Psychopathology Flashcards
Includes definitions of abnormality, depression, phobias
Definitions of abnormality
Explain the term statistical infrequency
Is when an individual has a less common behaviour or characteristics, this leads them to be called abnormal.
An example could be someone with a high IQ or someone who has an intellectual disability disorder
Definitions of abnormality
Evaluate statistical infrequency
Real-life applications- can be used a diagnostic tool in clinical practise. Becks depression Inventory a score of 30+ means you have severe depression people with IDD and depression can access help. This shows how it useful when assessing the severity of symptoms. However, the cut of point is subjective as if someone was one point away from the threshold they would not receive help. (Is this fair)
Sometimes having uncommon characteristics is a positive thing. For example, High IQ is seen as a desirable trait. Also the same for having a low becks inventory score. SI alone is not sufficient as the sole basis of defining abnormality
According to a survey by the NHS in 2014 1 in 6 adults in the UK has depression, which suggests that it is common. Under this definition, it would be seen as common, but this doesn’t necessarily mean that it should be seen as such
Definitions of abnormality
Explain what is meant by deviating from social norms
Definitions of abnormality
Evaluate deviation from social norms
- Culturally relativist because it bases deviation of social norms in the context of that culture only, (emic construct) this is a strength as …
- real-life application: can be used in clinical practice. Deviating from norms (aggression, recklessness, deceitfulness) these norms allow for the diagnosis of schizotypal personality disorder. Shows the value of social norms in the field of psychiatry
- Cultural norms are different: Fernando found that afro-Caribbean people are 7x more likely to be diagnosed with schizophrenia due to western definitions of illness being applied to people of non-western cultures.
- human rights abuses: carries the risk of unfair labelling. Historically there has been a diagnosis of nymphomania, have been used to control women. This demonstrates how this definition could be harmful to people who deviate from the norms.
Definitions of abnormality
Explain what is meant by failure to function adequately
-happens when someone is unable to cope with day to day life. Unable to maintain basic standards of hygiene and nutrition. Rosenhann and Seligmen say that this includes when
- when someone experiences
- inability to cope with daily tasks
- maladaptive behaviour
- personal anguish
- observer discomfort
- irrationality and unpredictable
- unconventional
To cut it short when someone is danger to themselves or others
When someone no longer conforms to standard interpersonal rules like keeping eye contact
When someone experienced severe personal distress
Definitions of abnormality
Evaluate failure to function adequately
Represents threshold for health, so people can seek help when they feel like they are unable to cope with life. This shows how treatment and services are tailored to those who need them most. However the idea of coping may be seen as subjective as it is based on the observers opinion.
May cause discrimination and social control because some people may be labelled abnormal for having non standard lifestyle choices. For example people who enjoy thrill seeking would be seen as abnormal as they are taking part in activities that pose a danger to themselves. This definition may wrongly label people as abnormal due to their life choices which could led to their freedom of choice being restricted, because they want to conform to social standards
Definitions of abnormality
Explain what is meant by deviation from ideal mental health
-happens when someone does not meet the ideal mental health.
What is the ideal mental health, Jahova says
- No symptoms of distress
- rational and perceive ourselves accurately
- self actualise
- can cope with stress
- have good self-esteem and lack guilt
- independent of other people
- can work successfully
Definitions of abnormality
Evaluate deviation from ideal mental health
- Highly comprehensive, allows someone to discuss their mental wellbeing in a meaningful way. This allows people to understand ways in which they can achieve ideal mental health. Seek out therapists, life coaches etc.
- Limitation is that this is based on humanistic ideals and may be seen to ignore how environmentalism determinism may prevent people from achieving ideal mental health. There are high standards for people but sometimes life may not allow them to always achieve this.
- might be ethnocentric. ideas of self-actualisation are not common is some cultures. The concept of ideal mental health seems like an emic construct that is being used an etic way, for example in Europe there is variation on the value of personal indépendance (high in Germany, low in Italy) can be hard to apply concept from one culture to another
Depression
What are the behavioural characteristics of depression
- Low mood, feeling lethargic, don’t want to do activities they use to do. Sometimes they may feel the opposite, so really energetic known as psychomotor agitation
- Disruption to sleep and eating: appetite may increase or decrease, people may have insomnia or hypersomnia
Depression
What are the emotional characteristics of depression?
