Psychopathology

Question 1

Behavioural characteristics of depression?

Answer 1

1) Activity Levels (lethargic or psychomotor agitation)
2) Disruption to sleep and eating
3) Aggression and self-harm

Question 2

Emotional characteristics of depression?

Answer 2

1) Lowered mood
2) Anger
3) Lowered self-esteem

Question 3

Cognitive characteristics of depression?

Answer 3

1)Dwelling on the negatives
2) Absolutist thinking ( all bad )
3) Poor concentration

Question 4

Behavioral characteristics of Phobias?

Answer 4

1) Avoidance
2) Endurance
3) Panic

Question 5

Cognitive characteristics of Phobias?

Answer 5

1) Irrational beliefs
2) Selective attention to the stimulus - keep attention on it
3) Cognitive distortions - inaccurate or unrealistic perceptions of the stimulus.

Question 6

Emotional characteristics of Phobias?

Answer 6

1) Anxiety
2) Fear
Unreasonable / irrational levels

Question 7

Emotional characteristics of OCD?

Answer 7

1) Anxiety and distress
2) Guilt and disgust
3) Depression often accompanies it - Low mood

Question 8

Cognitive characteristics of OCD?

Answer 8

1) Obsessions
2) Cognitive Coping strategies
3) Hyper-vigilance - caused by excessive anxiety

Question 9

What was Soomro et al.’s study? (Treating OCD)

Answer 9

-reviewed 17 studies that compared placebos to SSRI’s
-all studies showed significantly better outcomes for the SSRI’s

Question 10

What was Nestadt’s study? (twin studies)

Answer 10

• evidence that people are vulnerable to OCD due to their genes
  -reviewed twin studies and found that 68% of identical twins shared OCD compared to 31% of non-identical twins.
  ADDITIONAL POINT: family studies- if family member has OCD, the person is 4x more likely to develop it as someone without.
  OVERALL: these studies suggest there is some genetic influence on the development of OCD.

Question 11

What was Gilroy et al.’s study ? (systematic desensitisation)

Answer 11

Research support for systematic desensitisation.
Research of spider phobia.
Group 1 given SD therapy, control group not.
After 3 months, group 1 less fearful of stimulus, - effective. Furthermore, after 33 months, group still showed less fearful. suggests SD has effective **long term effects **as well.

Question 12

March’s study of CBT and antidepressants

Answer 12

Compared antidepressants and CBT
After 36 weeks:
CBT- 81% improved symptoms
Antidepressants- 81% improved symptoms
Both- 86% improved symptoms

Question 13

What does Sturmey suggest about psychotherapies

Answer 13

That they’re not suitable for people with learning disabilities

Question 14

What is a limitation of CBT that Ali found

Answer 14

It has high relapse rates
Assessed people who had CBT for 12 months after
Within 12 months, 53% of patients relapsed back into depression

Question 15

What was Cohen’s study of depression?

Answer 15

tracked development of adolescents regularly measuring cognitive vulnerability
found that cognitive vulnerability predicted later depression

Question 16

What does the COMT gene do

Answer 16

Regulates production of dopamine - affects motivation and drive