Characteristics of disorders

Question 1

What are behavioural characteristics?

Answer 1

Actions

Question 2

What are emotional characteristics?

Answer 2

Feelings/mood

Question 3

What are cognitive characteristics?

Answer 3

Thinking, believing

Question 4

What are phobias?

Answer 4

Intense, overwhelming and debilitating fears that may lead to an individual organising their life around their phobia. It is an anxiety disorder and some estimates suggest that between 15-20% of the population will experience a phobia. To be diagnosed with a phobia the disorder must interfere with day-to-day functioning and last longer than 6 months.

Question 5

What are the emotional characteristics of phobias?

Answer 5

• Persistent excessive and unreasonable fear (high levels of anxiety)
• Fear from exposed objects (objects can result in panic attacks)

Question 6

What are the behavioural characteristics of phobias?

Answer 6

• Avoidant behaviour (going out of their way to avoid situations where by they face their phobia)
• Disruption of everyday functioning
• Panic attacks, screaming, running away, freezing

Question 7

What are the cognitive characteristics of phobias?

Answer 7

• Recognition of exaggerated anxiety (phobic people recognise that their phobia is irrational and unreasonable
• Paying selective attention to the feared objects
• Irrational beliefs and cognitive distortions

Question 8

What is depression?

Answer 8

A mood disorder that causes a persistent feeling of sadness and loss of interest. Depression is a fairly common mood disorder estimated to affect 5% of adults. It interferes with day-to-day functioning

Question 9

What are the emotional characteristics of depression?

Answer 9

• Loss of enthusiasm
• Anger
• Constant depressed mood (this must be experienced consecutively for 2 weeks in order for diagnosis)
• Worthlessness
• Lowered self esteem

Question 10

What are the behavioural characteristics of depression?

Answer 10

• Loss of energy/lethargy (often accompanied by loss of interest or pleasure in previously enjoyable activities)
• Social impairment (reduced interaction with friends and family)
• Weight changes (Significant increase or decrease)
• Sleeping issues (Insomnia and wanting to stay in bed are common)

Question 11

What are the cognitive characteristics of depression?

Answer 11

• Delusions/cognitive biases (Distorted beliefs not grounded in reality. Themes tend to revolve around feelings of guilt and worthlessness. Black and white thinking.)
• Reduced concentration (sometimes a consequence of lack of sleep)
• Thoughts of death (Pervasive thoughts of death or suicide)

Question 12

What is OCD?

Answer 12

An anxiety disorder comprised of obsessions and compulsions affecting approximately 1.2% of the population that affects day-to-day functioning

Question 13

What are the emotional characteristics of OCD?

Answer 13

• Extreme anxiety
• Worry of being caught carrying out unacceptable behaviours
• Fear of loss of identity (caused primarily by the intrusive thoughts and the nature of losing your ability to think your own thoughts)
• Distress

Question 14

What are the behavioural characteristics of OCD?

Answer 14

• Debilitation in functioning
• Social impairment
• Repetitive feelings of compulsions to repeat behaviours as a way to deal with thought patterns

Question 15

What are the cognitive characteristics of OCD?

Answer 15

• Recurrent, persistent thoughts patterns (constantly repeated that intrude on the sufferers normal thinking and uncontrollable urges)
• Self-generated (Thoughts are not externally inserted so it is different to a normal delusion)
• Realisation of inappropriateness (Thoughts are not socially accepted and will go to great lengths to prevent them from being discovered)