D1 – Evaluate two psychological approaches to health and social care service provision
In this assignment, I will be evaluatng two psychological approached to health and social care service provision. I will be
discussing the strengths and weaknesses of the behaviourist approach and the psychodynamic approach in relaton to a
mental health clinic. I will also include my own opinions on the approaches.
Behaviourist approach
There are strengths of the behaviourist approach being implemented in a mental health clinic. The frst strength is that
systematc desensitsaton has successfully been used to help a patent with a phobia in the past. Wolpe used it to help
an 18-year-old male with a severe hand washing compulsion. This shows that the method is efectve for overcoming
phobias. Another strength is that systematc desensitsaton is more acceptable for patents than fooding. looding is
another way of overcoming phobias through immediate exposure to the phobic stmulus, however, this can be
traumatsing for patents. Patents prefer systematc desensitsaton over fooding because it is more pleasant and less
traumatc. owever, there are also weaknesses of the behaviourist approach being implemented in a mental health
clinic. One weakness is that there are practcal issues related to the patent imagining exposure to the phobic stmulus.
Some individuals cannot create a vivid image of the feared object or situaton in their head which would make the
therapy inefectve. Systematc desensitsaton also has theoretcal issues because it is less efectve for some type of
phobias. It is highly efectve for treatng simple phobias such as a fear of spiders but not so efectve for more complex
phobias such as social phobia. This could be caused by the fact that social phobias have cognitve aspects, for example, a
suferer of social phobia doesntt just experience anxiety but thinks unpleasant thoughts about the social situaton.
Cognitve therapies may be more efectve for treatng social phobia because it tackles the irratonal thinking. In my
opinion, the behaviourist method of systematc desensitsaton is very efectve for overcoming phobias and there is
evidence that it has helped many patents. I also really like this therapy because it is pleasant for patents as it doesntt
put them through as much trauma as fooding.
Psychodynamic approach
There are strengths of the psychodynamic approach being implemented in a mental health clinic. One strength is that
dream interpretaton and associaton has been shown to be an efectve method to uncover repressed instnctual drives,
memories, fears and desires. Bergin estmated that 80% of patents benefted from this therapy. or example, if a
patent has a dream where they are being chased this could be interpreted into them avoiding an issue or a person in
their waking life. This could then be used to explain their anxiety, maybe they have to face their fears to get rid of their
anxiety. Another strength is that reudts psychoanalysis theory is stll used in the 21 st century. This means that it is
efectve in helping mentally ill patents and applicable for setngs such as mental health clinics. or example, a patent
who feels overwhelmed and stressed by their job may want to come into a mental health clinic to help them overcome
their anxiety, psychoanalysis would help the patent develop a more powerful ego in the structure of personality.
owever, there are also weaknesses of the psychodynamic approach being implemented in a mental health clinic. One
weakness is that psychoanalysis may reveal some painful and unpleasant memories which may make the patent even
more distressed. Another weakness is that Masson critcised psychoanalysis for putng all the power in the hands of the
dream analyst. There is a risk that the analyst will abuse their power. or example, they could come up with fake
interpretatons to make a patent believe that their anxiety is worse than it actually is, so the patent would keep coming
back to use the therapy so that the analyst could make more money. In my opinion, the psychodynamic method of
psychoanalysis is an interestng way of looking into a personts unconscious mind. It can help us fgure out their
personality, habits, traits and why they are the way they are. owever, I dontt think itts the most efectve method for
helping patentts overcome anxiety because dreams cannot always show us the cause of the anxiety.
In this assignment, I will be evaluatng two psychological approached to health and social care service provision. I will be
discussing the strengths and weaknesses of the behaviourist approach and the psychodynamic approach in relaton to a
mental health clinic. I will also include my own opinions on the approaches.
Behaviourist approach
There are strengths of the behaviourist approach being implemented in a mental health clinic. The frst strength is that
systematc desensitsaton has successfully been used to help a patent with a phobia in the past. Wolpe used it to help
an 18-year-old male with a severe hand washing compulsion. This shows that the method is efectve for overcoming
phobias. Another strength is that systematc desensitsaton is more acceptable for patents than fooding. looding is
another way of overcoming phobias through immediate exposure to the phobic stmulus, however, this can be
traumatsing for patents. Patents prefer systematc desensitsaton over fooding because it is more pleasant and less
traumatc. owever, there are also weaknesses of the behaviourist approach being implemented in a mental health
clinic. One weakness is that there are practcal issues related to the patent imagining exposure to the phobic stmulus.
Some individuals cannot create a vivid image of the feared object or situaton in their head which would make the
therapy inefectve. Systematc desensitsaton also has theoretcal issues because it is less efectve for some type of
phobias. It is highly efectve for treatng simple phobias such as a fear of spiders but not so efectve for more complex
phobias such as social phobia. This could be caused by the fact that social phobias have cognitve aspects, for example, a
suferer of social phobia doesntt just experience anxiety but thinks unpleasant thoughts about the social situaton.
Cognitve therapies may be more efectve for treatng social phobia because it tackles the irratonal thinking. In my
opinion, the behaviourist method of systematc desensitsaton is very efectve for overcoming phobias and there is
evidence that it has helped many patents. I also really like this therapy because it is pleasant for patents as it doesntt
put them through as much trauma as fooding.
Psychodynamic approach
There are strengths of the psychodynamic approach being implemented in a mental health clinic. One strength is that
dream interpretaton and associaton has been shown to be an efectve method to uncover repressed instnctual drives,
memories, fears and desires. Bergin estmated that 80% of patents benefted from this therapy. or example, if a
patent has a dream where they are being chased this could be interpreted into them avoiding an issue or a person in
their waking life. This could then be used to explain their anxiety, maybe they have to face their fears to get rid of their
anxiety. Another strength is that reudts psychoanalysis theory is stll used in the 21 st century. This means that it is
efectve in helping mentally ill patents and applicable for setngs such as mental health clinics. or example, a patent
who feels overwhelmed and stressed by their job may want to come into a mental health clinic to help them overcome
their anxiety, psychoanalysis would help the patent develop a more powerful ego in the structure of personality.
owever, there are also weaknesses of the psychodynamic approach being implemented in a mental health clinic. One
weakness is that psychoanalysis may reveal some painful and unpleasant memories which may make the patent even
more distressed. Another weakness is that Masson critcised psychoanalysis for putng all the power in the hands of the
dream analyst. There is a risk that the analyst will abuse their power. or example, they could come up with fake
interpretatons to make a patent believe that their anxiety is worse than it actually is, so the patent would keep coming
back to use the therapy so that the analyst could make more money. In my opinion, the psychodynamic method of
psychoanalysis is an interestng way of looking into a personts unconscious mind. It can help us fgure out their
personality, habits, traits and why they are the way they are. owever, I dontt think itts the most efectve method for
helping patentts overcome anxiety because dreams cannot always show us the cause of the anxiety.
