PSYCH U4 AOS2

Question 1

what is the definition of mental health?

Answer 1

Mental health: is a state of wellbeing in which an individual realises his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and is able to make a contribution to his or her community.

Question 2

what is the definition of a mental health problem?

Answer 2

Mental health problem: refers to a mild and temporary disruption to an individual’s usual level of social and emotional wellbeing. Adversely affects the way a person thinks, feels and/or behaves, but typically to a lesser extent then a mental disorder.

Question 3

what is the definition of a mental disorder?

Answer 3

Mental disorder: Refers to a condition that causes disturbed thoughts, feelings and behaviour, personal distress, and impairs the ability to function effectively in everyday life.

Question 4

what are internal factors that influence mental health?

Answer 4

are influences that originate inside or within a person. -

BIOLOGICAL AND PSYCHOLOGICAL
Biological: often not under our control. Genes we inherit, biological sex (M/F), balances/imbalances of neurotransmitters, substance use, brain & nervous system functioning, hormonal activities, fight flight freeze response, responses to stress.

Psychological: Mental processes, ways of thinking, beliefs, attitudes, skills in interacting, learning, self perception, decision making, problem solving, understanding emotions, managing stress.

Question 5

what are external factors that influence mental health?

Answer 5

EXTERNAL FACTORS: are influences that originate outside a person -

SOCIAL
Can include school and work related factors, the range and quality of our interpersonal relationships, our amount of support, exposure to stressors, level of educations, employment history, level of income, housing, risk of violence, access to health care, social stigma, cultural influences such as values and traditions

Question 6

what are the characteristics of a mentally healthy person?

Answer 6

HIGH LEVELS OF FUNCTIONING, SOCIAL AND EMOTIONAL WELL-BEING AND RESILIENCE TO LIFE STRESSORS

Question 7

what is high levels of functioning?

Answer 7

Functioning refers to how well an individual independently performs or operates in their environment. A person with high functioning is able to actively engage, live independently and meet the challenges of everyday life. Maintain healthy relationships, be flexible and productive, emotionally balanced and effectively deal with stressors and contribute to society in meaningful ways

Question 8

what is the definition of wellbeing?

Answer 8

Wellbeing refers to our sense of wellness or how well we feel about ourselves and our lives. The APS describes six different domains of wellness - intellectual, physical, emotional, spiritual, social, vocational.

Question 9

what is social wellbeing?

Answer 9

Refers to our ability to have satisfying relationships and interactions with other people. Being able to establish and maintain positive relationships. Includes good communication skills and being able to give & receive support.

Question 10

what is emotional wellbeing?

Answer 10

Refers to our ability to control emotions and express them appropriately. Ability to understand, share, regulate emotions, acknowledge & appropriately share both positive & negative emotions. Including awareness, regulating., expressing, attitude etc

Question 11

definition of resilience?

Answer 11

Resilience is the ability to cope with and adapt to life stressors and restore positive functioning. Can bounce back from adverse or stressful situations and restore positive functioning. May involve adjusting or overcoming the stressor.

Question 12

what are characteristics of resilience?

Answer 12

Strong belief in their ability to accomplish tasks and succeed, high self-esteem, with managing stress and adversity, being adaptable, flexible, having problem solving skills, have the ability to make realistic plans and carry them out. Resilient people tend to have good social support systems.
Able to adapt and cope with life challenges to restore positive functioning.

Question 13

what is informed consent?

Answer 13

Informed consent is the process in which a researcher discloses appropriate information to a potential research participant so that the person may make a voluntary and informed choice about whether or not to participate. Decision to participate must be free of coercion and pressure from researcher to participate.

Question 14

what are risks associated with informed consent in mental health research?

Answer 14

a person who experiences a mental disorder can have impairments in ability to pay attention, concentrate, reason, impairments with LTM & STM, decision making and other cognitive functions

If a person’s mental disorder is temporary or episodic, an attempt should be made to obtain consent when their symptoms do not interfere with their capacity to give informed consent.

Researchers also need to have a discussion with the person who experiences a mental health disorder (involved in the experiment) of the procedure they will follow if their mental health declines during the study.

Consent is not required from patients involuntarily hospitalised in the public health system

Question 15

what is the placebo effect?

