Question

Think about the job of an admitting psychiatrist in a mental hospital. This person must evaluate incoming potential patients and, if appropriate, assign each one a diagnosis. In a short essay (up to 500 words), discuss how problems in social cognition (e.g., common biases) might interfere with or alter the decisions of such a psychiatrist. Be sure to discuss social norms, first impressions, attributions, and stereotypes in your answers, and use examples.

Textbook being used in the PSYCHOLOGY class is Bernstein 9th edition. Please stick to the topic and be concise.

Answer 1

Role of a Psychiatrist in a Mental Hospital- Persons with critical mental disorders are reffered to the mental hospitals. In mental hospitals there are psychiatrist who attend them and evaluate them. They help them to cure their mental illness using several techniques and by counselling them. They assign them several therapies to overcome their illness. A psychiatrist is responsible for analyzing the mental health of the patient and providing him the correct method of treatment. He has several counselling sessions with the patients to improve their mental health.

A psychiatrist faces many problems during the treatment of his patients. As all we know that the opinion of the society towards mental illness is negative. Social norms, attributes and stereotype have a great impact on the treatment of mental illness and is originated by the society. The attribution model of mental illness refers that how that mental problem affect the perception of other people. Therefore the opinions and interference of social groups like media, family, relatives and friends have a great impact on the treatment of the mentally ill person. The level of mental illness and its dangerousness is greatly depend on the beliefs of the people towards the patients.

For example, researches have shown that when mental illness is connected with violence, steps are taken to keep distance from those who are responsible for creating danger and violence. Our attitude affects our understanding towards mental illness. People with mental problem are totally excluded from the society and do not get any help for their treatment as they get in any physical disease.

These are major problems for a psychiatrist while taking decisions during the treatment of his patients. In this case the psychiatrist should consider discussing with his patients so they could overcome with their fear. The stereotype about these patients that they are dangerous and unpredictable is very insensible. Family and relatives normally blame them for their condition and do not provide any support for their treatment. This results in oversensitivity among patients which sometimes can lead to suicide tendency. This is a major problem treating a mental patient.

On the basis of above discussion we can say that a psychiatrist must have a discussion with his patient about his disease and should take proper decisions for curing. This will encourage patients to take them own care and to understand their problems in a better way.