Psychological Treatments for Mental Disorders

Question 1

List the two different main treatment options.

Answer 1

Medication (pharmacotherapy) 
Psychological treatment (psychotherapy)

Question 2

Explain what psychotherapy is.

Answer 2

Treatment of mental disorder by psychological means, rather than medication.
“Talking” therapy (interaction)

Question 3

Who conducts psychotherapy?

Answer 3

Conducted by trained and qualified therapist:

• psychiatrists
• psychotherapists
• registered psychologists
• clinical psychologists
• counsellors
• family therapists
• social workers

Question 4

List some examples of the forms of psychotherapy.

Answer 4

Psychodynamic 
Interpersonal
Systemic 
Behavioural 
Mindfulness
Person-centered
Cognitive-behavioural

Question 5

What are the two main features of psychotherapy?

Answer 5

A relationship between a trained health professional & a person needing assistance to deal with psychological distress/impaired functioning.
Planned systemic application of specific psychological principles.

Question 6

List the different modes of treatment.

Answer 6

Individual
Couple/Marital
Family
Group

Question 7

Discuss what disorders CBT can treat.

Answer 7

Anxiety disorders (treatment of choice)
Depressive disorders (equal effectiveness to medication for mild-moderate)
Alcohol/drug disorders (with MI, treatment of choice)
Eating disorders (treatment of choice, especially bulimia)

Question 8

What is CBT?

Answer 8

Short term psychological treatment for mental disorders that focuses on the links between people’s thoughts, emotions and behaviour & the way in which those links give rise to, or maintain the disorder.

Question 9

What 3 concepts does the CBT model focus on?

Answer 9

Thought
Behaviour
Emotion

Question 10

List some characteristics of CBT.

Answer 10

Typically time-limited (8-15 sessions)
Highly structured - assessment and formulation of the problem, targets the key areas maintaining the problem (cycles of thought, behaviour or feeling that ultimately feedback into the problem or make it worse)

Question 11

Describe the cognitive triad of depression

Answer 11

Negative views about the world
Negative views about the future
Negative views about oneself
^^ All influence each other, forms toxic cycle

Question 12

List the nine principles of CBT.

Answer 12

1 - Based on an ever-evolving, individual conceptualisation
2 - Requires a sound therapeutic alliance
3 - Emphasizes collaborative empiricism and active participation
4 - Goal orientated and problem focused
5 - Initially emphasizes the present
6 - Educative, teaching clients to be their own therapists
7 - Sessions are structured (e.g. set agenda, check in, focused work, homework)
8 - Teaches clients to identify, evaluate and respond to dysfunctional thoughts
9 - Measures pre and post treatment change

Question 13

Name the core techniques of CBT.

Answer 13

Graded exposure
Response prevention
Behavioural experiments
Evidence for/evidence against

Question 14

Describe exposure therapy.

Answer 14

Directly targeting the avoidance that is maintaining the fear

Question 15

Describe the concepts behind graded exposure.

Answer 15

Specific steps
Rate it for degree of difficulty or expected anxiety scale
Develop hierarchy that has multiple steps
Choose steps collaboratively
Includes use of CBT cognitive and behavioural techniques

Question 16

What are the targets of graded exposure?

Answer 16

Target thoughts that increase anxiety
Learn that anxiety is not dangerous
Targets avoidance behaviour that maintains anxiety

Question 17

Describe what exposure and response prevention is.

Answer 17

Exposure to the feared situation without engaging in the usual safety behaviour.

Question 18

What is a behavioural experiment?

Answer 18

An experiment to test beliefs or predictions
Have the client rate how strongly they believe it from 0 - 100%
Either an active or an observational experiment

Question 19

Discuss the concept of evidence for/evidence against.

Answer 19

Identify the unhelpful thought/belief
Get them to write down the evidence for their belief and the evidence against the belief
Look at for and against and get them to come up with a more balanced thought or belief.
- Belief
- What evidence supports the belief?
- What evidence is contrary?
- Balanced/Rational view