Answer 15

a change or improvement in wellbeing triggered by a belief in the treatment.

Question 16

what is a placebo treatment?

Answer 16

a substance or treatment that appears to be real BUT is actually neutral or has no medical effect.
In an experiment, participants in the experimental group are exposed to the IV ‘treatment’ and participants in the control group are not, however, participants in EG may be influenced by their expectations (confounding variable), so in order to minimise this impact on the DV, the control group can be given a placebo treatment so they form the same expectations as the EG, thereby controlling the effects of this unwanted variable.

Question 17

what are risks of placebo in mental health research?

Answer 17

participants are required to stop taking their medication during the study.

In addition, if they are assigned to the control group they would be receiving a placebo treatment which means their condition could decline significantly.

These people would also be denied access to a treatment that they most likely need and from which they could benefit.

Question 18

what are protective factors?

Answer 18

factors that influence a person’s resilience and ability to recover from negative experiences, and decrease the likelihood that they will suffer from mental health issues.

Question 19

what are biological protective factors?

Answer 19

ADEQUATE DIET AND SLEEP

Question 20

what is adequate diet?

Answer 20

a balanced diet stabilises mood, brain functioning, and an individual’s ability to cope with stressors.
Evidence that diet plays a contributory role in specific mental health disorders, such as ADHD, depression, and schizophrenia.
An adequate diet must include sufficient protein, minerals, vitamins, water, fats, and carbohydrates

Question 21

what is adequate sleep?

Answer 21

Enables the body and mind to rejuvenate so people can function effectively, releases growth hormones, consolidates neural pathways.
Vitally important for replenishing and revitalising the physiological processes that keep the brain and body operating at optimal levels.

Question 22

what are psychological protective factors?

Answer 22

cognitive behavioural strategies

Question 23

what are cognitive behavioural strategies?

Answer 23

Identify, challenges and modifies unhelpful thoughts and behaviours (that have a negative impact on mental health) to more adaptive/helpful ones.
Structured psychological treatments that recognise that a person’ way of thinking (cognition) and acting (behaviour), affect the way they feel.

They involve: educating patients about bodies’ natural reactions to threatening objects and situations; helping patients realise the difference between productive and unproductive thoughts; teaching relaxation and breathing techniques to manage stress and anxiety.

Question 24

what is a social protective factor?

Answer 24

SUPPORT FROM FAMILY, FRIENDS, AND COMMUNITY: Social support refers to close, positive relationships we develop with others. They facilitate good health and morale because support from others cushions the impact of stressful events.
Talking about problems, expressing tensions, and having a sense of belonging and self confidence is very helpful.
These protective factors are critical in building resilience and enhancing the ability to cope in difficult circumstances.

Question 25

what are risk factors?

Answer 25

any characteristic or event that increases the likelihood of the development or progression of a mental disorder

Question 26

what are predisposing risk factors?

Answer 26

: Things before you existed that increase susceptibility to a specific mental disorder. For example a family history of schizophrenia. They increase the likelihood of the development of a disorder.

Genetics, family history of MI, alcohol or drugs while in womb
Brain chemistry - Hormones / neurotransmitters (impaired)
Temperament
Poverty

Question 27

what are precipitating risk factors?

Answer 27

Things that actually trigger the onset of a mental disorder. Are the immediate factors or events that cause the individual to experience symptoms now.

Environmental
significant life event
Trauma, accident or injury

Question 28

what are perpetuating risk factors?

Answer 28

Things that inhibit recovery. Maintains the occurrence of a specific mental disorder and causes an individual’s symptoms to continue or progressively worsen.

Poor health
Stigma - not seeking treatment
lack of social support / abuse relationship
lack of resources
substance abuse
bullying

Question 29

what are biological risk factors?

Answer 29

GENETIC VULNERABILITY TO SPECIFIC DISORDERS, POOR RESPONSE TO MEDICATION DUE TO GENETIC FACTORS, POOR SLEEP AND SUBSTANCE USE

Question 30

what is genetic vulnerability to specific disorders?

Answer 30

Having a risk for developing a specific mental disorder due to one or more factors associated with genetic inheritance. Higher risk than that of the general population, but it does not mean that they will definitely develop the disorder.

