0521 - Impact of the psychological on health and well-being 1 - EG

Question 1

What is cognitive psychology?

Answer 1

The scientific study of how individuals process information from the outside world. Includes processes such as memory, attention, perception, and learning.

Question 2

What is a conditioned response?

Answer 2

where a neutral stimulus (one that under normal circumstances does not lead to a response), is used to train in a particular response.

Question 3

What is somatic symptom disorder?

Answer 3

One in which symptoms suggest a medical condition however no medical/biological cause can be found.

Question 4

Is malingering a somatic symptom disorder?

Answer 4

No, as person is intentionally faking a symptom, there is no honest belief that they are ill and require medical attention.

Question 5

What is hypochondriasis now classified as? What are some symptoms?

Answer 5

somatic symptom disorder. Symptoms include excessive concern and persistent belief about having a serious illness, misinterpretation or exaggeration of sensations, honest belief they are ill and require medical attention.

Question 6

What is Munchausen syndrome?

Answer 6

a factitious disorder in which physical or psychological symptoms are intentionally produced, exaggerated or faked in order to assume the sick role to gain attention, sympathy etc. For example faking symptoms of cancer and chemotherapy (hair loss, vomiting, weight-loss etc)

Question 7

What is Munchausen syndrome by proxy?

Answer 7

medical abuse where a person produces illness in someone in their care, for example a parent deliberately making a child ill to gain attention.

Question 8

What is hysteria classified as? What are the symptoms?

Answer 8

Conversion disorder. Symptoms are physical disabilities such as blindness and paralysis which have no physiological basis. For example hysterical blindness due to an inability of the brain to perceive visual stimuli, not loss of sensation of eye.

Question 9

What are two theories behind hysteria?

Answer 9

psychodynamic theory: internal psychological conflicts being unconsciously expressed physically. Franz Anton Mesmer: hypnotism to cure psychological basis of physical symptoms.

Question 10

Define phenomenology.

Answer 10

The idea that what we experience is the result of subjective processing/interpretation of sensory input, not direct perception.

Question 11

Explain the cycle of pain and depression.

Answer 11

depressed patient have a 3 fold increased risk of developing chronic pain and patients with chronic pain have a 3 fold increased risk of developing mood or anxiety disorders. This is due to depression intensifying the perception of pain, learning to fear activities that may cause pain, and attending to pain more when inactive and isolated.

Question 12

Provide examples of sensory hallucinations.

Answer 12

tactile hallucination, such as believing being infested with parasites and getting skin lesions from excessive scratching. phantom limb syndrome. Phantom limb syndrome.

Question 13

What is dyscalculia?

Answer 13

a learning disability characterised by impaired ability to perform calculations, estimate figures, understand mathematical concepts such as magnitude, etc.

Question 14

How does dyscalculia influence health?

Answer 14

numeracy skills are required to understand the risks, benefits, likelihoods and value of health related behaviours. This influences the ability to make informed health decisions, treatment compliance, and ultimately changes in health behaviour.

Question 15

How would dyscalculia affect someone with diabetes?

Answer 15

Patient would be poorly informed about disease and symptoms to watch for, have difficulty in diet management (interpreting food labels and portion sizes), have poorer glycaemic control and lower self-efficacy in disease management.

Question 16

What happens to a person with impaired working or short-term memory?

Answer 16

Cannot commit information to long-term memory, though can still retrieve information from LTM. Difficulty with executive processing, planning, decision making and problem solving.

Question 17

What happens to impaired long-term memory?

Answer 17

impaired procedural memory, can’t remember ‘how-to’ information. impaired declarative memory such as semantic memory (can’t remember facts, meanings, definitions) and episodic memory (autobiographical information)

Question 18

Which is impaired first in Alzheimer’s - short or long term memory?

Answer 18

short term memory.

Question 19

What happens to memory in anterograde amnesia?

Answer 19

cant explicitly remember anything after trauma/injury/illness.

Question 20

What happens to memory in retrograde amnesia?

Answer 20

Can’t remember anything before trauma/injury/illness.

Question 21

What considerations would you take in treating a patient with dyscalculia?

Answer 21

Use visual examples, more guidance in / closer management

Question 22

What considerations would you take in treating a patient with memory deficit?

Answer 22

Depends on impairment, but use appointment reminders, alarms, closer management, organised medication, etc.