Psychopathology Flashcards

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1
Q

Statistical infrequency

A

A less common characteristic. The top and bottom 2% are considered abnormal.

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2
Q

Deviation from social norms

A

Behaviour that is different from society’s expectations.

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3
Q

Failure to function adequately

A

An inability to deal with the demands of everyday living.

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4
Q

Deviation from ideal mental health

A

Absence of signs of good mental health.

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5
Q

Cultural relativism

A

One cannot judge behaviour properly unless it is viewed in the cultural context from which it originated.

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6
Q

Ethnocentrism

A

The norms of the home culture being used to assess the behaviour of individuals from another culture.

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7
Q

Individualistic culture

A

Put themselves as more important than others / groups.

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8
Q

Collectivist culture

A

The group’s needs come above their own needs.

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9
Q

Failure to function adequately criteria (x6)

A

Own personal distress and anxiety
Observer discomfort
Stops them from working
Stops them from being hygienic
Causing themselves or others harm
Behaviour is maladaptive, irrational or dangerous

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10
Q

Jahoda - Deviation from ideal mental health criteria (x6)

A

Accurate perception of reality
Positive self-esteem
Self actualisation - reach potential
Resistance to stress
Environmental mastery
Be independent of other people (autonomy)

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11
Q

Phobia

A

A persistent and irrational fear of a specific situation, object or activity which is consequently either strenuously avoided or endured with marked stress.

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12
Q

Emotional characteristics of phobias (x1)

A

Anxiety

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13
Q

Behavioural characteristics of phobias (x2)

A

Panic
Avoidance

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14
Q

Cognitive characteristics of phobias (x2)

A

Irrational thought processes
Cognitive distortions

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15
Q

Depression

A

A mental health disorder that is characterised by persistent sadness and a lack of interest or pleasure in previously rewarding or enjoyable activities.

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16
Q

Emotional characteristics of depression (x3)

A

Sadness
Avolition (loss of motivation)
Anger

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17
Q

Behavioural characteristics of depression (x3)

A

Reduction in energy
Insomnia or increased sleep
Appetite changes

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18
Q

Cognitive characteristics of depression (x3)

A

Negative thoughts
Poor concentration
Memory bias

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19
Q

OCD

A

A common mental health condition where a person has obsessive thoughts (internal) and compulsive behaviour (external).

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20
Q

Emotional characteristics of OCD (x2)

A

Anxiety and distress
Embarrassment and shame

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21
Q

Behavioural characteristics of OCD (x2)

A

Compulsive behaviours
Avoidance

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22
Q

Cognitive characteristics of OCD (x2)

A

Obsessive thoughts
Sufferer is aware these obsessive thoughts are irrational

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23
Q

Systematic desensitisation

A

A counter conditioning procedure (fear is replaced with relaxation) in which exposure is increased gradually to the feared stimulus so it becomes more familiar.

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24
Q

Flooding

A

Exposing phobic patients to their fear but without a gradual build-up in an anxiety hierarchy.

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25
Q

Behavioural approach to explaining phobias

A

Phobias are acquired through classical conditioning and maintained through operant conditioning.

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26
Q

Classical conditioning

A

Learning through association.
A neutral stimulus is paired with an unconditioned stimulus.
Neutral stimulus is now a conditioned stimulus producing a conditioned response.

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27
Q

Operant conditioning

A

Learning through reinforcement.
If a behaviour is reinforced / rewarded it increases the probability that it will be repeated.

28
Q

Beck’s negative triad (1967)

A

World - Creates the impression there is no hope anywhere.
Future - Furthers hopelessness and worsens depression.
Self - Enhances depressive feelings, confirms low self-esteem.

29
Q

Beck (1967) states that depression is caused by

A

Faulty information processing / faulty thinking strategies

30
Q

What is a schema?

A

A mental representation of knowledge of the world. Beck argues that those with depression have negative schemas.

31
Q

Ellis (1962) ABC model

A

Activating event - The adversity or event to which there is a reaction.
Beliefs - The belief or explanation about why the situation occurred.
Consequences - The feelings and behaviour(s) the belief now causes. In essence the external event is ‘blamed’ for the unhappiness being experienced.

32
Q

Ellis (1962) stated that depression is caused by…

A

Irrational thinking
Mustabatory thinking

33
Q

Mustabatory thinking

A

Thinking that certain ideas or assumptions must be true in order for an individual to be happy.

34
Q

Ellis identified the 3 most important irrational thinkings:

A
  1. I must be approved
  2. I must do well
  3. The world must give me happiness
35
Q

Beck (1967) negative triad - treating depression

A

Helps the patient to identify negative thoughts in relation to themselves, their world and their future.