For example, genetic vulnerability to schizophrenia — the closer the degree of genetic relatedness to someone with schizophrenia, the greater the likelihood of developing/having schizophrenia (and vice versa). 17% change child will inherit parents’ schizophrenia.
This is because certain genes increase the likelihood of developing a mental disorder.

Question 31

what is poor response to medication due to genetic factors?

Answer 31

Having little or no reduction in the number or severity of symptoms despite taking medication as prescribed. Can be due to genetics causing the body to metabolise medication too slow or too quickly

For example, it is estimated that up to 45% of people suffering depression show poor response to antidepressant medications

Question 32

what is poor sleep bio factor?

Answer 32

Poor sleep quantity or quality (partial sleep deprivation) is associated with a range of mental disorders.
For example, mood, anxiety, personality, addictive and psychotic disorders
chronic/persistent poor sleep may adversely affect physical and mental health, contributing to development and maintenance of a mental health disorder, & also exacerbate the experience of an existing disorder; may disrupt restorative functions that could influence mental health.

Question 33

what is substance use?

Answer 33

Use or consumption of legal or illegal drugs or other products can contribute to the development or progression of a disorder.
For example, alcohol, tobacco, prescription and non-prescription/over-the-counter drugs, marijuana, heroin etc.
Active ingredients can directly contribute to development, onset or maintenance e.g. regular use of cannabis can increase the risk of developing schizophrenia or another psychotic disorder.

Question 34

what are psychological risk factors?

Answer 34

RUMINATION, IMPAIRED REASONING AND MEMORY, STRESS AND POOR SELF-EFFICACY

Question 35

what is rumination?

Answer 35

Repeatedly thinking or dwelling on undesirable thoughts, negative feelings or problems without acting to change them.

impedes and prolongs problem-solving strategies that may minimise or address a concern; may inhibit mood-changing/improving strategies such as distraction and perpetuate symptoms

Question 36

what is impaired reasoning?

Answer 36

Reasoning involves goal-directed thinking in which inferences are made or conclusions are drawn from known or assumed facts or pieces of information. Flawed thinking that impedes goal-directed behaviour or fails to rationally consider probabilities when deciding if an outcome is likely to be true.

May contribute to onset and perpetuation of symptoms, especially schizophrenia; more likely to believe in delusional thoughts and to jump to conclusions based on impaired reasoning.

Question 37

what is impaired memory?

Answer 37

memory failure, especially episodic memory. Different types of memories are impaired for different disorders
Some disorders such as schizophrenia can impair episodic memories which is problematic.
Difficulty recalling personal experiences may contribute to the onset and perpetuation of symptoms.

Question 38

what is stress as a risk factor for mental disorders?

Answer 38

The experience of stress may increase vulnerability to development of a mental health disorder.
For example, an ambitious senior student with poor coping skills and lacking in resilience and social support is subjected to a heightened workload and examination pressure over a prolonged period being.
More vulnerable to mental health disorder if an individual is also high in other risk factors and low in protective factors, especially coping ability.

Question 39

what is poor self efficacy?

Answer 39

Reduced belief in one’s capacity to execute behaviours necessary to succeed in a specific situation or accomplish a specific task.

For example, believing a stressful event is far worse than it really is and having little or no self-confidence that one will cope or overcome the situation.

impairing the ability to overcome challenges that arise when difficulties are experienced.

Question 40

what are social risk factors?

Answer 40

DISORGANISED ATTACHMENT, LOSS OF A SIGNIFICANT RELATIONSHIP AND THE ROLE OF STIGMA AS A BARRIER TO ACCESSING TREATMENT

Question 41

what is disorganised attachment?

Answer 41

Disorganised attachment is a type of attachment that is characterised by inconsistent or contradictory behaviour patterns in the presence of a primary caregiver.
Unhealthy attachment formed early in life is considered a risk factor for the development and progression of mental health disorder.
Disorganised attachment develops from a parent’s consistent failure to respond appropriately to their child’s distress, or by a parent’s inconsistent response to their child’s feelings of fear or distress.

Question 42

how is disorganised attachment a risk factor?

