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COMMUNITY PSYCHOLOGY AND TRADITIONA PSYCHOLOGY.
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Examines the differences between the two schools of psychology.... More...
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Paper Abstract:
Examines the differences between the two schools of psychology. Community as grounded in roots of ecological psychology & the social sciences. Traditional as based upon principles of psychoanalysis, behaviorism & humanistic psychotherapies. Uses actor Robert Downey, Jr. and his chronic substance abuse problems to illustrate how both schools of psychology would analyze his difficulties.

Paper Introduction:
Community and Traditional Psychology Community psychology is a specialization within a larger realm encompassing psychology and the social sciences that is grounded in the roots of ecological psychology (What is community psychology..., 2000). Traditional psychology, on the other hand, is based upon fundamental principles of psychoanalysis, behaviorism, and humanistic psychotherapies (Garfield & Bergin, 1986). The two approaches differ in terms of views, values, and focus. The purpose of this report is to examine the differences between these two schools of psychology with reference to a specific individual seeking help for a life problem. The individual selected is the well-known actor, Robert Downey, Jr., whose substance abuse problems have been tracked in the popular press over the course of the last several years.

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On the application ofcommunity psychology to public health: Explanation versusidentification. In the case ofRobert Downey, Jr., as Wright (2 1) has indicated, a community approach toanalysis and intervention would take cognizance of the fact that Downey's"environment" is in and of itself conducive to substance abuse. and Bergin, A. New York: John Wiley & Sons. Didactic andexperiential education in substance abuse programs. Downey has been arrested on several occasions since June1996, when a speeding ticket led to an arrest for the possession of heroin,cocaine, crack, and an unloaded .357 Magnum (Wright, 2 1). Group therapy, twelve-stepprograms, use of methadone and other detoxification efforts and aversiveconditioning have succeeded in a number of cases, but relapse is commonamong substance abusers. Certainly, in the case of Robert Downey, Junior, 18 months ofincarceration accompanied by institutional therapies and rehabilitationstrategies (i.e., group therapy) failed to achieve any amelioration of theproblem. Barrera (2 ) also claims that there is a direct relationship ofsocial support to psychological stress and well-being. Fundamentalsof Psychology. References Barrera, M. Treating Downy from the communitypsychology perspective would therefore necessitate the participation ofothers in a similar situation. D. Community PsychologyNetwork. Bad weekend in Palm Springs. Sarason and Duck (2 1) have commented that community psychologydiffers from clinical psychology in that it specifically focuses on therelationships on individual health, family, and community functioning. The purpose of this report is to examine thedifferences between these two schools of psychology with reference to aspecific individual seeking help for a life problem. Community psychology is an applied discipline which takes theposition that social systems and the environment have a direct impact uponindividual behaviors and that treatment is most effective when positionedwithin an understanding of the context of such influences (Shenassa &Earls, 2 1). L. Since then, as data have been generatedwhich do not support the efficacy or consistency of such treatments, lowerlevels of care have been emphasized. Social support refers to the ways in which the degree of caringexpressed between communitymembers can influence one's psychological sense of community and theperceived safety of the places in which one lives. Kastulas, L. Prior to his being imprisoned, rehabilitation had failed toresolve Robert Downey Jr.'s problems, despite frequent outpatient andinpatient attempts to achieve sobriety. Data indicate encouragingoutcomes for office-based treatment. Wright, E. Shenassa, E. Traditional psychotherapies, though varying in their methods andstrategies, tend to examine the individual and to focus on either behavioror cognitive issues and not specifically on ecological or environmentaleffects (Gerow, Brothen, & Newell, 1989). In Rappaport, J., and Seidman, E. Chichester, England:John Wiley and Sons, Ltd. Prior to 199 , in-patient or institutionalized rehabilitationservices (such as those in which Downey has participated) were at thecenter of the intervention effort. Personal Relationships:Implications for Clinical and Community Psychology. Intraditional psychology, determining the root causes of substance abusetakes on a degree of primacy and while modification of the behavior iscertainly the end goal of traditional psychological interventions forsubstance abuse, change is understood as emanating from analysis of causes(Kastulas, Marsh, & Kohn, 1998). Gerow, J. Glenview, IL: Scott, Foresman and Company. C., and Earls, F. (1998). (2 ). (Ed).Handbook of Community Psychology. Under the