Issues in mental health: Topic Three Flashcards
What is topic 3?
Alternatives to the medical model
What is classical conditioning?
Learning through the association of a stimulus which causes an emotional response to what would typically cause a neutral response
What did Watson and Raynor do?
They induced a fear of white rats and fluffy animals by associating them with loud noises (something that Albert was initially scared of)
How might classical conditioning provide an explanation for phobias?
As the emotional response of fear/anxiety can become associated with a typically neutral stimulus
How might social learning theory provide an explanation for phobias?
If a child sees a significant adult with a phobia then they might replicate this behaviour
What did Aaron Beck suggest?
That there are 3 main dysfunctional beliefs in people with depression which form a cognitive triad
What are the 3 dysfunctional beliefs from the negative cognitive triad?
‘I am worthless of flawed’, ‘Everything I do results in failure’ and ‘the future is hopeless’
What did Beck suggest that a person does when they become depressed?
They would seek out information to confirm their negative beliefs
Over generalisation is a cognitive distortion, what is this?
Where one unfortunate event is seen as part of a never ending struggle and the cognition is ‘everything always goes wrong for me’
What are the 3 faulty cognitions that Ellis summarised?
1) I must be outstandingly competent or I am worthless
2) Others must treat me considerately or they are absolutely rotten
3) The world should always give me happiness or I will die
What are Ellis’ faulty cognitions likely to cause someone to feel?
These highly unrealistic expectations are likely to cause someone to feel like a failure and could possibly lead to depression
When was the humanistic approach developed and what does it consider?
Developed in the 1960s and considers the uniqueness of humans
According to the humanistic approach what does each person have the ability to do?
To be mentally healthy
According to the humanistic approach how can a person fulfil their potential?
Through psychological growth with the aim of self actualisation
What does the humanistic approach focus on? (in terms of a person)
The individual and their free will
What is the key focus of the humanistic approach?
The self and concepts such as self esteem and self worth
What will cause mental and social problems in accordance with the humanistic approach?
Anything that prevents our ability to grow
What did Maslow suggest to get closer to self actualisation?
That there is a hierarchy of needs we need to strive to meet
Why is there little impact from outside sources to determine behaviour (humanistic approach)?
Because we have the free will to pursue self actualisation
What is a good course of treatment according to the humanistic approach?
Client-centred therapy
What is client-centred therapy?
Where a therapist listens and may make suggestions for the patient to consider about self esteem and their ideal self but the patient must lead the therapy
What is the hierarchy of needs from bottom to top?
Physiological, safety, love/belonging, esteem, self actualisation
What is the first thing a patient has to do for systematic desensitisation?
Build a hierarchy of stimuli which cause them anxiety from the least fearful to the most fearful (e.g. look at a picture, touch the picture, see the real item in the distance)
What is the patient taught during systematic desensitisation?
The patient is taught deep muscle relaxation or to imagine themselves somewhere pleasant and relaxing
What does the therapist do once the patient has been taught deep muscle relaxation?
They take the patient step-by-step through their hierarchy of fear at each stage using the relaxation techniques until the patient no longer feels anxious
Where can the patient apply their newly learnt responses (systematic desensitisation)?
To real life settings to demonstrate that their phobia has been removed
What happens during flooding?
The feared object is presented directly to the patient
How does flooding work?
The fear response caused by adrenaline is not sustainable and will eventually calm down and then that feeling of calm can be associated with the feared object
Why does flooding not always work?
Because the initial panic may reinforce the phobia
What is the ‘B’?
Beliefs (about stimulus)
What is the ‘C’?
Consequences (actions to avoid stimulus)
What is the ‘D’?
Disputing (questioning irrational beliefs)
What is the ‘E’?
Effects (restructured thoughts to help the person to cope)
