Paper 1: 4. Psychopathology [COMPLETE]

Question 1

1) What are the names of the 4 definitions of abnormality?

Answer 1

1. Statistical infrequency
2. Deviation from social norms
3. Failure to function adequately
4. Deviation from ideal mental health

Question 2

2) Explain ‘statistical infrequency’ (3 marks)

Answer 2

• Defines ‘normal’ & ‘abnormal’ (1 mark) by looking at the number of times we observe behaviour. (1 mark)
• Common behaviour is ‘normal’ and uncommon/rarely occur is ‘abnormal’. (1 mark)

Question 3

3) 3❌- Evaluate ‘statistical infrequency’. (6 marks)

Answer 3

❌ Cultural relativism - Infrequent behaviour in one culture may be common in another culture. (2 marks)

❌Alternative interpretation - Unusual characteristics can be positive. An example is an IQ score. Someone with an IQ over 130 would be considered ‘abnormal’ as this is ‘uncommon’. However, being intelligent is a desirable behaviour and does not require treatement.

❌Labelling - Someone may have a very high / very low IQ but they might have a happy and fulfilled life. So it’s unnecessary to label them as abnormal. Diagnosing someone ‘satisified’ with mental retardation will have a negative effect on the way they view themselves or the way others view them.

Question 4

4) 1✅ 2❌ - Evaluate deviation of social norms (6 marks)

Answer 4

✅ Clear - This definition distinguishes between desirable and undesirable behaviour. A genius would not be viewed as abnormal.

❌Cultural relativism - Social norms vary from one culture to another. This means someone may be considered normal in one culture and abnormal in another. In the UK, hearing voices is a sigh of mental abnormality but in other cultures this is socially acceptable.

❌Suspectible to abuse - This definition has been used to diagnose people as abnormal to regulate unruly behaviour. In the 1950’s, people who disagreed with the Russian government wer sent to a mental institution.

Question 5

5) Explain ‘deviation of social norms’ (3 marks)

Answer 5

• Social norms are things society consider normal and acceptable (1 mark)
• There’s unspoken implicit norms and written explicit norms. (1 mark)
• Anyone who deviates from these social norms is considered abnormal (1 mark)

Question 6

6) Why is the ‘deviation from social norms’ definition better than the ‘statistically frequency’ definition? (2 marks)

Answer 6

The statistical infrequency definition doesn’t differentiate between desirable and undesirable behaviour whilst deviation from social norms does. Statistical frequency could call a genius ‘abnormal’, as high IQ’s are common.

Question 7

7) Explain ‘Failure to Function Adequately’ (3 marks)

Answer 7

-Suggests someone is abnormal if they’re unable to cope with day to day living (3 marks)

Question 8

8) Provide an example of ‘Statistical Infrequency’ (2 marks)

Answer 8

It’s common for a high number of people in London’s population to be scared of spiders, so they’d be seen as normal. (1 mark)
However, it’s uncommon for people from this same population to be scared of buttons. The few that do would be considered abnormal. (1 mark)

Question 9

9) Provide an example of ‘Deviation from Social Norms’ (2 marks)

Answer 9

In the past, homosexuality was classified as ‘abnormal’ and a mental disorder. (1 mark)
This is because at the time homosexuality was viewed as deviating from social norms. (1 mark)

Question 10

10) Provide an example of ‘Failure to Function Adequately’ (2 marks)

Answer 10

Being unable to eat regularly and communicate with others. (2 marks)

Question 11

11) 1✅ 3❌ - Evaluate Failure to Function Adequately

Answer 11

✅WHODAS Scale - The WHODAS Scale is an objective way to assess the degree to which someone is functioning or failing to function. Therefore it can determine whether someone is abnormal.

❌Subjective judgements - Someone has to judge whether a patient is failing to function adequately with this definition. Patients might believer they’re suffering but may be judged otherwise. This is why the WHODAS scale is used to rule this out.

