Psychopathology Flashcards
Introduction to Depression
- mood affective disorder
DSM-5 (Diagnostic, Statistical, Manual) - a criteria for Depression
- depressed mood/loss of interest or pleasure in daily actions for more than 2 weeks
- mood = change from person’s baseline
- impaired function; social, occupational + educational
- need to have 5/9 symptoms EVERYDAY
MDD - Major Depression Disorder (short-term)
PDD - Persistent Depression Disorder (long-term)
need to be depressed for 2 weeks
DSM - IV (MDD)
(9 Symptoms)
- Depressed mood or irritable most days
- Decreased interest or pleasure in most activities
- Significant weight change (5%)
- Change in sleep (Insomnia + Hypersomnia)
- Change in activity (agitation)
- Fatigue or loss of energy
- Guilt/worthlessness
- Concentration - unable to think/concentrate
- Suicidality - thoughts of death + suicide
Cognitive Approach to Depression
- people to process information in negative way when depressed
- only remember more negative past events
Cognitive Bias
- depressed individual cognition biased to irrational thoughts
- faulty information processing + negative schemas
- can lead to negative triad of thoughts
negative views on
- the self
- the future
- the world
- negative schemas develop a negative framework for viewing events pessimistically
- process (cognitive bias) of distorting + misinterpreting information e.g OVERGENERALISATION + CATASTROPHISING
Overgeneralisation
- makes sweeping conclusions based on single bad incident
Catastrophising
- exaggeration a minor setback + believe everything is a complete disaster
Beck’s Negative Triad
- due to our schemas = ‘pockets’ of knowledge (based on past experience)
- depressed people possess negative self-schemas
person with negative self-schema more likely to interpret information in negative way about themselves - lead to cognitive biases
The Self - ‘nobody loves me’ ‘I’m worthless’
The Future - ‘everyone hates me cause I’m worthless’
The World - ‘I’ll never be good cause everyone hates me’
- schemas develop throughout childhood + adolescence
e.g in childhood, from authoritative figures who place unrealistic + critical demands
- think in absolutist way (black + white)
Beck et al (1974)
Depressed/Not Depressed participants were given hypothetical situations
- Depressed people felt inferior if a passerby didn’t smile at them (hypothetical situation)
- common theme amongst depressed participants was the stereotypical response
- distortions tend to be automatic, persistent and involuntary
even people with MDD have cognitive distortion that deviates from logical thinking
Problem with this experiment - people could give socially-desirable answers
Ellis’ ABC model
- depressed people blame external events for unhappiness = interpretation was to blame for distress
- developed to explain how different people react to stress + adversity
A - activating event = something happens in environment which has a reaction
B - beliefs = hold a belief about situation, why it occurred (could be irrational or rational)
C - consequences = have an emotional response to belief
- unhealthy emotions are triggered by irrational beliefs = due to consequences, not event
Cognitive Treatments for Depression
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
- identify + challenge negative automatic thoughts by individuals
- enable client to be aware of cognitive biases
- helps people to develop alternative ways of behaving + thinking = to reduce psychological distress
- would take approx 4 months (20 sessions), if you pay
- through NHS, 6-8 week
active + directive therapy = focuses on ‘here + now’ rather than delving into past
Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy (REBT)
- result of ABC model + CBT
A - activating event
B - beliefs
C - consequence
D - dispute to change irrational beliefs
E - effect new beliefs to replace irrational behaviour
4 Phases to CBT
- Initial assessment = patient + therapist identify patient’s problems
- Goal setting = patient + therapist agree on set of goals and plan of action to achieve these goals
- Identifying negative thoughts + challenging = they work together by discussing evidence for/against them
- Homework = patient encouraged to test validity of negative thoughts to challenge thoughts
- needs to be a postive relationship between client + therapist (to be successful)
March et al (2007)
CBT was as effective as antidepressants
-examined 327 adolescents (diagnosed with depression) and looked at the effectiveness of CBT, antidepressants, and both CBT + antidepressants.
- after 36 weeks, 81% of antidepressants + 81% of CBT group had significantly improved; demonstrates the effectiveness of CBT for treating depression.
- 86% of the CBT plus antidepressant group had significantly improved, suggesting that a combination of both treatments may be more
effective.
Introduction to OCD
(Obsession, Compulsion, DSM-IV)
- anxiety disorder
- they experience persistent + intrusive thoughts = occur as obsession, compulsions or a combo
Obsession
- forbidden or inappropriate ideas not based on reality
- internal components (thoughts)
e.g germs lurk everywhere leading to feelings on anxiety; persistent thoughts that is experienced repeatedly, intrusively
Compulsion
- intense, uncontrollable urge to repetitively perform tasks + behaviours; followed by obsessions
- repetitive + rigid behaviour so person feels drive to perform to prevent/reduce anxiety
e.g washing hands excessively to get rid of germs
DSM-IV
requirements to ‘have’ OCD
- recurrent obsessions + compulsions
- recognition by individual that behaviour is excessive + unreasonable
- person is distressed/impaired or daily life is interrupted
Biological explanations to OCD
Genetic explanations of OCD
- predisposition may be inherited via each generation
- Taylor (2013) identified 230 candidate genes seen as possible causes for OCD = suggesting it’s polygenic
several etiologies (root causes) - doesn’t matter what gene is used still, end up with OCD
as there are many different variations of OCD, this makes sense (can be presented in many ways)
- you can inherit 1/230 genes for 1 parent + inherit another from other parent - making a possible combination
twins are key part of understanding (specifically identical as they were biologically identical) - it can develop from early on
COMT gene
- associated with production of an enzyme that regulates function of dopamine
enzyme breaks down dopamine in synapse
- people with OCD have mutation of COMT gene
gene may not produce enough or too much
if not broken down, left in synapse for too long allows more opportunities to bind receptors
in long term, it would raise dopamine levels available in brain
impact on behaviour = frantic + unable to rest (symptoms of OCD)
gene mutation more common with those with OCD
SERT gene
-affects transportation of serotonin away from synapse
more serotonin being removed and taken to other areas of brain, less serotonin being transported
over time, available serotonin levels will lessen
emotions + mood isn’t stabilised
