Medical Psychology
Medical Psychology is the application of psychological principles to drug-oriented medical practice in cases of mental illness, substance abuse, emotional, cognitive, and behavioral disorders. As a component of MP, mental disorder manifests as breakdowns in adaptation processes characterized by abnormalities in behavior, thoughts, and feelings, each of which contributes to distress and/or impairment of normal functioning. A behavioral disorder is defined by an inability to maintain healthy interpersonal relationships with other people. Irrational and uncontrollable fear, an extreme tendency to hostility, and persistent feelings of anxiety characterize emotional illness. Medical Psychology also treats substance abuse disorders, with the goal of clinically resolving the distress and impairment caused by the abuse (Wikipedia, 2017).
Medical Psychology is thus important in maintaining society’s physical, cognitive, emotional, and behavioral health. In cases of political and social distress, the discipline can be used to solve problems and promote societal well-being. Terrorism is a criminal and violent act that causes traumatic experiences for those who witness it. Rape and excessive violence during terrorist acts cause depression, which leads to negative health consequences, including suicidal ideation. Medical Psychology plays an important role in such a situation by incorporating therapy and medication administration to restore normalcy in individuals and the community as a whole. High unemployment rates cause people to become dissatisfied with the government of the day, resulting in feelings of despair and depression; MP can be used to reduce the self-blame associated with those affected (Pinkney, 2015).
Psychology of oppression focuses solely on the psychological impairments caused by social oppression, where the society is viewed as oppressive, while also looking at underlying factors in people that contribute to their sense of oppression (Ratner, 2014). This distinguishes it from the socio-political effects of MP in that it examines only the social factors affecting individuals rather than the political factors.
References.
E. Pinkney (2015). Mental health is a social and political issue, not just a medical one. The Huffington Post http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/ed-pinkney/mental- health b 7626626.html
C. Ratner (2014). Oppression psychology. 1557-1570 in Encyclopedia of Critical Psychology. New York: Springer.
Wikipedia (2017). (2017). Psychology in Medicine. Medical psychology (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medical psychology)