❌Cultural relativism - This definition may vary between cultures. This could explain why lower class and ethnic minorities are more likely to be diagnosed with mental disorders as their lifestyles are different to the perfect dominant culture.

❌Behaviour could be functional - This definition fails to consider that some behaviours seem dysfunctional but can be adoptive. Someone may be depressed but the extra attention they receive can be rewarding and functional.

Question 12

12) Outline the study associated with Failure to Function Adequately.

Answer 12

Rodenhan & Seligman proposed a number of signs that can be used to determine when someone’s not coping.

They found there’s suffering (not functioning adequately causes distress and suffering for the individual) and observe discomfort (the person’s behaviour may cause others to feel distressed).

Question 13

13) What is DSM? (Failure to Function Adequately)

Answer 13

DSM helps doctors to diagnose patients. It can be used to assess one’s ability to function using the WHODAS scale. High scores in this scale indicates that the person’s failing to function adequately.

Question 14

14) Explain ‘Deviation from Ideal Mental Health’ (3 marks)

Answer 14

Johada proposed 6 features to being a psychologically healthy person (1 mark) and what makes someone ‘normal’ (1 mark) and suggested that anyone who deviates from that is considered abnormal. (1 mark)

Question 15

15) What are the 6 features of a psychologically healthy person according to Jahoda? (12 marks)

Answer 15

1. Positive self-attitude : High self esteem & strong sense of identity (2 marks)
2. Self-Actualisation : Striving to reach their full potential. (2 marks)
3. Resistance to Stress : Should be able to cope with stress (2 marks)
4. Personal autonomy : Independent (2 marks)
5. Accurate perception of reality : Realistic view of the world (2 marks)
6. Adapting to Environment : Adjust to new situations (2 marks)

Question 16

16) 3❌- Evaluate Deviation from Ideal Mental Health (6 marks)

Answer 16

❌Cultural relativism - Jahoda’s ideas of mental health are specific to Western cultures. Eg: Self actualisation is specific to individualistic, capitalist cultures like North America but not collectivistic, socialistic cultures like China.

❌Unrealistic criteria - It’s difficult for someone to maintain all 6 features of the definition, so most of the population would be seen as abnormal. Not everyone will be able to reach their full potential but this doesn’t meant they’re abnormal.

❌Resistance to stress - Fails to consider stress can be beneficial for specific people like sportsmen actors or public speakers who use stress to motivate them and perform better.

Question 17

17)Define depression. (3 marks)

Answer 17

Depression is a mood disorder where an individual feels sad (1 mark) and/or lacks interests in their usual activities that may have made them happier i’m the past. (1 mark) This list continue for a minimum of 2 weeks (1 mark)

Question 18

18) What are the 3 BEHAVIOURAL characteristics of DEPRESSION? (3 marks)

Answer 18

1) Activity levels
2) Sleep disruption & eating disorder
3) Agression and self harm

Question 19

19) Briefly explain 2 behavioural characteristics of depression (4 marks)

Answer 19

1) Activity levels - Sufferers of depression have reduced levels of energy and tend to withdraw from work, education and social life. (1 mark)
Psychomotor is the opposite, where a person becomes agitated, struggles to relax and pace around rooms. (1 mark)

2) Sleep disruption - Sufferers may be experiencing insomnia or hypersomnia. (1 mark) Appetite and eating may increase or decrease. (1 mark)
3) Agression and self-harm - Sufferers are often irritable and become physically and verbally abusive. (1 mark) Sometimes the physical aggression is towards themself via self harm (cutting & suicide attempts) (1 mark)

Question 20

20) Briefly explain 2 cognitive characteristics of depression? (4 marks)

Answer 20

1) Poor concentration - Depression is associated with poor levels of concentration. (1 mark) The sufferer may find it difficult to stick with tasks they could do before. (1 mark)

2) Dwelling on the negative - When suffering a depressive episode, sufferers are inclined to pay more attention to negative
aspects of a situation over positive aspects (1 mark). They also have a bias towards recallling unhappy events rather than happy ones (1 mark)

