Psychological Problems Flashcards

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1
Q

Schizophrenia?

A

Hearing and seeing things that aren’t there. Strange irrational beliefs, eg. You are the son of god

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2
Q

Depression?

A

Negative thoughts about yourself, your world and your future

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3
Q

Obsessive compulsive disorder?

A

Repetitive thoughts that cause anxiety, such as persistent fear you’ve left the oven on. Ritualised behaviour carried out to reduce these thoughts

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4
Q

Phobia?

A

Avoiding situations associated with a strong fear. An intense and irrational fear

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5
Q

Anorexia nervosa?

A

Under 85% of your expected weight for age and height. Excessive exercise

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6
Q

Bulimia nervosa?

A

Being of normal weight for age and height. Purging by vomiting or using laxatives

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7
Q

Dissociative identity disorder?

A

Having an alter ego which is a personality distinctly different from your own. Not recalling anything you did whilst your alternative personality took over

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8
Q

Antisocial personality disorder?

A

Repeatedly breaking the law. Lacking guilt or remorse for your actions

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9
Q

Mental health problems?

A

So,e people have difficulties in the way they think, feel and behave. These are psychological problems -expressed in how they feel or behave

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10
Q

Serotonin?

A

It is a neurotransmitter. Deficiency if it is thought to be related to depression. Low levels of serotonin means there are low levels at the synapse and therefore the message is not transmitted, creating low mood

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11
Q

Argument for serotonin being nature?

A

Levels of serotonin and ability to produce serotonin are inherited

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12
Q

Argument for serotonin being nurture?

A

Diet. Tryptophan is thought to be important in making serotonin. Tryptophan found in high protein food like eggs, cheese and fish. Also it’s found in carbs, eg. ‘Comfort food’ like pizza and potatoes

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13
Q

Problems with diagnostic manuals?

A

Diagnosis may be harmful-stuck with a sticky label
Illusion- when put like that it’s seems more easily fixable as it’s just a check list
Subjective view on what counts for each category

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14
Q

Cognitive symptoms of unipolar depression?

A

Pessimistic views of the future
Reduced concentration and attention
Decrease in self confidence
Ideas of self harm and suicide

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15
Q

Behavioural symptoms of unipolar depression?

A

Changes in sleep patterns
Reduced energy levels
Changes in appetite

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16
Q

Emotional symptoms in unipolar depression?

A

Low mood
Feeling guilty and unworthy
Loss of interest and pleasure

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17
Q

Difference between unipolar and bipolar depression?

A

Unipolar is one emotional state, bipolar is two mood states- depression and mania

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18
Q

Bipolar depression?

A

Two emotional states- depression and mania

Mania-euphoria or frenzied activity

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19
Q

Unipolar depression?

A

1 emotional state of depression

5 or 6 symptoms to be diagnosed

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20
Q

Difference between sadness and depression?

A

Sadness is a normal human emotion. Depression is an abnormal prolonged feeling of deep sadness about everything stopping you from functioning

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21
Q

Jahoda’s list?

A

List of 6 characteristics for mental health to recognise health

22
Q

Evaluate antidepressants?

A

W-bad side effects eg.nausea, insomnia, weight loss/gain
W-evidence is questionable, takes 3-4months to have an impact but serotonin is stimulated immediately. Suggests could be more placebo
W-reductionist approach, only targets neurotransmitters, suggesting that’s the only factor. Holistic approach may be more effective

23
Q

Biological theory for depression?

A

The cause is a lack of serotonin. When there’s a lack of serotonin, this means there aren’t many neurotransmitters at the synapse so the message is not transferred, creating low mood. Thus persistent low mood then results in depression. Ability to produce serotonin is inherited.

24
Q

Nurture theory for depression?

A

Learned helplessness. This occurs when uncontrollable bad events happen which causes you to perceive a lack of control. Then they learn to be helpless when put in bad situations. Can explain why people start to blame themselves and think things will never changed (irrational thinking)

25
Q

Evaluation of the theory of cognitive/nurture in depression

A

Strength- Seligman proved process of learned helplessness as he found dogs no longer tried to escape an electric shock they once had no control over. Some people learn to give up
Strength- real world application, leads to other ways of treating depression like CBT to teach people to think rationally
Weakness- negative beliefs may be realistic and not irrational

26
Q

CBT evaluations?

A

S-has long lasting effectiveness, supply them techniques they can always use
W-some people aren’t willing to put in the time and effort to get the results
S-regarded as holistic approach, sees person as a whole

27
Q

CBT?

A

Attempts to change irrational thoughts. Keep a thought diary where they log automatic responses and give how much percent they believe this. They then counteract this with a rational response and but how much they believe this

28
Q

Wiles’ study aims?

A

Set up the CoBalT trial to test the benefits of a holistic approach (CBT + antidepressants) for treating people with treatment resistant depression compared to antidepressants alone

29
Q

Wile’s Method?

