Clinical

Question 1

What are hallucinations and delusions?

Answer 1

Hallucinations - are usually auditory or visual perceptions of things that are not present. Imagined stimuli could involve any of the senses.

Delusions - are false beliefes

Question 2

What kinds of problems might children with brain injury experience?

Answer 2

Common consequences of brain injury include problems with impulsivity, inattention, and restlessness. Preschool and elementary school-aged children often exhibit hyperactivity, distractibility, impulsivity, and temper tantrums after brain injury.

Question 3

What is the difference between having an “alcohol misuse” problem and being “alcohol dependent”?

Answer 3

• A chronic disease in which a person craves alcohol and is unable to control his or her drinking.
• Needs to drink greater amounts to get the effect.
• Has withdrawal symptoms after stopping alcohol use.

Question 4

How might working with family therapy be helpful in treating eating disorders?

Answer 4

Through therapy, families are helped to understand the way communication, conflict management, and negative emotion management affect their loved one’s disorder.

Question 5

In what way are uni-polar and bi-polar depression different?

Answer 5

Bi- polar affective disorder is characterised by depressive and manic episodes.

Uni-polar depression is characterised by consistent depressive episodes.

Question 6

What are the hyper-arousal symptoms of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder?

Answer 6

• sleeping problems.
• difficulties concentrating.
• irritability.
• anger and angry outbursts.
• panic.
• constant anxiety.
• easily scared or startled.
• self-destructive behaviour

Question 7

What is meant by the term somatogenesis?

Answer 7

The somatogenic theory explains abnormality in terms of physical causes.

SOMA - physical
GENESIS - the origin of something

Question 8

What is meant by positive and negative symptoms of Schizophrenia?

Answer 8

Positive Symptoms - an excess or distortion of normal functions: including hallucinations and delusions.

Negative Symptoms - where normal functions are limited: including speech poverty and avolition.

Question 9

Describe key aspects of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy for treating agoraphobia.

Answer 9

Agoraphobia is characterised by negative associations to open public places.

CBT focuses on breaking the negative cycle of thoughts, feelings and behaviour associated with a situation/place.

Identifying triggers

Developing coping mechanims

Question 10

Which historical movements led to more humane services for people with disability and mental health? problems?

Answer 10

Mental Health Act 1959

Question 11

Briefly describe the flight or fight system.

Answer 11

The sensory systems send information to the amygdala, which sends a signal to the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus infers the need for a stress response based on the environment and previous experiences, and subsequently sends signals to the pituitary gland and the adrenal medulla, which produce adrenaline and cortisol and increase heart rate, redirect blood flow and regulates glucose production (glucogenesis). The sympathetic nervous system produces noradrenaline which contracts the muscles and further prepares the body for an immediate physical response.

Question 12

what is the autonomic nervous system?

Answer 12

Sympathetic nervous system - triggers the ‘fight or flight’ response.

Parasympathetic - triggers ‘rest and digest’ response.

Question 13

Define what is meant by “Personality Disorder”.

Answer 13

A personality disorder is a way of thinking, feeling and behaving that deviates from ‘normal’ expectations. It causes distress or problems functioning, and lasts over time..

Question 14

What are the key features of autism?

Answer 14

• problems with social interaction with others.
• unusual interest in objects
• need for sameness
• great variation in abilities
• under or overreaction to one or more of the five senses
• repeated actions or body movements
• unusual emotional reactions and expressions

Question 15

How would a psychologist treat a simple phobia?

Answer 15

• CBT

- Systematic desensitisation

Question 16

What are the main differences between psychodynamic and cognitive behaviour therapies?

Answer 16

Psychodynamic therapies - focus on the past events and feelings.

CBT - focuses on thoughts, feelings, and behaviour in the present.

Question 17

What is the “Negative Triad” of depression?

Answer 17

1) Negative views about oneself.
2) Negative views about the world.
3) Negative views about the future.

Question 18

How does the body process fear?

Answer 18

The sensory systems send information to the amygdala, which sends a signal to the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus infers the need for a stress response based on the environment and previous experiences, and subsequently sends signals to the pituitary gland and the adrenal medulla, which produce adrenaline and cortisol and increase heart rate, redirect blood flow and regulates glucose production (glucogenesis). The sympathetic nervous system produces noradrenaline which contracts the muscles and further prepares the body for an immediate physical response.

Question 19

What are the risk factors for developing alcohol dependence?

Answer 19

Both internal and external factors contribute to the development of alcoholism. Internal factors include genetics (dopamine-2 receptor gene abnormality), psychological conditions, personality, personal choice, and drinking history. External factors include family, environment, religion, social and cultural norms, age, education, and job status.

Question 20

What are the positive and negative symptoms and signs of psychosis?

Answer 20

Positive symptoms - an excess of normal functioning (hallucinations).

Negative symptoms - a lack of normal functioning (speech, motivation, concentration)

Question 21

What is the usual course, and risk of recurrence, for depression?

Answer 21

50% of those who recover from the first episode of depression will experience 1 or more episodes.

80% of those who have experienced 2 episodes of depression will experience another.

Question 22

What role does “body-image distortion” have in the development of eating disorders?

Answer 22

People with eating disorders often have higher serotonin receptor activity in their left-parietal cortex. (The part of the brain that helps sense the dimensions of the body in space.)

The media and models can also make some people feel as though there is something wrong with their body image, which can lead to the development of eating disorders.

Question 23

Describe, with reference to a major mental health disorder, what is meant by “prevalence rate”.

Answer 23

Prevalence rate is the proportion of persons in a population who have a ‘major mental health disorder’ at a specified point in time.

Question 24

How might working with the family be helpful in treating psychosis?

Answer 24

Educating and supporting families can improve coping skills and relapse rates.

Question 25

What is meant by the term psychogenesis?

Answer 25

Psychogenesis refers to the psychological cause of a mental illness or disorder.

PSYCHO - mental
GENISIS - the origin of something

Question 26

How does the brain process a stressful situation?

Answer 26

The sensory systems send information to the amygdala, which sends a signal to the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus infers the need for a stress response based on the environment and previous experiences, and subsequently sends signals to the pituitary gland and the adrenal medulla, preparing the body for a physical response to the stimulus, via the sympathetic nervous system.

Question 27

How would you differentiate between anorexia and bulimia nervosa?

Answer 27

People who have anorexia severely reduce their food intake to lose weight. People who have bulimia eat an excessive amount of food in a short period of time, then purge or use other methods to prevent weight gain.

Question 28

What psychological treatment may be readily used for depression?

Answer 28

CBT

Question 29

What is the common triad of deficits in autism?

Answer 29

Language/Socialising/Behaviour

Question 30

What drug therapies are commonly used for anxiety and depression?

Answer 30

Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRI’s)