Question 21

21) What are the 2 COGNITIVE characteristics of DEPRESSION? (2 marks)

Answer 21

1. Poor concentration

2. Dwelling on the negative

Question 22

22) What are the 3 EMOTIONAL characteristics of depression? (3 marks)

Answer 22

1) Lowered mood
2) Anger
3) Lowered self esteem

Question 23

23) Briefly explain 2 emotional characteristics of depression. (4 marks)

Answer 23

1) Lowered mood - The person will be feeling sad (1 mark) and describe themselves as ‘worthless’ and ‘empty’. (1 mark)
2) Anger - Depressed people may also feel angry (1 mark) towards themself or others (1 mark)
3) Lowered self -esteem - Sufferers tend to report reduced self esteem (1 mark) so they often dislike themselves (1 mark)

Question 24

24) Define phobias (3 marks)

Answer 24

A mental disorder characterised by high levels of anxiety in response to a particular stimulus (1 mark).
This excessive fear and anxiety is triggered by a place, object or situation. (1 mark)
The fear is out of proportion to any real dangers (1 mark)

Question 25

25) List three types of

phobia and provide an example for each one (3 marks)

Answer 25

1) Specific phobia (object of an animal or situation)
2) Social phobia (public speaking)
3) Agoraphobia (being outside / in public)

Question 26

26) What are the 2 BEHAVIOURAL characteristics for PHOBIAS (2 marks)

Answer 26

1. Panic

2. Avoidance

Question 27

27) Briefly explain two behavioural characteristics of phobias (4 marks)

Answer 27

1. Panic - The phobic person may respond to the phobia with panic. They may scream, cry or run away.
2. Avoidance - A phobic person will try avoid coming into contact with the phobic stimulus. This interferes with their social life and work.

Question 28

28) What is the emotional characteristic of phobias? (2 marks)

Answer 28

1. Anxiety - Phobias are classed as an anxiety disorder as they involve an emotional response of anxiety and fear. (1 mark)

Question 29

29) Define anxiety and provide an example of a symptom. (2 marks)

Answer 29

Anxiety is an unpleasant state or high arousal (1 mark) ie an increased heart rate (1 mark)

Question 30

30) What is the response when someone encounters their phobic stimulus? (1 mark)

Answer 30

Fear

Question 31

31) What is fear? (2 marks)

Answer 31

Fear is the immediate unpleasant response we experience when we encounter the phobia stimulus. (2 marks)

Question 32

32)What is the COGNITIVE characteristic of phobias? (2 marks)

Answer 32

1. Processing information - A phobic person recognises that their fear’s excessive or unreasonable and show resistance to rational arguments.

Question 33

33) What is an unconditioned response? Note the one from the Little Albert Study.

Answer 33

An unconditioned response is a reaction to the unconditioned stimulus. (1 mark)

In Little Albert’s study, it is fear of the noise (the unconditioned stimulus)

Question 34

34) Define OCD (3 marks)

Answer 34

An anxiety disorder (1 mark) where anxiety rises from obsessions (persistent thoughts) and compulsions (repeated behaviours) (1 mark). The person who is obsessed by a specific thought believes the compulsions will reduce anxiety. (1 mark)

Question 35

35) List the ONE BEHAVIOURAL characteristic of OCD. (hint: has two subparts)

Answer 35

1. Compulsions - (Complusions are repetitive and compulsions reduce anxiety)

Question 36

36) Briefly explain the BEHAVIOURAL characteristic of OCD WITH examples for each subpart (4 marks)

Answer 36

1. a) Compulsions are repetitive - Sufferers tend to feel compelled to repeat behaviour (ie hand washing, counting and placing books in alphabetical order)
2. b) Compulsions reduce anxiety - Majority of compulsive behaviour are performed in an attempt to manage the anxiety produced by obsessions (ie handwashing is a response to an obesessive fear of germs)

Question 37

37) List the ONE EMOTIONAL characteristic of OCD (1 mark)

