psychological problems

Question 1

what is mental health?

Answer 1

a person’s emotional and psychological well-being - it allows them to cope with the stresses of everyday life and allows them to function in society.

Question 2

what are the characteristics of mental health

Answer 2

positive engagement with society
copping with challenges and difficulties
not being over overwhelmed with difficult feelings and emotions
being able to make decisions

Question 3

what are mental health problems

Answer 3

diagnosable condition in which a person’s thoughts, feelings and behavior change making them less able to cope and function well

Question 4

what are the 2 ways mental health problems are diagnosed

Answer 4

DSM-5

ICD-10

Question 5

what is stigma

Answer 5

situations, people or characteristics that are disapproved of and seen as shameful by much of society

Question 6

in wester cultures

Answer 6

mental health problems less stigmatised -> symptoms like intense sadness are seen as signs of mental problems like depression -> people less likely to hide problem.

Question 7

in eastern cultures

Answer 7

mental health problems are highly stigmatized -> leads to social and legal discrimination - e.g. in japan people with depression can’t get a job -> people more likely to hide problems

Question 8

treatments for mental health are culture bound

Answer 8

if culture thinks biological cause - treatment is medication
if culture thinks spiritual cause - treatment is exorcism and prayer
if culture cares about sharing problems - treatment is self-help groups and therapy
if culture shames mental health problems - treatment is isolation

Question 9

what are negative schema’s?

Answer 9

when someone sees themselves and the world in a negative way

Question 10

what is selective attention?

Answer 10

seeing only the negative parts of a situation and ignoring the good

Question 11

what are attributions?

Answer 11

this is how people explain the causes of situations and behaviour

Question 12

what are the two dimensions of attributions?

Answer 12

internal-external and unstable-stable

Question 13

what is the internal mean in the internal-external attribution?

Answer 13

events and behaviours are caused by themselves (dispositional factors)

Question 14

what is the external mean in the internal-external attribution?

Answer 14

events and behaviours are caused by situational factors

Question 15

what does stable mean in the stable-unstable dimension?

Answer 15

events and behaviours are caused by things that cannot change

Question 16

what does unstable mean in the stable-unstable dimension?

Answer 16

events and behaviours caused by things that can change (temporary)

Question 17

someone is more like to be depressed if…

Answer 17

they have an internal and stable attribution

Question 18

what is the first evaluation of the psy explanation of depression?

Answer 18

+it has practical application - understanding negative schema led to treatment like CBT - targets negative thinking and changes it to more positive thinking - reducing depression - theory is useful

Question 19

what is the second evaluation of the psy explanation of depression?

Answer 19

+ supporting evidence
+ Koster et al asked students o do an attention task where they had to remember positive, negative and neutral words and found that depressed participants remembered more negative words - shows people with depression have selective attention
+ increases validity of explanation

Question 20

what is the third evaluation of the psy explanation of depression?

Answer 20

• considered reductionist
• only looks at psychological reasons why someone might have depression and doesn’t consider other factors such as biological factors.
• explanation is incomplete

Question 21

what is aversion therapy?

Answer 21

when a person is made to feel some unpleasantness while they carry the unwanted
they form an association between the substance and the unpleasant feeling
do not want to consume the substance anymore as they do not get pleasure or ‘high’ from it.

Question 22

what does an emetic do?

Answer 22

emetic given to achieve the ‘unpleasant feeling’
makes addict physically vomit when the addict uses the addictive substance
puts them off the substance.

Question 23

what is electrical aversion?

Answer 23

safe but painful shock given every time an addict carries out addictive behaviour
associate shock with substance
puts addict off substance

Question 24

Eval n.o 1 of aversion therapy:

Answer 24

• extremely unpleasant
• taking emetic makes addict physically sick due to unpleasantness many people may drop out of therapy and not complete treatment
• makes treatment less effective

Question 25

Eval n.o 2 of aversion therapy:

Answer 25

• short term solution
• researchers found aversion therapy more effective and long-lasting when individuals also receive other kinds of support such as counselling
• means aversion therapy on its own may not be a very effective way to treat addiction
• will not be effective unless there are other ways of support available

Question 26

Eval n.o 3 of aversion therapy:

Answer 26

• considered incomplete
• this is because the therapy only treats the individual’s learnt desire for the substance and does not consider other factors like biological factors which can create genetic vulnerability for addiction
• may not address real cause of addiction which caused addiction in the first place
• therefore may not be an effective treatment for addiction and should be more holistic

Question 27

what are the self-help programs?

Answer 27

an intervention designed to support and empower individuals so that they can take responsibility for their own choices and behaviour

• they are run by a trained psychologist
• all addicts share common problem - by sharing experiences they feel less isolated
• experienced members of the group are role models - help addict feel less hopeless

Question 28

what is the 12 step recovery programme?

Answer 28

specific type of self-help programme
- provides steps to overcome addiction
H - addict must give up control to a ‘higher power’ (may not be god) let go of won will
W - addict must admit and accept ‘wrongdoings’ to the group
C - addict must stay in ‘contact’ with group for support - especially if temped or have a relapse

Question 29

Eval n.o 1 of self help programs:

Answer 29

+ help treat a range of issues that could cause addiction
+ for example the 12 step recovery programmes help a person deal with their emotions and feelings of guilt and deal with issues from from their past, present and future. as it deals with causes of addictive behaviour it is seen as a more holistic treatment
+ can be seen as effective treatment

Question 30

Eval n.o 2 of self help programs:

Answer 30

• it is difficult to measure effectiveness
• since groups are stricl=tly anonymous, it is difficult to find people who have attended these groups to ask them to take part in studies. also may be difficult for them to bring up sensitive addiction-related matters with them due to ethical reasons
• we cannot check if treatment actually works -> reduces usefulness in treating addiction

Question 31

Eval n.o 3 of self help programs:

Answer 31

• only works for certain type of people
• there may be certain people who are unwilling to share their emotions or experiences and others who may find the programmes too demanding. this may mean they are more likely to drop out and not complete the programme
• limits the effectiveness of such treatments