Answer 42

May struggle in their relationships or when parenting their own children because of their personal experiences and lack of exposure to a suitable role model.
They may also find it difficult to form and sustain solid relationships because they struggle with poor social or emotional regulation skills

Question 43

what is loss of a significant relationship as a risk factor?

Answer 43

Loss of a relationship can have serious or even devastating consequences for the person experiencing that loss. When the loss is due to serious illness, a break up or death, the loss is inevitably a challenging and potentially very stressful life event.

Loss of a significant relationship among vulnerable individuals in particular may precipitate depression or a substance use disorder in the same way that other major stressors, such as losing your job, can precipitate the disorder.

Following loss of a significant relationship, most people typically experience grief. Grief is the total reaction to the experience of loss, comprising a mix of thought, feelings and behaviours

Question 44

what is stigma?

Answer 44

Stigma is a sign of shame, disgrace, or disapproval typically associated with a particular characteristic or attribute that sets a person apart.

Self-stigma refers to the stigmatising views that individuals hold about themselves.

Social stigma refers to any aspect of an individual’s identity that is devalued in a social context. In relation to mental disorders, this involves the negative attitudes/beliefs that motivate people to exclude, reject, avoid, fear and discriminate against people with a mental disorder.

Question 45

what is the role of stigma as a barrier to accessing treatment?

Answer 45

Some of the effects of stigma include: feelings of shame, self-doubt, poor self-esteem, low self-efficacy, hopelessness and isolation, distress, lack of understanding by family, friends or others.
2/3rds of people who have a mental health disorder do not seek treatment. Often due to fear of being stigmatised.
Stigma can also perpetuate a mental disorder and delay recovery or make recovery harder.

Question 46

what is cumulative risk?

Answer 46

Cumulative risk refers to the aggregate (cumulative) risk to mental health from the combined effects of exposure to multiple biological, psychological and/or social factors.

it is typically the presence of a number of risk factors, rather than the presence of a single risk factor, that ultimately influences whether an individual develops a mental disorder.
More risks = greater vulnerability.

Question 47

what is the definition of a stressor?

Answer 47

Any stimulus that produces stress and challenges our ability to cope.

Question 48

what is the definition of stress?

Answer 48

a state of physiological and psychological arousal produced by internal and external stressors that are perceived by the individual as challenging or exceeding their ability or resources to cope.

Question 49

what is the definition of a stress reaction?

Answer 49

Includes physiological and psychological changes that occur when confronted by a stressor.
Stress is the body’s natural reaction to a challenge or demand.

Question 50

what is anxiety disorder?

Answer 50

involves feelings of extreme anxiety, accompanied by physical and psychological symptoms, which prevents a sufferer from normal functioning.
When anxiety is out of proportion to a situation, it may be detrimental to an individual’s wellbeing and become an anxiety disorder.
Individuals with anxiety disorders are known to have specific, recurring fears that they recognize as irrational, unrealistic, and intrusive.

Question 51

what is anxiety?

Answer 51

A state of physiological arousal associated with feelings of apprehension, worry or uneasiness about something in the future.

Question 52

what is a phobia?

Answer 52

a persistent, irrational, and intense fear of a specific object, activity, or situation.

Question 53

what is a specific phobia?

Answer 53

an intense, irrational fear and avoidance of a particular object (such as needles, spiders or snakes), activity (such as swimming), or situation (such as enclosed spaces).
A phobia disorder differs from common fears as it generates overwhelming anxiety, producing symptoms such as shaking, nausea, vomiting, fainting, uncontrollable sweating, increased heart rate and hot flushes.
People affected by these phobias recognize that their fears are unreasonable and excessive, but can’t seem to do anything about it.
Fear response is typically out of proportion to the actual danger posed by the object or situation. It can cause significant anxiety and distress and interferes with everyday functioning - therefore it is considered a diagnosable mental disorder.

Question 54

what are three differences between stress, phobia, and anxiety?

Answer 54

1. stress and anxiety are considered normal in certain situations whereas phobias are not considered normal or appropriate.
2. stress can be eustress or distress whereas anxiety and phobias can only be distress
3. with stress and phobias, source/cause of a phobic response
   is usually known whereas in anxiety the source/cause of an anxiety response is not always apparent.

Question 55

what are biological contributing factors to the development of specific phobia?