Answer 37

1. Guilt - eg. Feel guilt over minor and moral issues caused by external factors

Question 38

38) Briefly explain the EMOTIONAL characteristic of OCD. (4 marks)

Answer 38

1. Embarrassment - Sufferers are aware that their behaviour is excessive and this causes feelings of embarrassment.

Question 39

39) List the ONE COGNITIVE characteristic of OCD (1 mark)

Answer 39

1. Excessiveness

Question 40

40) Explain the COGNITIVE charcteristic of OCD (4 marks)

Answer 40

Sufferers may feel embarrssed to share their obsessions with others. This includes doubts (as they feel as if they’ve forgotten something important) and impulses (buying something new). These doubts and impulses are seen as uncomfortable which creates anxiety. They recognise it’s excessive and all in their head.

Question 41

41) Outline Beck’s Cognitive Theory of Depression (8 marks)

Answer 41

Beck preposed that depression is caused by faulty thinking (!). A depressed person suffers from cognitive biases (!). An example of this is selective abstraction (!) where a person focuses only on the negative aspects of an event. He believes that depressed people have negative self schemas (!) (a schema is a package of information developed through experience and childhood). He also suggested a depressed person has a negative triad. (!)

Question 42

42) What is the negative triad? (6 marks)

Answer 42

The negative triad consists of three things:

1. Negative view of the self - Confirms existing emotions of low self esteem eg ‘I am a failure’ (2 marks)
2. Negative view of the world - The depressed people believe there’s no hope eg ‘Everyone’s against me’ (2 marks)
3. Negative view of the future - Enhances feelings of depression eg ‘Nothing will ever change’ (2 marks)

Question 43

43) Outline Ellis’ ABC Model of Depression (8 marks)

Answer 43

Ellis proposed that depression is a result of irrational thoughts (!). This refers to unrealistic thoughts and interferes with happiness. He believes these irrational thoughts affect our behaviour and emotional state.
A is for ACTIVATING EVENT - He thought irrational thoughts are triggered by external events. eg failing one test may make the person believe they’l never pass another test. (!!)
B is for BELIEFS - He identified a range of irrational beliefs. A prime example is Utopianism (!) - the belief that life is always meant to be fair.
C is for CONSEQUENCES - When a external event triggers irrational beliefs, there are emotional and behavioural consequences. (!!) T summarise, if you believe you must always succeed and then you fail, this could trigger the person to believe they’re stupid and become depressed.

Question 44

44) 2✅ 1❌ Evaluate Beck and Ellis’ Cognitive Explanations to Depression.

Answer 44

✅ - Supporting evidence - There’s evidence that supports the idea depression is associated with faulty thinking, negative schemas and the negative triad. Terry assessed 65 pregnant women for cognitive vulnerability and depression before and after birth. They found that those women were more likely to suffer from post natal depression.
✅ - Practical application for CBT therapy - Beck and Ellis’ theories forms a basis for CBT. This therapy helps to identify and challenge all cognitive aspects of depression. Beck’s theory specifically identifies areas that need to be challenged (ie the negative triad) which means the therapist can encourage the patient to test whether their views of themselves, the world and the future are actually true. Ellis’theory leads us to challenge irrational beliefs held by depressed individuals.
❌ - Unclear - These throries doesn’t cover every aspect of depression. It doesn’t explain why anger is often associated with depression or why some patients suffer from hallucinations.

Question 45

45) Describe Beck’s Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) (8 marks)

Answer 45

• This therapy aims to identify automatic thoughts about the negative triad. Once identified, these thoughts must be challenged and their view of reality can be tested.
• They’ll be required to keep a record of when they’ve enjoyed an event or when people were nice to them ie holding the door open or being smiled at.
• So in future sessions, if a patient says that no one likes them or there’s no point in attending events, the therapist can produce this evidence and use it to prove that the patient’s statements incorrect. They can refer back to happy moments.

