Lecturer, M.Sc (N), ACON

1. ETIOLOGICAL THEORIES
OF MENTAL HELTH
ILLNESS
Prepared by:
Ms. Snehal kapadiya
M.Sc (N)

2. Etiology
 Etiology is defined as the causes for
particular disease condition.

3. Etiological theories:
 This are the causative factors of
mental illness which includes different
types of theories.
 For eg. Psychoanalytical theory
biological theories
psychodynamic theories

4. 1) BIOLOGICAL THEORIES
 Biologic explanations include
biochemical, neurostructural, genetic,
perinatal ; prenatal; and Intranatal risk
factors, and biochemical theories.

5. Biochemical theories
- Dopamine hypothesis: this theory
suggests that excess or decrease in
level of dopamine in our brain leads to
disturbance in dopamine- dependent
activity in brain, which may cause
mental illness.

6. - Other biochemical hypothesis:
various other biochemical's have been
implicated in the predisposition to
schizophrenia. These include
abnormalities in the neurotransmitters
like GABA (gamma amino butyric
acid), Acetylcholine, Serotonin,
norepinephrine and neuroregulators
such as prostaglandins and
endorphins.

7. Neurostructural theories
- Research suggests that the prefrontal
cortex and the limbic cortex may never
fully develop in the brains of person
with mental illness.
- There may be some disturbances in
the structures of brain which ultimately
leads to mental illness.

8.  Genetic theories
- Family-linkage and twin studies have indicated that
genetic factors often play an important role in the
development of mental disorders.
- The reliable identification of specific genetic
susceptibility to particular disorders,
through linkage or association studies, has proven
difficult.
- This has been reported to be likely due to the
complexity of interactions between genes,
environmental events, and early development or to the
need for new research strategies.
- Investigations increasingly focus on links between
genes and endophenotypes—more specific traits
(including neurophysiological, biochemical,
endocrinological, neuroanatomical, cognitive, or
neuropsychological)—rather than disease categories.

9. - The mental illness is hence more
common among people born from
consanguineous marriage. Studies
shows that relatives of schizophrenics
have a much higher probability of
developing the disease than the
general population.

10. Pre-natal risk factors:
- Maternal infection
- Alcoholism
- Substance abuse
- Smoking
- Tobacco
- Lack of nutrition

11. Intranatal factors:
- Type of delivery
- Injury to baby while delivery
- Injury to brain and spinal cord
- Birth trauma
- Birth infections
- Lack of use of Aseptic techniques
during delivery

12. Post-natal risk factors:
- Improper nutrition
- Lack of family support
- Daily stress
- Lack of love and care
- Family disturbances/ family problems
- Isolation

13. 2) Psychodynamic theories
These theory focuses on individual’s
responses to life events.
- This includes:
1. Developmental theories
2. Family theories
3. Social factors

14. Developmental theories
- According to Freud, there is regression
to the oral stage of psychosexual
development, with the use of defense
mechanism of denial, projection and
reaction formation.
- The individual have poor ego
boundaries, fragile ego, inadequate ego
development, superego dominance,
regressed ID behavior, love and hate like
ambivalence behavior/ relationship, and
arrested psychosexual development.

15. Family theories:
- Family relationships acts as a major
influence in the development of
illness.
1) mother- child relationship: early
theories characterizes the mother of
mentally ill act as overprotecting,
domineering, and thus disturb the ego
development of the child.

16. 2) Dysfunctional family system:
- Hostility (anger) between parents can
lead to any other mental illness in the
child.
3) double- blind communication:
- Parents who conveys more than one
difficult message at the same time
leads to conflict and confusion in the
memory of child and hence leads to
mental illness somewhere.

17. Attachment theory
- This is a kind of theory focuses on the
role of early child-caregiver
relationships, response to danger, and
search for satisfying reproductive
relationhip.
- According to this theory, the more
secure childs attachment to a
nurturing adult, the more likely that
child will maintain healthy

18. Endocrinological theory
- This theory includes disturbance in the
endocrinal functions of a particular
organ and organ system leads to
some kinds of mental illness.

19. Psychosocial theory
- This theory focuses on psychological
and social factors.
- Some psychological factors alters
normal mental health.
- Some social factors may induces
anxiety, depression like mental illness.
for eg, social
isolation.