psychopathology Flashcards
What is cultural relativism?
A behaviour cannot be judged unless it is viewed in context with the culture it originated from
What is deviation from social norms?
The deviation from unspoken rules about how we ‘ought’ to behave
What is statistical infrequency?
Behaviours that are extremely rare
What is failure to function adequately?
A persons ability to go about their day to day life, if they cannot it is abnormal
What is deviation from ideal mental health?
The inability to have positive attitudes to the self, resistance to stress, and accurate perception of reality
What are the 6 factors that Marie Jahoda (1958) said you needed to have ideal mental health?
- Self attitudes
- Self actualisation
- Integration
- Autonomy
- Accurate perception
- Mastery of environment
List what the emotional, behavioural and cognitive symptoms for phobias are
Emotional - extreme panic/anxiety
Behavioural - Avoidance, fight, flight, freeze
Cognitive - Resistance to rational arguments, and knowing the fear is irrational
List what the emotional, behavioural and cognitive symptoms for OCD are
Emotional - considerate anxiety/distress, embarrassment/shame from knowing irrationality
Behavioural - repetition/uncontrollable actions
Cognitive - recurring, intrusive thoughts or impulses
List what the emotional, behavioural and cognitive symptoms for phobias are
Emotional - sadness, loss of interest in pleasant activities
Behavioural - insomnia, too much sleep, loss of appetite, too much eating
Cognitive - negative thoughts, sense of worthlessness, bad views on the world
How phobias are created
Two-process model:
Classical conditioning - initiation of phobia, is acquired through association
Operant conditioning - maintenance of phobia, avoidance acts as negative reinforcement as it removes an unpleasant situation
Social learning - phobias may be acquired through modelling others
Name the two ways to treat phobias and how they work
Systematic desensitisation:
Teaching the patient deep muscle relaxation and then introducing a low anxiety situation, gradually increasing the anxiety levels (a fear hierarchy), but the patient must have relaxed before moving on
Flooding:
Patient is taught deep muscle relaxation and then introduced to a high anxiety situation with the inability to avoid the fear
until the fear/anxiety has gone
How OCD is created:
Neural explanation:
- Abnormal levels of neurotransmitters - dopamine abnormally high + serotonin low
- Abnormal brain circuits - “The Worry Circuit” is where the orbitofrontal cortex sends ‘worry’ signals to the thalamus which are normally suppressed by the caudate nucleus, but if damaged the thalamus receives them and creates worry
Genetic explanation:
- COMT gene - higher levels of dopamine (neurotransmitter)
- SERT gene (5-HTT) - lower levels of serotonin (neurotransmitter)
- Diathesis stress - individual gene creates a vulnerability and then stress effects the condition that develops
Name how to treat OCD and the different types
Drug therapy:
SSRI’s - low levels of serotonin creates OCD so this treatment blocks the re-uptake channel in the synapse, meaning more serotonin gets diffused into the post-synaptic nerve ending
Tricyclics - blocks the transporter mechanism that re-absorbs serotonin
Benzodiazepines - reduces anxiety by enhancing GABA (neurotransmitter that regulates excitement)
D-Cycloserine - reduces anxiety
How is Depression created? Name the two psychologists and what the propose
Ellis’ ABC model (1962):
- A = activation event
- B = belief
- C = consequence, unhealthy emotions
Ellis also posed the concept of: Musturbatory thinking:
- must be approved of
- must do well
- must be given happiness from the world
Beck’s Negative Triad:
Negative schema consisting of 3 points:
1. Self
2. World
3. Future
Name the two ways to treat depression
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT):
Ellis’ extended model,
- D = dispute irrationality
- E = effect of point D
- F = new feelings
Homework:
To dispute the negative triad formed, e.g. asking someone on a date