36
Q

Beck’s negative triad - Challenging negative thoughts (treatment)

A

The patient and therapist will discuss evidence for and against irrational thoughts.

37
Q

Beck’s negative triad - Client as a scientist (treatment)

A

The patient will be encouraged to test the validity of their negative thoughts and may be set homework, to challenge and test their negative thoughts.

38
Q

Ellis (1962) REBT

A

Ellis’s rational emotive behaviour therapy

39
Q

Ellis (1962) ABCDE

A

Activating event
Beliefs
Consequences
Disputation of beliefs
Effective new approach

40
Q

Ellis REBT - Challenging irrational thoughts

A

Effective disputing
The client can move from catastrophising to more rational interpretations of events.
This in turn helps the client to feel better, and eventually become self-accepting.

41
Q

Effective disputing

A

Changes self-defeating beliefs into more rational beliefs.

42
Q

Empirical disputing

A

Therapist asks the client where is the proof / evidence that the belief / thought is accurate.
Self-defeating beliefs may not be consistent with reality.

43
Q

Logical disputing

A

Self-defeating beliefs do not follow logically from the information available.
The therapist may ask ‘does thinking in this way make sense?’.

44
Q

Pragmatic disputing

A

Pragmatic means dealing with practically.
The therapist emphasises that self-defeating beliefs are useless and not practical (e.g ‘how is this belief likely to help me?’).

45
Q

Genetic explanations of OCD - researcher and findings

A

Nestadt et al (2000)
12% chance of developing OCD for first degree relatives
3% risk for control group participants

46
Q

Polygenic

A

More than one gene involved

47
Q

Aetiologically heterogeneous

A

Different combinations of genes cause different types of OCD in different people.

48
Q

COMT gene

A

Causes low levels of catchecol-o-methyltransferase.
This enzyme regulates the amount of dopamine in the brain.
Low levels of the enzyme = high levels of dopamine.
High dopamine levels are linked to OCD.

49
Q

SERT gene

A

Creates a protein which removes serotonin and recycles it.
When a mutation of this gene creates too much of the protein, serotonin levels decrease.
Low serotonin levels are linked to OCD.

50
Q

Interactionist approach (diathesis stress model)

A

Certain genes leave some people more likely to suffer a mental disorder but it is not certain as some environmental stress is necessary to trigger the condition.
Diathesis - genetic vulnerability.
Stress - environment.

51
Q

MZ twins

A

Monozygotic twins - share 100% of DNA.

52
Q

DZ twins

A

Dizygotic twins - share 50% of DNA.

53
Q

Serotonin

A

Important for the regulation of mood.
It has an overall calming effect on the brain.
Low levels of serotonin means that the brain does not communicate information about mood effectively.

54
Q

Serotonin and OCD

A

Low levels of serotonin have been linked with the symptoms of OCD (e.g anxiety).

55
Q

Dopamine

A

Important for maintaining interest and motivation.

56
Q

Dopamine and OCD

A

High levels of dopamine should help to maintain a compulsive thought or behaviour, therefore high levels are associated with compulsions in OCD.

57
Q

The worry circuit - OFC

A

Orbitofrontal cortex in the frontal lobes.

58
Q

The worry circuit

A
  1. OFC sends ‘worry’ signal to thalamus to report on things which should cause worry.
  2. On the way the caudate nucleus is supposed to suppress unimportant signals.
  3. If the caudate nucleus is damaged the thalamus is alerted too often. This results in you worrying more, causing obsessive and compulsive behaviours.
59
Q

What does SSRI stand for?

A

Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors.

60
Q

How do SSRIs work?

A

They increase levels of serotonin in the brain.
They block the reabsorption site and prevent the serotonin being recycled.
The levels of serotonin in the synapse will increase, thus improving symptoms of anxiety.

61
Q

What does SNRI stand for?

A

Serotonin and noradrenaline reuptake inhibitors

62
Q

How do SNRIs work?

A

They block the transporter mechanism that re-absorbs both serotonin and noradrenaline.

63
Q

Noradrenaline and OCD

A

When levels are low, a person is unable to focus their attention which may result in anxiety and compulsions.

64
Q

Benzodiazepines

A

Commonly used to reduce anxiety.
They are manufactured under various trade names, the most common being Valium and Diazepam.

65
Q

Which neurotransmitter do benzodiazepines work on?

A

They increase the activity of the neurotransmitter GABA (gamma-aminobutyric acid), which is an inhibitory neurotransmitter - it calms and reduces the activity of neurons.
When GABA docks at the receptor site of a neuron, it reduces the activity level of that neuron and makes it less likely to fire an electrical signal (action potential).

66
Q

Behavioural activation

A

(An example of CBT homework) Engaging in more active and enjoyable activities.