Jenna constantly experiences feelings of hopelessness and worthlessness. Jenna’s doctor, Jacob, advises her to start taking anti-depressant drugs that contain serotonin and dopamine. According to Dr. Jacob’s diagnosis, Jenna’s depression is a result of the imbalance and improper functioning of the neurotransmitters in her brain.
In the context of the theoretical approaches to psychological disorders, this diagnosis conforms to the _____.

A. sociocultural approach.
B. biological approach.
C. psychological approach.
D. social cognitive approach.

The biological approach to psychological disorders believes that disorders have an organic or physical cause. Therefore, this approach focuses on genetics, neurotransmitters, neurophysiology and everything that has to do with the function of the brain, since it believes that all mental disorders have to do with malfunctioning on the brain.

In this example, Jenna experiments feelings of hopelessness and worthlessness. Her doctor says that her depression is a result of the imbalance and improper functioning of the neurotransmitters in her brain. We can see that her doctor believes that the cause of her depression has to do with malfunctioning on the brain, specifically related to the neurotransmitters, thus, this diagnosis would conform to the biological approach.