A

469 patients with treatment resistant depression randomly allocated to two conditions
- usual care (just antidepressants)
- usual care and CBT
Improvement was assessed using BDI before and after

30
Q

Wile’s results?

A

After six months, 21.6% of usual care had decrease of 50% symptoms, patients with usual care+CBT saw 46.1% saw reduction in half symptoms
After 12 months, those with holistic care continued to see improvement

31
Q

Wiles’ conclusion?

A

Holistic approach is more effective in reducing symptoms than just anti depressants alone

32
Q

Dependence vs addiction?

A

Dependence is a characteristic of addiction.
Dependence is when they are doing something because they rely on it psychologically and to reduce withdrawal symptoms.
Addiction is when they’re dependent but also do it for the buzz.

33
Q

Substance misuse vs abuse?

A

Difference lies in the intentions
Misuse is taking more than a recommended amount or not following the ‘rules’ of usage.
Abuse is taking it for the high or a feeling of escape

34
Q

Diagnosing of addiction using ICD-10?

A
  1. strong desire
  2. persisting despite harm
  3. difficulty in controlling use
  4. higher priority given to substance
  5. withdrawal symptoms if activity is stopped
  6. Evidence of tolerance
35
Q

Hereditary factors?

A

Addictions are moderately to highly inherited. Genetic information passed down may determine if someone will become addicted

36
Q

Genetic vulnerability?

A

Multiple genes are combined to create genetic vulnerability. Diathesis-stress theory suggests genetic vulnerability (nature) is only expressed if there is a trigger in their life(nurture)

37
Q

Kaij’s aim?

A

To see whether alcoholism could be explained in terms of hereditary, using twin studies. They can study the interaction of nature and nurture as they are genetically similar

38
Q

Kaij’s method

A

Twins from Sweden registered with the temperance board to have had alcohol abuse were used for the study.
Kaij interviewed them and close relatives to find 48 were identical and 126 were non identical and drinking habits

39
Q

Kaij’s results

A

61% of identical twins were co registered with the board whereas 39% of non identical twins were both registered.

40
Q

Kaij’s conclusion

A

This suggests that alcoholism has a hereditary component as genetically identical twins are more likely to both have alcohol addictions. However, it isn’t completely down to being inherited as then we’d expect to see 100% of identical twins both having alcoholism

41
Q

Kaij’s evaluation?

A

W- flawed study, temperance board only looks at certain types of alcoholics and was done through self report
S-supporting research, found more likely again if identical. Supports genetic vulnerability
W-genetics are misunderstood and some people think it is 100% inherited but it only increases the risk

42
Q

Psychological explanation for addiction?

A

Peer influence
Bandura states we learn how to behave due to identifying with peers. We imitate rewarded behaviour.
We follow not what is always right but social norms , what is normal.
You want to be accepted by the group and adolescents may be more susceptible
Peers influence addictive behaviour as they create opportunities to try new things

43
Q

Psychological explanation for alcoholism evaluation

A

S-supporting research into positive association with peers and smoking
W-peer selection, maybe it’s not the group that conforms to smoking but they just choose to be with people who also have addiction, so it doesn’t happen in that order
S-real world applications, led to new programmes to educate

44
Q

Aversion therapy?

A

Classical conditioning-Association between the substance and something bad will put them off taking the substance

45
Q

Aversion therapy in treating alcoholism

A

Patient trues a drug that makes 5em vomit. They then take the drug and have some alcohol (whisky is good because has a strong taste and smell of it). Then when they vomit after having the alcohol the association then changes from the drug and vomiting to alcohol then vomiting. It’s repeated to strengthen association between the neutral stimulus(alcohol) and the unconditioned stimulus

46
Q

Gambling addiction? Electric shock aversion

A

Gambling phrases are written onto cards and then non gambling phrases are written on cards. When they say a gambling phrase they receive a mild electric shock.
Unconditioned stimulus is the shock. Then the neutral stimulus (gambling phrase) is paired with the shock to make the pain a conditioned response to the conditioned stimulus (gambling phrase)

47
Q

Aversion therapy for smoking?

A

Rapid smoking in a room is used to cause nausea then the feeling of nausea is associated with smoking

48
Q

Aversion therapy evaluation?

A

W-not everyone co pledged treatment as stimulus is unpleasant and to work it has to be unpleasant
W-research found covert sensitisation was more affective long term
S-can be paired with CBT to make a more holistic approach

49
Q

Self management?

A

12 step program of peer sharing: higher power, admitting and sharing guilt, making it into a life long process. Program set up with no professionals. AA continues today. Higher power: letting go of your own will, letting God take control. Admitting and sharing guilt: come to terms with what they have done, group listens in to accept the ‘sinner’. Life long: they can call each other in case of relapse.

50
Q

Self management evaluation?

A

W-lack of clear evidence. Shows 33% are clean for 10 years but doesn’t show drop out rate
W-only helps certain types of people. Requires a lot of motivation and effort. High drop out rates
S-holistic, focuses on emotions like guilt. Contrast to reductionist like aversion therapy which focuses on stimulus-response links