Biological Basis and Ethical/Legal Considerations of Psychotherapy Essay

Biological Basis and Ethical/Legal Considerations of Psychotherapy Essay

Biological Basis and Ethical/Legal Considerations of Psychotherapy Essay

Psychotherapy refers to a wide variety of interventions utilized by psychiatrists in addressing mental health problems. Therapeutic sessions are designed to educate clients regarding their mental problem in addition to the impact it has caused on their mental functioning. For a comprehensive understanding of the mental condition the patient is suffering from, social, psychological, and biological factors must be considered. John Bowlby however use to believe that there was a separation between biological and psychological approaches in psychiatry (Fields, 2021). He went ahead and developed the attachment theory aimed at bridging the rift between the biological and psychological aspects of psychotherapy through combining the science of etiology and psychoanalysis. The aim of this paper is to illustrate the biological basis of psychotherapy, and the impact of culture, religion, in addition to socioeconomic factors of the psychotherapeutic outcome. The legal and ethical considerations in different psychotherapeutic approaches will also be discussed.

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Biological Basis of Psychotherapy

Neuroscientists believe that psychotherapy is entirely biological. It manages mental health problems based on adequate knowledge of the way the brain develops, grows, matures, and operates. The principle of evolutionary adaptation, suggests that the biological aspects of psychotherapy are based on the idea that the best way to manage problematic adaptations of the brain, is by looking at the way the brain evolved or developed in the first place (Javanbakht, &Alberini, 2019). Generally, operations within the brain are basically biological. For instance, mapping of people’s memories and experiences is based on liking trillions of neuronal connections.

Impact of Culture, Religion, and Socioeconomics on Psychotherapy Treatment Outcome

            The current diverse population has pushed nurses towards the development of cultural competencies, to ensure no discrimination among people from different cultural or ethnic backgrounds when it comes to the provision of care. However, certain religious and cultural beliefs play a significant role in shaping the perception and attitude of community members towards mental disorders, and whether or not to seek psychiatric treatment (Jiménez et al., 2018). Socioeconomic status also affects psychotherapy treatment in two different ways. The first way is through increased risks of encountering stressors such as mental trauma and stress which are associated with worsened mental disorders, among people with low economic status. The second aspect is associated with the inability of poor people to afford psychiatric evaluation and treatment.

Legal and Ethical Considerations

Given that psychiatrists have a legal obligation to uphold the patient’s privacy and confidentiality, extra care must be taken when deciding on what psychotherapeutic approach to use among different patients. For instance, group and family therapy should only be considered among patients with a common therapeutic focus on the family system and their relationships (Fields, 2021). In group and family therapy, the main ethical issues include informed consent, responsibility, and confidentiality. All individuals must be accepted by group members and agree on a common goal. However, for patients who are unable to share in the group, individual-based therapeutic approaches such as CBT should be considered. 

Conclusion

Clinical guidelines recommend the incorporation of both psychotherapeutic agents and psychotherapy in the management of patients with mental disorders. Both two approaches utilized biological understanding of the patient’s condition to promote recovery. Neuroscientists among other theoretical aspects regard the process of psychotherapy as purely biological. However, the choice and outcome of psychotherapy are also affected by several social, economic, cultural, and religious factors.

References

Fields, M. (2021). Use of neurobiological modeling to establish the structure of the psychotherapy situation. J Ment Health Sub Abuse Open Access, 2(1), 113. https://gnoscience.com/uploads/journals/articles/820609199361.pdf

Jiménez, J. P., Botto, A., Herrera, L., Leighton, C., Rossi, J. L., Quevedo, Y., … & Luyten, P. (2018). Psychotherapy and genetic neuroscience: an emerging dialog. Frontiers in genetics, 9, 257. https://doi.org/10.3389/fgene.2018.00257

Javanbakht, A., &Alberini, C. M. (2019). Neurobiological models of psychotherapy. Frontiers in behavioral neuroscience, 13, 144. https://doi.org/10.3389/fnbeh.2019.00144

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Discussion Post
Many studies have found that psychotherapy is as effective as psychopharmacology in terms of influencing changes in behaviors, symptoms of anxiety, and changes in mental state. Changes influenced by psychopharmacology can be explained by the biological basis of treatments. But how does psychotherapy achieve these changes? Does psychotherapy share common neuronal pathways with psychopharmacology?

Psychotherapy is used with individuals as well as in groups or families. The idea of discussing confidential information with a patient in front of an audience is probably quite foreign to you. However, in group and family therapy, this is precisely what the psychiatric-mental health nurse practitioner does. In your role, learning how to provide this type of therapy within the limits of confidentiality is essential.

For this Discussion, you will consider whether psychotherapy also has a biological basis and analyze the ways in which legal and ethical considerations differ in the individual, family, and group therapy settings.

Post an explanation of whether psychotherapy has a biological basis. Explain how culture, religion, and socioeconomics might influence one’s perspective on the value of psychotherapy treatments. Describe how legal and ethical considerations for group and family therapy differ from those for individual therapy, and explain how these differences might impact your therapeutic approaches for clients in group, individual, and family therapy. Support your rationale with at least three peer-reviewed, evidence-based sources and explain why each of your supporting sources is considered scholarly. Attach the PDFs of your sources.