Question 46

46) Describe Ellis’ Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy (REBT)

Answer 46

• REBT stands for Resolve Emotional and Behavioural Therapy. It adds a D and an E to the ABC model - Dispute and Effect. The technique of REBT us to identify and dispute negative thoughts.
• For example, a patient may talk about how unlucky they feel or how unfair things seem. A REBT therapist would identify these as examples of utopianism (!) and challenge this as being irrational. This involves a vigorous argument. Sometimes it will be about questioning the patient about whether there’s actual evidence to support the triad and change the irrational belief. This breaks the link between negative life events and depression.
• CBT also encourages the depressed patient to become more active and engage in enjoyable activities.

Question 47

47) 2✅ 1❌ Evaluate CBT

Answer 47

✅ - Supporting evidence - There’s a vast amount of evidence that supports the effectiveness of CBT in treating depression. March found that after 36 weeks, patients who received CBT have experienced significant improvement in their mood, and this was equally as good as the antidepressant treatment group.
✅ Real life application - Sportsmen and women can respond to stress with irrational thinking which can hinder their performance ie injuries. This is because they’re under tremendous pressure to win. Turner suggested that the principle of REBT should be used more often by sports teams and found that 9 out of 10 sessions can help people to exchange irrational beliefs for rational ones.
❌ Flawed - CBT is somewhat flawed in that it only focuses on the client’s present thoughts and future rather than their past. This can be frustrating for a patient who believes their depression was caused by a childhood experience or a traumatic past event.

Question 48

48) What model is used to explain phobias?

Answer 48

The Two Process Model

Question 49

49) Explain the first step of the two step model when explaining phobias.

Answer 49

CLASSICAL CONDITIONING - Involves learning to associate something we initially have no fear of (a neutral stimulus) with something that already triggered a fear response (an unconditioned stimulus).

Question 50

50) KEY STUDY Outline the study associated with Classical Conditionng

Answer 50

Little Albert Study
A study was created by Watson in which he created a phobia in a 9 month old baby called Little Albert. In this study, Little Albert initially showed no anxiety towards a rat at the beginning of the study as he tried to play with it. Watson then made a loud noise everytime Albert interacted with the rat by banging two iron bars against each other.
He found that the noise became an unconditioned stimulus which creates an unconditioned response of fear. When the rat (a neutral stimulus) and the loud noise (unconditioned stimulus) are encountered at the same time, the rat will produce a fear response.
Albert then became afraid of rats as the rat is now an conditioned stimulus which produces a conditioned response (fear). This is generalised to other similar objects as Albert developed a fear of other furry objects ie rabbits and fur coats.

Question 51

51) Explain the second step of the two step model when explaining phobias.

Answer 51

OPERANT CONDITIONING - Responses are learnt through classical conditioning decline overtime. However, phobias are long lasting and operant conditioning help explain how these responses continued and are maintained.
It takes place when behaviour is reinforced or punished. Reinforcement increases the frequency of behaviour (1 mark). If someone with aerophobia escapes the phobia by taking an alternative mode of transport, the phobia maintains as he escape of fear reinforces the avoidance behaviour.

Question 52

52) What is the Social Learning Theory? (explaining phobias)

Answer 52

This suggests that phobias are acquired through modelling the behaviour of others. An example is seeing a parent respond to a spider with extreme fear, their child may develop a similar reaction.

Question 53

53) 2✅ 2❌ Evaluate Behavioural Explanations of Phobias

Answer 53

✅ Valid explanation - It explains how phobias can be maintained overtime and this suggests that sufferers need to confront their feared stimulus and then their avoidance behaviour declines and they become less afraid of their phobia.
✅ Support for the Social Learning Theory - Baby monkeys can develop a fear of snakes by witnessing other monkeys show fear in the presence of a snake. Monkeys learn to be afraid.
❌Evolutionary explanation - Sone psychologists ague tht some phobias weren’t learnt via the two process model but an evolutionary root. We may have devloped a biological fear for things posing a danger to our ancestors like snakes and the dark, whihc is why we expain phobias.
❌No cognitive elements - Doesn’t consider that cognitive elements that are involved in a phobia. For example, if a sufferer has irrational thoughts in regards to the feared stimulus.

