14: Psychological Interventions Flashcards
What is a Panic Attack?
- intense apprehension, fearfulness or terror
- often with feeling of impending doom and loss of control
- Manifestation in Symptoms: SOB, Chest pain,choking,
What is Agrophobia
It is a complication of a Panick Attack
describes:
- Fear of having a panic attack in a situation where it is difficult to escape from –> where there are few placed to hide (e.g. theatre/cinema), supermarket
What is the biomedical model?
Aim is to classify mental disorder on the basis of objective makers
- –> the acutal implication and utility is still quesionable
What are thre three psychological models used as a basis for psychotherapy?
Goal of all psychotherapy is to help people change maladaptive thoughts, feelings, and behavior patterns
Main theories
- Psychodynamic
- Behavioural
- Cognitive
Explain the theory behind behavior therapy
Maladaptive behaviors are not merely symptoms of underlying problems
- but behaviour itself it the problem
- problematic behaviors are learned in the same way as normal behaviors are (e.g. classical conditioning)
What is the approach to behavior (exposure) therapy?
Linked to Classical conditioning
- Expose the person the the stimulus in the absence of the Unconditioned response
- prevent the response towards CS (not getting into the car (uncoupeling of CS and UCS)
- prevent reinforcement of anxiety (avoid supermarkets–> fear is acoided–> tendency of avoidance in strenthened
- with systematic desensitization –> getting progressively slowly towards the fear stimulus
Explain the theory behind cognitive therey
Other than Behavioural therapy (Stiummulus –> Response)
- There is addiotional cognitive appraisal between stimulus and response
- e.g. in panic attacks: not the stimuls itself but the appraisal of the situation is the problem
Explain the model and the cognitive theory of panic (according to Clark)
trigger causes a percieved threat leading to
- anxiety,
- anxiety leading to symptoms and that to
- misinterpretation, leading to anxiety again (Vicious cycle)
What are the treatment approach for Cognitive behavirou theraps for anxiety /panic attacks
Treatment comprised of:
- Psychoeducation
- Relaxation techniques
- Cognitive restructuring
- Behavioural experiments
- Graded exposure
- Relapse prevention
What are the main features of cognitive behavioral therapy?
- Focuses on problematic beliefs and behaviours that maintain disorders (‘here and now’ rather than original causes).
- Goal oriented i.e. Specific and measurable
- Collaborative relationship between therapist and patient
- Brief (8-16 sessions)
- ‘Scientific’ approach e.g. Collecting data, testing hypotheses
Explain the symptoms of a depressive episode
A depressive episode is characterized by:
- a period of almost daily depressed mood or diminished interest in activities lasting at least two weeks
- Other symptoms include:
- difficulty concentrating,
- feelings of worthlessness
- excessive or inappropriate guilt,
- hopelessness,
- recurrent thoughts of death or suicide,
- changes in appetite or sleep,
- psychomotor agitation or retardation,
- reduced energy or fatigue
What is the general treatment of depression?
psychotherapy (expecially CBT) – > first line in mild to moderat depression
What is the role of psychotherapy in depression? What is the treatment in depression?
psychotherapy (expecially CBT) is quite effective but comparison with other therapy, advantages are limited
- Additional: antidepressant
- but ofen 53% with “untreated” depression show improvement after 12 mont ( but treatment might come from other parts of life)
What is the approach to assessing mental health in someone with a chornic physical health problem?
- Chronical physical health problems are often associated with depression so ask -
- did you feel down, depressed, hopeless in the past month?
- have you been bothered by having little interest or pleasure in doing things
- BUT: be careful with anti-depressants (not just perscribe them)!
Explain the relationship between anti-depressants and clinical depression
In more severe depression:
- more effective than placbeo but
- little more effect (but present) in less severe depression than placebo
What is the concept behind mindfulness- Based Cognitive Therapy?
- paying attention on the present
- without judging
- Recognise thought as thought (and nothing else)
- evidence for decreasing cortisol levels during mindfulness
–> Can be seen in Acceptance and Commitment Therapy
How could you apply the Acceptance and Commitment therapy in chronic pain
Induce psychological flexibility
