psychopathology Flashcards
OCD cognitive Characteristics
- obsessive thoughts, and then becoming irrational because assume worst in everything. Such as not locking the door may trigger compulsions of checking the door constantly but also the thought of an intruder coming in.
-Coping mechanisms- such as mediation or for a religious person praying, this may appear to be abnormal behaviour
OCD behavioural characteristics
- Compulsions to reduce the anxiety they feel, this may be to check the doorknobs or washing hands because the germs give them that anxiety. They also tend to avoid situations which may trigger anxiety. The compulsions are repetitive.
OCD emotional characteristics
-Feel constant guilt and disgust about themselves, repeating the act. They may feel constantly anxious around the trigger. OCD is closely related to depresssion because tasks are unenjoyable
Biological Explanations to OCD
SERT gene- reduces serotonin and CROMPT gene increases dopamine levels. Genes are involved because 37% of parents had OCD and 21% of siblings. Diathesis stress model, some genes may be expressed depending on environment.
Polygenetic meaning more than 1 gene causes OCD. Steven Taylor found that 230 genes may be involved.
The Biological Approach to treating OCD
Drug therapy is used to treat mental health disorders by aiming to increase/decrease levels of neurotransmitters in the brain. Low levels of serotonin are associated with OCD disorder. This is treated using an anti-depressant called Selective Serotonin Reuptake inhibitor. Normally Serotine released from the pre-synaptic nerve is reabsorbed and broken down, however the SSRI inhibits the pre-synaptic nerve meaning that the seronin is absorbed into the post synaptic nerve boasting serotonin. This can be combined with cognitive behavioral therapy.
The biological approach to treating OCD A03
-It is proven to be effective, a review of 17 studies showed that SSRI was more effective when compared to placebo group. Reduce by 70% and the other 30% benefitted from CBT Aswell
-Counterpoint is that a study done and found that CBT was most effective along with behavioral therapies according to a systematic review
-Serious side effects include loss of sex drive, blurred vision, aggression etc. 1/10 experience erections, and weight gain, 1/100 become aggressive
-Cost effective and not time consuming
The Biological approach to explaining OCD A03
-Research support from twin studies, vulnerable because of genetic makeup, 68% Mz and 31% Dz twin concordance rate, 4 times more likely to develop if family member has OCD not 100% not all genetic- link to how nature side of debate does not consider nurture side,
-Cromer- environmental factors, half OCD clients had experienced trauma in the past
-Animal studies, from mice particular genes more likely to result in repetitive behaviors, but cannot generalize.
-Cause and effect relationship is unestablished. Is it OCD that causes these changes in the brain?
Depression Cognitive Characteristics
-Suicidal thoughts
-negative self esteem and views on the world, expect to go badly
-reduced concentration and attention
-irrational thoughts
Depression Emotional Characteristics
Continuous Low mood, sadness, feeling empty and worthless, low self esteem
Loss of pleasure, a feeling of loss of control
Anger directed at the self
Depression Behavioral characteristics
- Different eating and sleeping patterns (hyper/insomnia) , self harm.
Becks Cognitive Theory of depression
3 parts, faulty information processing, negative self schema. Depressed people distort information through cognitive bias, over generalizations and catastrophizing.
Negative self schema- Negative View on the self (self schema) , Negative View on the world and Negative View on the future, negative triad. The person develops depression because of this dysfunctional thinking, maintained by negative schema and cognitive bias’
Ellis ABC model
Depression is a cause of irrational thinking. A- activation or event, B, belief or interpretation of an event, C, consequences which come with the event.