- Low mood: may feel worthless or empty
- Anger: towards themself (self-harm) or others
- -lower self-esteem: might hate themselves etc
Depression
What are the cognitive characteristics of depression
- Poor concentration
- tend to dwell on the negative
- Absolutist thinking
Depression
what is the cognitive explanation of depression?
Beck
BTW give an example
-Beck created the negative triad
He suggests people with depression have faulty cognition (see things as black and white)
-have a negative schema
- which leads to negative thinking
* self
* world
* future
Having negative schemas can lead to
overgeneralization (a problem moves from one situation to another)
magnification of problems (seeing them as more than they are)
selective perception (only focusing on negative)
absolutist thinking (if something doesn’t go right then it all or nothing)
Depression
what is the cognitive explanation of depression?
Ellis
BTW give an example
Ellis made the ABC model
He believed that conditions like depression were a result of negative thinking
Actiavting effect: external event
Belief: can be rational or irrational
Consequences: these can be emotional or behavioural
Musterbatory thinking: this is when someone believes that the world has to be perfect which may lead to unhappiness
Depression
Evaluate becks theory
For Beck
- Hammen and krantz gave female undergrads who were depressed and not depressed a story. those that were depressed showed more errors in logic when interpreting the narrative. Shows how faulty cognition can affect peoples perception on everyday life
General evaluations
- both laid the foundation for CBT (March et Al, 81% success rate from doing CBT and take ADs, which suggests cognition is an underlying factor in depression)
- hard to explain the reason for manic depression (hard to use faulty cognitions as a reason)
- ethically they both put the blame on the person for their thoughts when it could be due to external factors like poverty
- Can be seen as reductionist as it ignores biological factors. Antidepressants work in treating depression so it suggests that there is a biological basis. Also, people who may have a genetic predisposition for depression could work in the diathesis-stress model (idk)
Depression
Evaluate Ellis theory
Supporting evidence: Newark et al presented ppts with a statement saying everyone must be liked 63% of anxious people agreed but 2% agreed. This suggests that irrational thoughts can make
CP: the study was based on anxious people and not depressed people
Real life application: led to development of REBT, which is a successful tehrpy, Demonstartes how irrational thoughts play a role in depression
Support for irrational thinking: Bates et Al. Depressed people became more depressed when given negative automatic statements. Supports view that beliefs can lead to depression
alternative explanations like Zhang et al found that depressed people have 10x serotonin levels which suggest that neurochemistry plays a part in depression (but antidepressant do not work for everyone)
Biological: Wender et al found that adopted children who developed depression were more likely to have a depressive biological parent could then work in diathesis stress model
Behavioural explanation: depression can be learned. Lewinsohn found that negative life events can lead to the decline in positive reinforcemnts. Led to learned helplessness
environmental reasons like work, jobs, etc
Depression
What are the treatments for depression
CBT: is a talking therapy, focuses on challenging irrational thoughts
- therapists train clients into thought catching by identifying automatic thoughts
- set homework for patients to change behaviours
- focus on present experiences
- the client acts as a scientists by doing reality testing which is seeing whether people think that way about them
REBT
Dispute your irrational thoughts
Effective change can be logical (is it rational) or empirical disputations (is there an evidence). These can be through logical arguments against irrational beliefs
Behavioural activation
Evaluation of CBT
CBT may not work for people with severe depression
CBT may cost a lot of money and takes lots of commitment
Can say the success of CBT can help the economy as people will take charge of their mental health
March et al compared CBT with medication with 327 Ppts. Found that both CBT and medication was 81% effective alone, but together rose to 86%
Phobias
What is the two process model
Developed by mowrer
Behaviourists believe all behaviour is learnt
Can be learnt (acquired) through association
And maintained through reinforcement
