiology, their maintenance, as well as their respective impacts on the people’s lives. From a medical viewpoint, abnormal psychology emphasizes on the biological factors that lead to mental illnesses (Jacka, Mykletun and Berk, 2012). Therefore, the abnormal psychology concentrates on knowing the underlying causes of the disorder, and this could include certain physical disorders, genetic inheritance, chemical imbalances and chemicals. In this case, abnormal psychology is regarded as the psychological, dysfunction in an individual, which is linked to impairment or distress in functioning, as well as production of responses that are culturally or typically not expected. Nutrition and mental health The food taken in by an individual impacts greatly on the person’s behavior, mood, and the functioning of the brain. Evidence suggests that a hungry person could be seen more restless and irritable, while an individual who has had enough food demonstrates calmness and satisfaction (Collishaw, Maughan, Goodman and Pickles, 2004). On the other hand, a person could feel productive after consumption of coffee or a light snack, whereas an individual who has had a consistent low quantity of food over an elongated period of time could be more moody and pathetic. Evidently, the human brain has high nutrient and energy needs, and changes in nutrient and energy intake result in alteration of the nerve functioning and the biochemistry of the brain. Lichtenstein (2006) reports that intake of energy and other different types of nutrients affect the levels of neurotransmitters, which are the chemicals found in human brain. The neurotransmitters are responsible for transmission of nerve impulses between cells, and they are thought to influence sleep patterns, moods, and thinking. Excess or deficiency of some minerals or vitamins can lead to brain nerve damage, and this results in the alterations in memory, impairment in brain functioning and limited ability to solve problems. Mental health could be influenced by numerous nutritional factors such as the overall intake of energy, intake of nutrients that contain energy, the intake of alcohol, as well as the intake of mineral salts and vitamins (Adair and Popkin, 2005). In most circumstances, multiple nutrient deficiencies as opposed to a single nutrient lead to the changes in functioning of the brain. In the US, for instance, alcoholism has been largely associated with nutritional deficiencies affecting mental functioning. Diseases have also been found to result in nutritional deficiencies by compromising nutrient absorption into the body, as well as increasing the body requirement for nutrients (Osborn, 2001). On the other hand, ignorance, poverty and fad diets are among other factors that lead to nutritional deficiencies. According to the study by Berk and Jacka (2012), at least three quarters of the psychiatric disorders in human lifetime are seen at adolescence and during early adulthood. The report from the National National Comorbidity Survey Replication produced recently indicate that at least 22 percent of the adolescents between the ages of 13 and 18 years had had an experience of clinically significant mental disorder, with the onset ages thought to be 6 years for anxiety disorders, and 13 years for the mood disorders (Petry, Barry, Pietrzak and Wagner, 2008). Depression is understood to be typically based on biochemical activities or having emotional roots. However, nutrition has an important role in depression onset together with the duration and severity of the condition. Most of the food patterns that are easily noticeable, which precede depression are similar to those seen during depression (Parker, Parker and Brotchie, 2006). Such characteristics include skipping meals, poor appetite, together with a constant desire for sweet foods. Among the most common mental problems with high prevalence in many countries is schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, depression, as well as the obsessive-compulsive disorder. The intake pattern of the diet in American and Asian countries demonstrate that there are high deficiencies in many nutrients, particularly the minerals, essential vitamins, and the omega-3 fatty acids. The notable features of diets among patients with mental disorders are the deficiency severity in the nutrients. Anstey, Lipnicki and Low (2008) indicate that daily vital nutrient supplements are effective in reduction of mental disorder symptoms. Supplements rich in amino acids have been identified as being important in reduction of the symptoms, since they are converted into neurotransmitters that eventually alleviate depression together with other problems of mental health (Scarborough et al, 2011). Recent scientific studies have resulted in the invention and development of the effective therapeutic intervention constituted by nutritional supplements, which are thought to be important in prevention and control of bipolar disorders, depression, eating disorders, schizophrenia, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder/ attention deficit disorder, anxiety, addiction, and autism (Maes, Leunis and Berk, 2012). The majority of prescription drugs, among which are the common antidepressants, have various side effects. This results in the patient skipping medications, and this non-compliance is a common phenomenon among psychiatrists. In other cases, the higher doses or chronic use of such drugs could result in drug toxicity, which could be life-threatening to the patient involved. Another effective alternative for overcoming non-compliance by the psychiatrists is getting familiarized with complement of alternative nutritional supplement therapies. Despite there being a need for additional research for determination of the ideal doses of many of the available nutritional supplements, psychiatrists are able to recommend dietary supplement doses on the basis of current and previous studies on efficacies, and eventually adjust the doses in line with the close observation of the changes evident in the patient (Parker, Rees and Hadzi- Pavlovic, 2006). A closer look at the diet consumed by a depressed individual gives an interesting observation where the nutrition is less than the adequate levels. These individuals have poor choices for food and are more inclined to selecting foods that further increase depression. Weber and Ernst (2006) observe that there is a closer link between low serotonin levels and suicide. For instance, it is seen that decreased levels of the neurotransmitter can partially result in general insensitivity to eventual consequences, and this triggers risky, aggressive and impulsive behaviors that could lead to suicide, which is an ultimate sign of impulsive aggression directed inwardly. Agrawal and Gomez-Pinilla (2012) indicate that depression is linked to major symptoms like high anxiety and sadness levels, depressed moods, low appetite levels, and decreased or lack of interest in activities that are considered pleasurable. Failure to have a timely therapeutic intervention could result in development of varied outcomes. Depression is mostly associated with deficiencies in neurotransmitters that include dopamine, serotonin, and γ-aminobutyric acid and noradrenaline. On the other hand, the amino acids such as tyrosine, tryptophan, methionine and phenylalanine are important in treatment of many mood disorders, among which is depression (Vucetic, Hollenbeck and Reyes, 2010). When a person consumes tryptophan alone, which is a serotonin precursor, the amino acid is converted to serotonin. In this case, therefore, tryptophan could induce tranquility and sleep. This indicates that restoration of serotonin levels results in reduced depression that is caused by deficiency in serotonin. Similarly, tyrosine together with its precursor phenylalanine is occasionally converted to nsmissters th Read More