Answer 55

GAMMAAMINO BUTYRIC ACID (GABA) DYSFUNCTION, THE ROLE OF STRESS RESPONSE AND LONG-TERM POTENTIATION

Question 56

what are psychological contributing factors to the development of specific phobia?

Answer 56

BEHAVIOURAL MODELS INVOLVING PRECIPITATION BY CLASSICAL CONDITIONING AND PERPETUATION BY OPERANT CONDITIONING, COGNITIVE BIAS INCLUDING MEMORY BIAS AND CATASTROPHIC THINKING

Question 57

what are social contributing factors to the development of specific phobia?

Answer 57

SPECIFIC ENVIRONMENTAL TRIGGERS AND STIGMA AROUND SEEKING TREATMENT

Question 58

what is GABA dysfunction?

Answer 58

Some people with anxiety disorders have low levels of GABA, which means their body is unable to regulate anxiety and their fight or flight responses, leading to physiological symptoms of the stress response.
GABA dysfunction results in low levels of GABA, which leads to higher levels of anxiety because there is not enough GABA to adequately regulate anxiety or arousal levels.
GABA has an inhibiting effect ie. slows the body down from an excited state to a calm, neutral state. Prevents the over excitation of neurons.

Question 59

what is the role of the stress response in contributing to phobias?

Answer 59

The stress response involves the fight-flight response which is triggered when a person experiences a fearful event.
This initial learning will form a new memory circuit with established connections within the amygdala.
Every time a person encounters a phobic stimuli, the synapses within the memory circuit are strengthened and the amygdala activates physiological fear responses (increased heart rate, respiration, blood pressure) - the fight/flight/freeze response.

Question 60

what is the role of long term potentiation in causing phobias?

Answer 60

When we associate fear with a specific stimulus a new memory circuit is formed within the amygdala (the section of the brain responsible for the pairing of emotions and memories) is made.
The strengthening of synapses enables information to be transmitted at a faster rate and more efficiently.
LTP is necessary for a fear response to be learned.
Each time the person thinks about, or encounters the phobic stimulus it strengthens the neural connections (memory circuit) between the stimulus and the amygdala, leading to the trigger of the fight, flight response.

Question 61

how can classical conditioning precipitate a phobia?

Answer 61

can cause a neutral stimulus to become a conditioned stimulus through association with an unconditioned stimulus.
eg. getting attacked by dog - fear of all dogs

If the event is traumatic enough, one encounter may be enough to produce and maintain the fear response

Question 62

how can operant conditioning perpetuate a phobia?

Answer 62

operant conditioning suggests that the consequence of a behaviour determines whether or not that behaviour will be repeated. If the consequence is positive for the individual, the behaviour is more likely to be repeated, and vice versa.

Avoiding a phobic stimulus acts as negative reinforcement by providing a satisfying outcome and makes the individual more likely to avoid the phobic stimulus again in the future.

Question 63

what is a cognitive bias?

Answer 63

A cognitive bias is a type of error in thinking that occurs when people interpret information.
Cognitive biases may lead to inaccurate judgements or illogical interpretations of a situation

Question 64

what is a memory bias?

Answer 64

A memory bias is a type of error in thinking that may enhance or impair the recall of a memory, or alter the content of the memory.
Memory bias may contribute to the formation of a phobia because people recall negative information more readily about an object, situation, or event. Memory bias can also alter recalled memories so that they are different to what actually happened.
eg. remember one negative experience with a dog more readily than all the positive experiences.

Question 65

what is catastrophic thinking?

Answer 65

Catastrophic thinking occurs when an individual repeatedly overestimates the potential dangers of an object or event and assumes the worst.

Catastrophic thinking relates to thinking about, or predicting, the potential dangers and possible outcomes of future events.
The catastrophic thinker predicts an outcome that others would consider unrealistic and irrational.

When this occurs, a person will typically experience heightened levels of distress and anxiety, and underestimate their ability to cope with the situation

Question 66

what is a specific environmental trigger?

