Contributing Factors/ Interventions

Question 1

Biological phobia risk factors

Answer 1

GABA dysfunction-GABA is the main inhibitory neurotransmitter and makes post-synaptic neurons less likely to fire. Low levels of GABA therefore allow neurons to fire irregulary without control. Thus, an individual may experience increased anxiety when around the stimulus as they are unable to regulate their aruousal, or even have a FFF or develop a phobic response

Role of the stress response - the sympathetic NS activates the FFF response in reaction to a stressor. This leads to physiological changes such as increased HR,RR and increasing the individuals arousal

Long Term Potentiation
Long lasting strengthening of synaptic connections due to the repeated activation of the same neural pathways. This strengthening of the memory trace create an association between the phobic stimulus and the stress response , thus the neural pathway is likely to fire more quickly and intensely

Question 2

Biological protective factors (phobia)

Answer 2

Benzodiazepine- benzodiazepines act as GABA agonists and bind to specific receptor sites on the post-synaptic neurons in the brain , and thus enhance GABA’s inhibitory effect. Therefore benzodiazepines relieve the symptoms of anxiety as they are able of reducing levels of physiological arousal promoting relaxation.

Breathing Retraining
When the individual experiences a stress response to the phobic stimulus they are likely to experience irregular breathing and be in an oxygen deficit. By participating in breathing retraining where they are able to replace irregular breathing, with correct breathing, particularly slow deep breaths which is able to promote feelings of relaxation and stimulate the parasympathetic NS to regulate arousal levels.

Exercise
Exercise allows for the release of endorphins that promotes feelings of elation and relaxation after exercise, helping to relax the individual. Exercise also breaks down cortisol reducing the amount of stress hormones and promoting relaxation. Lastly, it can provide a distraction from the stressor

Question 3

psychologial risk factors (phobia)

Answer 3

precipitation- classical conditioning (three-phase model)

perpetuation- negative reinforcement of avoidance behaviour
Antecedent- Sarah is invited to a party
behavioural- Sarah avoids party in anticipation of ballons
consequence- negatively reinforced through the removal of the unpleasant stimulus of the fear/anxiety around balloons, increasing the likelihood that she will avoid parties in the future in anticipation of balloons, and perpetuate her phobia

Cognitive Bias:
memory bias- cant remember white water world, only drowning in backpackers
catastrophic thinking- I will drown in water

Question 4

psychological protective factors

Answer 4

Cognitive behavioural therapy
CBT focuses on helping the individual challenge and modify maladaptive thoughts and behaviours that have a negative impact on mental health to more adaptive thoughts and behaviours.
1. identity irrational thoughts (give example)
2- replace irrational thoughts
3. identify unhelpful behaviour (example)
4. replace unhelpful behaviour

systematic desensitisation

a technique involving the progressive introduction of a phobic stimulus using relaxation techniques until the classically conditioned fear response is replaced by a conditioned relaxation response.

1. patient is taught relaxation strategy- breathing retraining
2. patient creates a fear heirachy give 3 examples
3. each step in the hierarchy is progressively presented (least to most scary) before the relaxation strategy to elicit a relaxation response
4. the patient is presented with their phobic stimulus until it produces a relaxation response

Question 5

social - risk

Answer 5

specific environmental trigger
developing a specific phobia after a direct negative experience with an object or situation. occurs through classical conditioning, if the event is traumatic enough, one encounter may be enough to produce and maintain a fear response.

stigma around seeking treatment