Cognitive Explanation to explaining depression A03
-A strength to the cognitive explanation is that many effective therapies such as CBT have been developed. These therapies have been used to challenge irrational thoughts and found to be the most effective treatment for depression
-Reductionist
-ignores the biological approach- found that serotonin is associated with depression
-Cause and effect, is it depression that causes the irrational thoughts or the other way around- COUNTERPOINT, bates found that negative thought statements became more depressed- irrational thinking does cause depression
-The cognitive approach blames the patient, this is shown as the patients depression is blamed upon the persons negative thoughts, this could lead to more situational factors being over looked, and the person may feel more guilt and responsible for their feelings
Cognitive treatments to depression
CBT, the aim of the therapy is to identify and change negative thoughts. The clients and therapist devise a plan, and try to identify faulty thoughts. the behavioral- is changing and challenging irrational thoughts. Ellis’ Rational Emotive Behavioral therapy- extends ABC To ABCDE, dispute and effect. Challenge irrational beliefs, brink link between negative event and depression, challenging if there is evidence, follows facts, or if it is helpful. Behavioral activation, actively trying to get the client to engage in activities.
Cognitive treatments to depression A03
-Research support-research by March, found that CBT was just as effective as antidepressants. After 36 weeks, 81% of antidepressant and CBT group and a combination of both 86% improved, works well as a combination
-CBT- Some people may not be willing to talk about their problems, very suited to certain individuals, even people with severe depression require motivation to go to therapy which they may not have, people with learning disabilities.
COUNTERPOINT to suitability- Lewis and Lewis concluded CBT was as effective when treating severe cases and Taylor et al concluded same for learning disabilities
-CBT treats the cause of depression whereas drugs do not fix the cause.
-Waiting lists for CBT
-Time consuming, approx 25 sessions of CBT needed
-A limitation - relapse rates, Ali et al, 439 clients, 42% relapsed within 6 month, 53% within a year.
The two process model
-An explanation for onset and persistent disorders which cause anxiety, such as phobias. This is by operant and classical conditioning
Classical Conditioning
-Is learning via association
UCS=UCR
UCS+N=UCR
CS=CR
Little Albert A01
-Watson and Rayner studied Little Albert, an 8 month old baby.
-Albert showed no unusual anxiety
–Whenever white rat was present, a loud noise by banging happened.
–Albert displayed fear when he saw the rat and any other thing similar such as rabbits
Operant Conditioning
-Learning via reinforcement.
-Positive and negative conditioning
-Negative is avoiding a situation, no anxiety, more likely to be repeated, so phobia is maintained
Two process model A03
-RLA- Systematic desensitisation is a behavioural therapy created based upon the two process model. It aims to recondition the phobic stimulus, once the avoidant behaviour is prevented, it can not be reinforced. It identifies the means of treating phobias
-Ignores cognitive aspects, the two process model explains the behavioural side of behaviour, such as avoidance, but there must ne cognitive distortions about that phobias as well, for example, a person may hold an irrational belief about a spider because they think it is dangerous
-Evidence of traumatic experiences- Little Albert, also a study which found around 70% of people to have a fear of dentists had a negative experience with dentistry, compared to control group of only 20%
COUNTERPOINT, some phobias are evolutionary
Systematic Desensitisation
Is a behavioural therapy, designed to recondition a phobic stimulus, via the principles of classical conditioning, essentially, a new response is learned, this is called counterconditioning
-Anxiety Hierarchy
-Relaxation techniques, reciprocal inhibitation, it is impossible to feel anxious and relaxed at the same time
-Exposure- the phobic stimulus is exposed to the client
Flooding
-Flooding is a behavioral exposure therapy in which is high intense. Its aim is to recondition the phobic stimulus, to show the client that the phobia is harmless. For e.g. a conditioned phobia (a dog) without the unconditioned stimulus (being bitten) means that there is no danger/ fear- this leads to extinction. The person becomes tired of there own fear response.
Flooding A03
-One strength of flooding is that it is cost effective.
As little as one session may be required as opposed to many SD sessions.
-One limitation- traumatic- drop out rates are high.
Research found that is much more traumatic then SD
-Ethical issues- do not want to put client under distress, therapist less likely to use therapy
Phobia Cognitive Characteristics
-Cognitive distortions- person’s perception of the phobia is exaggerated. For example a spider looks angry and aggressive
-Selective attention to the stimulus