Answer 66

Specific environmental trigger - Developing a specific phobia after a direct negative experience with an object or situation.
In many instances, specific triggers can lead to the development of a phobia.
Many people report having a direct, negative, and traumatic experience with a particular phobic stimulus. Eg. Bird phobia may come from being attacked by a magpie as a child.
Initial fear response to a specific environmental trigger becomes a conditioned fear response

Question 67

how can stigma around seeking treatment contribute to a phobia?

Answer 67

Phobias can cause irrational responses which are viewed negatively by others which can lead to
stigma developing (social disapproval). This can cause people to feel embarrassed, and more likely to hide their symptoms and not seek treatment thus prolonging their phobia.

Question 68

what are biological interventions for phobias?

Answer 68

THE USE OF SHORT-ACTING ANTI-ANXIETY BENZODIAZEPINE AGENTS (GAMMA-AMINO BUTYRIC ACID [GABA] AGONISTS) IN THE MANAGEMENT OF PHOBIC ANXIETY AND RELAXATION TECHNIQUES INCLUDING BREATHING RETRAINING AND EXERCISE

Question 69

what are psychological interventions for phobias?

Answer 69

THE USE OF COGNITIVE BEHAVIOURAL THERAPY (CBT) AND SYSTEMATIC DESENSITISATION AS PSYCHOTHERAPEUTIC TREATMENTS OF PHOBIA

Question 70

what are social interventions for phobias?

Answer 70

PSYCHOEDUCATION FOR FAMILIES/SUPPORTERS WITH REFERENCE TO CHALLENGING UNREALISTIC OR ANXIOUS THOUGHTS AND NOT ENCOURAGING AVOIDANCE BEHAVIOURS

Question 71

what are benzodiazepine agents?

Answer 71

Benzodiazepine agents are depressants that enhance the effect of the neurotransmitter gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA).
They mimic or stimulate GABA’s inhibitory effects. They bind to the GABA receptor sites on the postsynaptic neuron (lock). This reduces the likelihood of the postsynaptic neuron from firing and therefore reduces arousal (slows things down).
This has a calming effect on the brain. They help relieve symptoms of anxiety by reducing physiological arousal and promoting relaxation.

Question 72

what are strengths and limitations of benzodiazepine treatments?

Answer 72

STRENGTHS - short-acting as it is broken down by the body quickly, and effective just before an encounter with a phobic stimulus.

WEAKNESSES - Long term can become addictive, and does not dress the underlying disorder; People who take benzodiazepines for a long time may report increased anxiety as their body gets use to the medication, and need a higher dose for it to have an effect; Sleep and fatigue; Slow reflexes; Slurred speech.

Question 73

what are relaxation techniques?

Answer 73

Relaxation techniques - are methods that can be learnt to reduce physiological and psychological arousal associated with stress-related (FFF response) anxiety.

Question 74

what is breathing retraining?

Answer 74

Breathing retraining is the process of identifying incorrect breathing habits and replacing them with correct ones.
An anxious person’s breathing may consist of small, shallow breaths (hyperventilation), which can prolong the body’s reaction to anxiety and make the situation worse. Can cause an imbalance between oxygen and carbon dioxide.

Teach a person to consciously control and slow breathing. This acts to reduce the physiological arousal of the NS & activate the parasympathetic NS
Can take the attention away from the negative thoughts & allow the person to have a sense of control over the fear response.

Question 75

how is exercise a relaxation technique?

Answer 75

Exercise can reduce the physiological reactions to stress. Exercise burns up the stress hormones (adrenaline and cortisol) in the body that accumulate during times of stress. This can improve immune system functioning so high levels of cortisol do not create wear and tear on the body.

Effects are:
Can reduce muscle tension reducing nervous system activation and lowering arousal
A release of feel-good brain chemical (endorphins) which can improve mood
Distraction from worry and rumination, which may have a calming effect.

Question 76

what is cognitive behaviour therapy?

Answer 76

Cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT) is a type of psychotherapy (talk therapy) that uses a range of cognitive and behavioural therapies and learning principles to help people change dysfunctional, unhelpful or unhealthy thought processes, feelings and behaviours.
It is based on the premise that the way a person thinks about something determines how they feel about it and respond to it.
Therefore if they can change the way they think about it, then they can change their behaviour.

Question 77

what are the four stages of cognitive behaviour therapy?