Question 54

54) What are the two methods to treating phobias? (2 marks)

Answer 54

1. Systematic depression

2. Flooding

Question 55

55) Explain systematic depression.

Answer 55

Systematic depression is a behavioural therapy designed to graudually reduce phobic anxiety through classical conditioning. It’s based on the fact one can’t feel afraid and relaxed at the same time. The therapy requires the sufferer to learn a new response to a phobic stimulus.

Question 56

56) What are the three steps of systematic depression?

Answer 56

a) The client and the therapist have to create a fear hierachy in regards to the phobic stimulus, starting from the least fearful to the most fearful situation.
b) The therapist teaches the client relaxation techniques ie breathing exercises or imagery techniques, where the client’s asked to imagine themselves in relaxing situations ie lying on a beach.
c) Finally, the patient exposed to the phobic stimulus whilst in a relaxed state. This takes place across several sessions, starting at the bottom of the fear hierarchy. When the patient can stay relaxed in the precense of the lower levels of the phobic stimulus, they move up the hierarchy. The treatment is successful when the patient can remained relaxed in the high anxiety situation.

Question 57

57) Discuss how someone with arahnophobia is taken through the three steps to systematic den

Answer 57

a) someone with arachnophobia may see a picture of a spider (low anxiety), then a toy of a spider, then entering a room with a spider in it, to finally holding a spider (high anxiety).
b) They get taught relaxation techniques ie ie breathing exercises or imagery techniques, where they’re asked to imagine themselves in relaxing situations ie lying on a beach.
c) The patient is reintroduced back to their arachnophobia. The patient has to try stay relaxed whilst exposed to an image o a spider (low anxiety), then a toy of a spider, then entering a room with a spider in it, to finally holding a spider (high anxiety).

Question 58

58) Explain flooding.

Answer 58

Flooding is when the client is immediately exposed to the feared object or situation. Sometimes it only requires one session to cure this phobia. It works because it eradicates avoidance behaviour and the patient quickly learns the phobic stimulus is harmless.

Question 59

59) Discuss how someone with arachnophobia is taken through flooding

Answer 59

The sufferer has a large sider may be placed on them for a period of time and let them crawl on them.

Question 60

60) 2✅ 1❌ - Evaluate systematic depression

Answer 60

✅ Supporting evidence - Gilroy found that patients who received systematic desensitsation felt less fearful of spiders than a control group who were treated by relaxtation but no exposure. This was even evident after 33 months which shows the effcts are long lasting.

✅Preferable - Patients prefer systematic desentization ti flooding as it doesn’t cause the same degree of trauma. This is reflected is thw loer refusal rates to recieve systematic desentisation and low attribuution rates during treatment.

❌Inappropriate - Systematic densisization is not appropriate for all phobias like phobias with underlying evolutionary survival components like the fear of the dark or heights. It’s better for people who developed phobias via personal experience.

Question 61

61) 1✅ 1❌ - Evaluate flooding

Answer 61

✅Efficient - Flooding offers a quick and highly effective way of curing phobias which means the patient’s phobia is cured and the treatment is cheaper than others.

❌Traumatic - Flooding is very traumatic for patients and some people quit halfway thriugh the procedure, reducing the effectiveness of the treatment for some people.

Question 62

62) What is the genetic explanation for explaining OCD?

Answer 62

• There’s a genetic link to OCD. Lewis noticed that out of his OCD patients, 37% had parents with OCD and 21% had siblings with OCD. This suggests that OCD runs in families which means there’s a possibility the next generation have a genetic vulnerability to develop OCD. The diathesis-stress models suggests certain genes leave some people more likely to develop a mental disorder.
• Researchers have identified genes which creat vulnerability for OCD called candidate genes. This SERT gene affects the transportation of serotin which creates lower levels of the neurotransmitter linked to it. Ozaki found two unrelated families had a mutated version of this gene had a high incident of OCD in their families ie 6 out of 7 family members had OCD.
• OCD is polygenic which means it’s caused by more than one gene. Taylor found evidence that up to 230 different genes may be involved in OCD. Dopamine and serotonin are associated with OCD.

