Clinical Psychology

Question 1

what makes someone mentally ill?
definition of mental illness

Answer 1

abnormal behaviour
being out of touch with reality
statistical infrequency

Question 2

people with moderate depression tend to be …

Answer 2

• Less susceptible to self-enhancement bias
• Less illusion of control
• More balanced assessments of future events (Taylor & Brown, 1968)

Question 3

what determines a mental illness?

Answer 3

maladaptive traits
poorly understood in society –> society

Question 4

define maladaptive

Answer 4

impaired ability to function which causes distress to the individual and/or others

Question 5

how many people have a mental health problem?

Answer 5

1 in 4

Question 6

why is it hard to define mental illness?

Answer 6

definitions change over time
e.g. being gay seen as a mental disorder in the past

Question 7

causes of mental disorder theory

Answer 7

nature vs nurture

Question 8

what is the nature vs nurture debate

Answer 8

biogenic factors vs psychogenic factors cause mental disorders to form

Question 9

define biogenic

Answer 9

caused by biological or genetic factors

Question 10

define psychogenic

Answer 10

caused by psychological or environmental factors

Question 11

what does the medical approach contribute to the nature-nurture debate?
what are the treatments for it?

Answer 11

genetics and biology cause mental disorders
treatment is medication e.g. antidepressants

Question 12

what does the psychodynamic approach contribute to the nature-nurture debate?
what are the treatments for it?

Answer 12

psychogenic factors
failure to resolve intrapsychic conflict
result of parenting
treatment is psychotherapy

Question 13

what does the humanistic/ sociocultural approach contribute to the nature-nurture debate?
what are the treatments for it?

Answer 13

psychogenic factors
social factors
others’ responses
treatment is client-centred therapy

Question 14

what does the cognitive-behavioural approach contribute to the nature-nurture debate?
what are the treatments for it?

Answer 14

psychogenic
environmental factors
learned behaviour patterns
cognitions
treatment is CBT, counter conditioning, desensitisation

Question 15

explain the diathesis-stress model

Answer 15

current perspective
combination of nature and nurture
genetics and environment result in mental disorders
diathesis: genetic predisposition e.g. genetics or early experiences
stress: environmental factor e.g. stressors or exposure to life events

Question 16

how are mental disorders classified?

Answer 16

use DSM criteria
developed by psychiatrists
medical model
different versions e.g. DSM-IV-TR (2000)
current version is DSM-V-tr (2022)

Question 17

what are the 5 axes that the DSM organises diagnoses into?

Answer 17

i. Major clinical disorders
ii. Personality disorders
iii. Accompanying medical/ physical conditions
iv. Accompanying social/ environmental factors
v. General assessment of functioning (GAF)

Question 18

how does one get diagnosed using the DSM?

Answer 18

each disorder is described using prototypical symptoms
an individual must meet a set number of criteria to receive that diagnosis

Question 19

what are some changes to the DSM version 5?

Answer 19

• ‘non-axial assessment’
• Removal of first 3 axes
• Separate notations (assessment) for other two axes: psychosocial and environmental factors and disability
• New chapters e.g. ‘trauma- and stressor-related disorders’
• New diagnoses e.g. hoarding disorder, binge eating disorder
• Revised diagnoses e.g. autism spectrum disorder split into Asperger’s Syndrome, Pervasive Developmental Disorder, and Childhood Disintegrative Disorder

Question 20

strengths of DSM criteria

Answer 20

• Guides prognosis and treatment
• Helps to know what medication is needed or if patient needs to be institutionalised
• Provides a way of objectively classifying abnormal behaviour that might otherwise seem random or worse e.g. evil or possessed

Question 21

weaknesses of DSM criteria

Answer 21

• High comorbidity rates – certain behaviours are consistent with more than one diagnosis – too much overlap – low reliability, - too many disorders? Are people really that ill?
• Categories vs dimensions e.g. ill/ not ill vs behaviour that varies on a continuum
• Political & social influence e.g. homosexuality was once a mental disorder
• Stigma – label of disorder may affect how others view them and how patients view themselves

Question 22

early approaches to treat