Answer 77

The first stage involves identifying unhelpful patterns of thought, such cognitive bias for flying and plane crashes.

Step 2 involves addressing these thoughts by gathering evidence to rationalise them, such as speaking to a pilot or viewing crash stats.

The third step involves identifying unhelpful behaviours, for example - avoiding flying (a negatively reinforcing behaviour) and then finally through

Behaviours are challenged though means such as systematic desensitisation, IE: using flight simulation.

Question 78

what are the cognitive and behavioural components of CBT?

Answer 78

Using knowledge and information to overcome irrational thinking forms the ‘cognitive’ part of CBT.
The behavioural component of the treatment involves modifying the unhelpful behaviours (such as avoidance) that have developed as a result of the faulty cognitions.

Question 79

what is systematic desensitisation?

Answer 79

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

Systematic desensitisation uses classical conditioning principles to unlearn (or extinguish) the association the person has made, and to learn a new relaxed response.

The client first develops a fear hierarchy from 10 to 100 to the phobic stimulus. They are then systematically exposed to increasingly fearful phobic stimulus paired with practising the relaxation technique. They do not progress until they are relaxed at each level of the hierarchy).

Question 80

what is psychoeducation?

Answer 80

Psychoeducation is the process of the patient and/or their family learning about the nature of the mental illness, treatment options and management strategies.
Can help the family and friends provide support to the patient and reduce stigma

A sufferer’s family can support the person by providing more adaptive alternatives. They can assist by challenging the cognitive biases, memory biases or catastrophic thinking. Encouraging them to think in a more realistic way. They can NOT encourage avoidance behaviour and can role model relaxation techniques.

Question 81

how can psychoeducation be used to challenge unrealistic or anxious thoughts?

Answer 81

People with phobias tend to underestimate their coping ability and overestimate the dangers, resulting in cognitive distortions. Friends/family can ask questions to challenge these thoughts or provide evidence as to why they’re unrealistic.

Question 82

how can psychoeducation be used to discourage avoidance behaviours?

Answer 82

Avoidance behaviours prevent exposure to the phobic stimulus and are maladaptive. Supporters should encourage more adaptive alternatives or gradually expose the person to the phobic stimulus in a controlled environment. (give examples relating to the scenario).

Question 83

what is the transtheoretical model?

Answer 83

The transtheoretical model of behaviour change assesses an individual’s readiness to change by looking at the different stages an individual may go through as they move towards healthier behaviours.

Question 84

what is the precontemplation stage?

Answer 84

The individual has no intention to take action in the 6 months and is generally unaware or unaware of their problem. Unaware of the benefits of change.
Strategy - must be aware that a problem exists.

Question 85

what is the contemplation stage?

Answer 85

The individual intends to take action within the next 6 months. They are aware that a problem exists but has not yet made a commitment to take action. May be aware of the consequences of their behaviour. Strategy - make a list of pros and cons.

Question 86

what is the preparation stage?

Answer 86

The individual intends to take action within the next 30 days and has taken some behavioural steps in this direction. They formulate a plan for change and commit to it. Strategy - get the resources and set goals

Question 87

what is the action stage?

Answer 87

The individual changes their overt behaviour for less than 6 months. The change is externally recognisable to others.
Strategy - self talk and let others know you are making change.

Question 88

what is the maintenance stage?

Answer 88

The individual changes their overt behaviour for more than 6 months and works to prevent relapse and consolidate the gains made. Strategy - avoid triggers.

Question 89

what is relapse and lapses?

Answer 89

Relapse: is said to occur when there is a full-blown return to the original problem behaviour. It is most common in the action and maintenance stages.
Lapse: is a slip up with a quick return to action (or maintenance).

Question 90

what are 3 strengths of the transtheoretical model?

Answer 90

Sees behaviour change as a process that can happen over time

Takes into account individual differences and that people can be at different stages. This is useful to a health professional designing an intervention.

Allows for setbacks, especially helpful for addictions

Question 91

what are 3 weaknesses of the transtheoretical model?

Answer 91

Doesn’t adequately allow for distinction between cognitive processes leading people to stop certain behaviours and cognitive processes leading people to start behaviours.

Lack of research to justify the time frames specified for different stages.

Lacks an explanation of the role of social and cultural influences