community psychology rubric, an experiential approach toconveying knowledge and skills about recovery and the development of lifeskills is emphasized in substance abuse treatment and recovery. As acelebrity, Downey may very well be constantly bombarded by others seekingto share in his celebrity status and willing to encourage both overtly andcovertly, his use of illicit substances. These are positioned as routes towellness -- and while traditional psychology sees wellness as the end-result of therapy, it is the approach to this end result that issignificantly different in the two modalities. Journal of SubstanceAbuse Treatment, 15 (1), 43-54. is an extremely talented actor whose films,television roles, and Broadway performances have gained him enormouspopularity. Rolling Stone,868, 74-8 . These are socialembeddedness, perceived social support, and enacted social support. A. Community psychology...what is it? Sarason, B. Robert Downey, Jr. From the traditional psychotherapeutic perspective, substance abuseis regarded as an addiction that is difficult to treat. (2 ). and Duck, S. R., Brothen, T., and Newell, J. Integral to community therapy are such constructs (and theircorresponding values) as empowerment, competence, primary prevention, andheightened resilience (Barrera, 2 ). Since thatinitial arrest, Downey has been described as exhibiting a number of erraticbehaviors, all related to substance abuse and culminating in nearly 18months of incarceration in California's Corcoran State Prison (Wright,2 1). Alcoholism & Drug Abuse Weekly, 13(5), 4. In the case of the chronic substance abuser, community psychologyholds out the idea of less restrictive levels of care (Hiatt & Hargrave,2 1). (2 1). 215-245. Individualized outpatient treatment,when manualized and highly structured, has been found to be as if not moreeffective than inpatient treatment or residential placement for substanceabusers (Hiatt & Hargrave, 2 1). Rehabilitation for Downey would beconducted not within the penal system, but within the context of theenvironment in which he lives and functions. Garfield andBergin (1986) have pointed out that the community mental health movementand community psychology emerged in the 196 s with an emphasis on theavailability of community services for the underprivileged, briefertherapies, emergency or crisis intervention therapies, and the styles ofthe time. (1989). New York: Kluwer Academic/PlenumPublishers. (2 1). R. Community and Traditional Psychology Community psychology is a specialization within a larger realmencompassing psychology and the social sciences that is grounded in theroots of ecological psychology (What is community psychology..., 2 ).Traditional psychology, on the other hand, is based upon fundamentalprinciples of psychoanalysis, behaviorism, and humanistic psychotherapies(Garfield & Bergin, 1986). From the perspective of communitypsychology, in which substance abuse disorders are often the majorpresenting problem manifested by clients, this suggests that a lessexpensive, less restrictive form of treatment and intervention may bedesirable. Hiatt, D., and Hargrave, G. (Ed) (2 1). It is in this areathat community psychology also differs from traditional psychology, which(outside of conjoint family counseling, which is also integral to communitycounseling) has an individual as opposed to a group focus. To a degree, the criticaldifferences in the two approaches can be identified with respect to theways in which they focus on knowledge acquisition and life skillsdevelopment (Kastulas, Marsh, & Kohn, 1998). The two approaches differ in terms of views,values, and focus. Community psychology,to a much greater degree than traditional psychology, identifies threemajor domains in which psychometric properties exist. Available at www.communitypsychology.net/cmmtypsycy.shtml. Handbook of Psychotherapyand Behavior Change. Garfield, S. (1986). The individualselected is the well-known actor, Robert Downey, Jr., whose substance abuseproblems have been tracked in the popular press over the course of the lastseveral years. He is also a deeply troubled individual with a history ofpolydrug abuse. The strength of the community based approach is that it treats theindividual in the "real world" context of his or her problems, involvescommunity members, and empowers individuals through life skills training toachieve personally meaningful and relevant behavioral and lifestylechanges. Inother words, the individual is viewed and understood in the context of thecommunity or relationships in which he or she functions. A., Marsh, D., and Kohn, A. From the perspective of community psychology, substance abuse ispositioned as a social issue within the context of culture and environment(What is community psychology...,2 ). (2 1). Garfield andBergin (1986) have pointed out that behavioral or interactionalpsychotherapies and conjoint family therapies have been used withindividuals identified as having a substance abuse problem, but that theresults of these interventions are mixed. E. Journal of Community Psychology, 29 (2), 83-85. E. Integral to community psychology, but not necessarily involved intraditional psychology is the concept of social support (SS) (Barrera,2 ).

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