Question 63

63) What is a neural explanation to OCD?

Answer 63

• The genes associated with OCD are likely to affect the levels of key neurotransmitters that as well as the structures of the brain. These are neural explanations.
• OCD may be linked to serotin which is a neurotransmitter that regulates mood. Someone who has low levels of serotin meaning their mood is affected. Therefore, OCD may be lined to a reduction in the brain’s functioing of the serotonin system.
• OCD is linked to abnormal descision making. This may be associated with abnormal functioing of the lateral, frontal lobes of the brain. This is responsible for logical thinking and making decisions. There’s evidence to suggest that the left parahippocapmalus (linked with processing unpleasant emotions) functions abnormally in OCD.

Question 64

64) 1✅ 2❌ Evaluate Biological Explanations of OCD (genetic link)

Answer 64

✅Supporting evidence - There’s evidence that there’s a genetic link to OCD. It was found in one study that 68% of indictical twins developed OCD as opposed to 31% of non identical twins.

❌Too many candidate genes - Twin studies suggets that OCD is arguebly under genetic control psychologists have been less successful at pinning down all the genes involved. This is because multiple genes are involved which means the genetic explanation can only provide little predictive value.

❌Environmentally risk factors - Environmental factors increase the risk of developing OCD. Cromer found that over half the OCD patients from their sample had a traumatic event in their past and that OCD was more severe with people with more than one traumatic event. This means that OCD can’t be entirely genetic in origin.

Question 65

65) 1✅ 1❌ Evaluate the Biological Explanations of OCD (neural link)

Answer 65

✅Supporting evidence - Some antidepressants work purely in the serotonin system, increasing neurotransmitter levels. These drugs reduce OCD symptons, suggesting the serotonin system is involved in OCD.

❌Cannot determine cause and effect - Can’t say that abnormal functioning causes OCD. Biological abnormalities could be a result of OCD rather than a cause.

Question 66

66) How do you treat OCD?

Answer 66

SSRI - Selective Serotonin Reuptake. Often used alongside CBT as SSRI reduces patient’s emotional symptons which means that patients an engages more effectively with the CBT.

Question 67

67) What is an SSRI?

Answer 67

Selective Serotonin Reuptake is an antidepressant drug which aims to increase serotonin levels in the brain. A typical diay dosage of fluxoentin is 20mg although it can b increased for some patients.

Question 68

68) How does serotonin usually move in the brain?

Answer 68

Usually serotonin is released by certain brain neurons and released by the pre synaptic neuron AND TRAVELS ACROSS A SYNAPSE. The neurotransmitter gives a signal from the presynaptic neurons to the post synaptic neuron where it’s broken down and reused.

Question 69

69) What do SSRI’S do to serotonin?

Answer 69

They prevent the reabsorption and breakdown of serotonin and increases the serotonin activity in the synapse (as it goes back and forth) ad stimulates the post synaptic neuron.

Question 70

70) What happens if an SSRI isn’t effective after 3 months?

Answer 70

If an SSRI isn’t effective after 3 months, the dose can be increased or combined with other drugs. Tryclics are sometimes used but has more side effects.

Question 71

71) 2✅ 2❌Evaluate drug therapy.

Answer 71

✅Clear evidence - Soomro reviewed studies comparing SSRI’s to placebo drugs in OCD treatments and concluded 17 studies showed better resuts for the SSRI’s rather than the placebo. SSRI’S are effective for 70% of patients and the remaining 30% is from CBT.

✅Cost effective - Drugs are cheap and benefits the NHS. They’re non disruptive to patient’s lives as they need to remember to take the drugs.

❌Side effects - Some people don’t feel a benefit from SSRI’s. They can also face students like indigestion, blurred vision and loss of sex drive (don’t worry, this is usually temporary). This, people stop taking the medication.

❌Trauma - OCD might not be biologically caused and might be a response to a traumatic event.