Psychological Problems Flashcards
Outline two weaknesses of correlations.
. May lead to false conclusions that one variable causes the other.
Correlations based on small samples are not very reliable.
Name symptoms of unipolar depression
reduced energy/activity levels/changes in sleep pattern
• low mood
• decreased/reduced self-esteem/ self-confidence.
• loss of interest and enjoyment
Describe one difference between unipolar depression and bipolar depression.
People with unipolar depression have a low mood, those with bipolar experience low, normal and
manic moods.
Evaluate one study that has investigated whether or not hereditary factors are a possible
explanation for alcohol abuse.
In Kaij’s Twin Study, the information on alcohol use came from the participant and other family
members. This type of self-report method is subjective and there are many reasons why the
information provided may not be correct. These include lying about the amount of alcohol consumed
in order to give a socially desirable answer.
Kaij’s sample is limited because all of the participants were twins, male, and Swedish. This means
that the findings are not representative of people who are female or who are not twins or Swedish.
You have been asked to research the effectiveness of self-management programmes as
an intervention for addiction.
Explain how you would use interviews to do this research.
You need to include the following information in your answer:
• who your target population would be
• what your sampling method would be and how you would select your sample using this
method
• an appropriate interview question you could use in your research.
My target population would be people who have experienced addiction and have used a self-management programme to help with their recovery. This is because they can give first-hand insight into whether the programme helped them manage their addiction.
. I would use purposive sampling. This is a non-random sampling method where participants are chosen because they have specific characteristics needed for the research. In this case, I would select individuals who have completed or are currently taking part in a self-management programme.
Question: Can you describe how the self-management programme has helped you deal with addiction?
Evaluate self-management programmes as an intervention for addiction.
Some research suggests that there is no significant difference in the success rate of these
programmes and other available treatments.
Self-management programmes work best when attended regularly and for a long time.
People need to be willing to share their personal experiences and emotions with others. This type of
intervention may not appeal to everyone.
Self-management programmes are holistic
Strengths of using antidepressants as an intervention for depression
The research suggests that antidepressants seem to be more effective for reducing severe
depressive symptoms than they do for mild depression.
Although around 50 to 65% of people will experience some lessening of depressive symptoms, 25 to
30% of people will also improve when they take a fake pill, or placebo.
Weaknesses of antidepressants medication as an intervention for depression
Antidepressants also have side effects, for example insomnia, dizziness and having more frequent
suicidal thoughts. One reason for antidepressants not working is that people stop taking them
because of such side effects.
Just using antidepressants is reductionist because it only concentrates on one aspect
. Research by Wiles found that when antidepressants were used alongside CBT, people improved more
than when they were just given antidepressants.
What is meant by dependence?
Strong need to continue behaviour/substance use because brain/body only works normally when
substance/behaviour is present.
Identify one intervention or therapy for addiction that could be viewed as holistic.
Explain your answer.
self-management programme.
Self management can be seen as holistic as it helps people see the bigger picture and consider both social and psychological reasons for addiction
Describe Wiles’ study of the effectiveness of CBT.
Wiles’ study looked at the effectiveness of CBT in treating people diagnosed with depression and
prescribed anti-depressants but not showing signs of improving (treatment-resistant). The participants
had been taking antidepressants for at least 6 weeks.
• Participants were randomly put into two different groups.
• 234 participants were given CBT while staying on their antidepressants. They had 12, individual, one-
hour sessions of CBT with a trained CBT practitioner.
• A control group of 235 participants just continued taking their antidepressants.
Evaluate Wiles study
Participants remained in their real-life environment. This makes it difficult for researchers to control
extraneous variables. There were some controls of participant variables put in place though. People
diagnosed with bipolar disorder or substance addiction were not used as participants. Anyone already
attending, or previously attending CBT or counselling for their depression, were also not used as
participants.
The self-report method was used to measure the levels of symptoms being experienced. These are
subjective measurements and so may not be entirely accurate. Participants may also lie or moderate
their answers to try and ‘help the researcher’
