Psychopathology Flashcards
Definition of abnormality
a psychological or behavioural state leading to impairment or interpersonal functioning and/ or distress to others
Definition of deviation from social norms
behaviour violating accepted social rules
What are some strengths of deviation from social norms definition
- helps people get support if needed
- developmental norms- the definition establishes what behaviours are normal for different ages
- it can distinguish between normal and abnormal behaviours
Limitations of the deviation from social norms definition
- subjective- social norms aren’t real but they are based upon opinions
- social accepted norms change over time
- there are cultural differences of what is accepted
What is cultural relativism
the way in which the function and meaning of behaviour, value or attitude are relative to a specific cultural setting
Definition of the failure to function adequately definition
an inability to cope with day to day living
When can someone be seen as failing to function adequately
when someone disrupts their ability to work and conduct satisfying interpersonal relationships
Strengths of the failure to function adequately definition
- it can assess the degree of abnormality
- there are observable behaviours
- the definition provides a practical checklist
Limitations of the failure to function adequately definition
- abnormality isn’t always accompanied by dysfunction- e.g harold shipman
- there is normal abnormality- e.g during times of grieving
- there are cultural differences
Definition of deviation from ideal mental health definition
failure to meet the criteria for perfect psychological wellbeing
Definition of self-actualisation
a state in which people are motivated to achieve their full potential
Describe Marie Jahoda’s six characteristics for ideal mental health
- six points including self actualisation and resisting stress
- an absence of any of the six characteristics can indicate individuals being abnormal
Strengths of the deviation from ideal mental health definition
positivity- the definition emphasises positive achievements rather than failures
- goal setting
Limitations of the deviation from ideal mental health definition
- over demanding criteria
-subjective criteria - cultural variation
Definition of the statistical infrequency definition
behaviours that are rare
Strength of statistical infrequency definition
- based on real data
- it gives an overall view
- can be appropriate
Limitations of statistical infrequency definition
- its unclear where to draw the line
- not all infrequent behaviours are abnormal
- not all abnormal behaviours are infrequent
Definition of phobias
anxiety disorders caused by extreme irrational fears
What are some behavioural symptoms of phobias
- avoidance/anxiety
- disruption of functioning- inability to cope with everyday life
Emotional symptoms of phobias
- persistent, excessive fear
- fear from exposure to phobic stimulus
Cognitive symptoms of phobias
- recognition of exaggerated anxiety
What are the sub types of phobias
- simple phobias
- social phobias
- agoraphobia
What are simple phobias
- known as specific phobias when sufferers have fears of specific things
- e.g. animal phobias, injury phobias etc…
What are social phobias
-phobias when people are over anxious in social situations
- e.g performance phobias, interactional phobias etc…
What is agoraphobia
- the fear of leaving home or a safe place
- can be brought on by fear of contamination etc…
What is depression
a mood disorder characterised by feelings of despondency and hopelessness
What is unipolar depression
a form of depression occurring without mania
What is bipolar depression
a form of depression characterised by periods of heightened moods and periods of despondency and hopelessness
Behavioural symptoms of unipolar depression
- loss of energy
- social impairment
- weight changes
- poor personal hygiene
- sleep pattern disturbance
Emotional symptoms of unipolar depression
- loss of enthusiasm
- constant depressed mood
- worthlessness
Cognitive symptoms of unipolar depression
- delusions
- reduced concentration
- thoughts of death
- poor memory
Behavioural symptoms of bipolar depression
- high energy levels
- reckless behaviour
- talkative
Emotional symptoms of bipolar depression
- elevated mood states
- irritability
- lack of guilt
Cognitive symptoms of bipolar depression
- delusions
- irrational thought process
What is OCD
- an anxiety disorder characterised by persistent, recurrent, unpleasant thoughts and repetitive, ritualistic behaviours
What are some behavioural obsessive symptoms of OCD
- hinders everyday functioning
- social impairment
What are some emotional obsessive symptoms of OCD
- extreme anxiety
What are some cognitive obsessive symptoms of OCD
- recurrent and persistent thoughts
- recognised and self-generated- most people know about their OCD
- realisation of inappropriateness
- attentional bias
What are some common obsessions
- contamination
- fear of losing control
- perfectionism
- religion
What are some behavioural compulsive symptoms of OCD
- repetitive behaviours
- repetitive behaviours hinder everyday functioning
- social impairment
What are some emotional compulsive symptoms of OCD
- distress
What are some cognitive compulsive symptoms of OCD
- uncontrollable urges
- realisation of inappropriateness
What are some common compulsions
- excessive washing and cleaning
- excessive checking
- repetition
- mental compulsions
- hoarding
What is the behavioural approach to explaining and treating mental disorders
the perception of phobias as occurring through learning processes with treatments based upon modifying maladaptive behaviour through substitution of new responses
What is the cognitive approach to explaining and treating mental disorders
the perception of depression as determined through maladaptive thought processes with treatments based upon modifying thought patterns to alter behavioural and emotional states
What is the biological approach to explaining and treating mental disorders
the perception of OCD as determined by physiological means with treatments based upon chemical means
What is the two process model
the perception of phobias as acquired through classical conditioning and social learning, with their maintenance upheld through operant conditioning
What term describes learning through association
classical conditioning (CC)
What term describes a stimulus becoming associated with a response
operant conditioning (OC)
What are the two stages of the two process model
- acquisition (onset) of phobias
- the maintenance of phobias
Who is CC based upon the work of
- Ivan Pavlov
- how dogs learnt to salivate at the anticipation of being fed (e.g. the ringing of the bell)
In OC what is positive reinforcement
a pleasant outcome from performing a certain behaviour is likely to be repeated
- e.g. getting a sticker for completing work
In OC what is negative reinforcement
the outcome of a behaviour that results in escaping something unpleasant
- e.g. doing work so not to get detention
What is systematic desensitisation
a behavioural therapy for treating anxiety disorders in which the sufferer learns relaxation techniques then facing a hierarchy of exposure to objects to the situations that cause anxiety
What is flooding
instead of gradual processes up to a stimulus, patients go straight to the top of the hierarchy and have contact with their most feared scenarios
- its to make sure that patients cant make their usual avoidance responses
- anxiety eventually subsides and as anxiety cannot be maintained
What is the cognitive approach to explaining and treating depression
modifying a patients thought patterns to alter their behavioural and emotional states of depression
What are the parts of Beck’s negative triad
- negative views about the world
- negative views about the future
- negative views about oneself
What are some of Beck’s negative schemas
- ineptness schemas
- self-blame schemas
- negative self evaluation schemas
What is Ellis’ ABC model
-Activating event- e.g. teacher saying she’s unhappy with work
- Beliefs- e.g. you see yourself as a failure
- Consequence- e.g. you have a feeling of worthlessness
What was formed from Ellis’ ABC model
rational emotive behaviour therapy (REBT)
What is the genetic explanation of depression
depression is inherited
- seen by twin and adoption studies
What is the behavioural explanation of depression
sees depression as a learned condition
How does cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) treat depression
it helps patients to identify irrational and maladaptive thoughts and alter them
How does REBT treat depression
it involves making patients irrational and negative thoughts more rational and positive
Explain the neural explanation to explaining and treating OCD
- OCD can lead to breakdowns in the immune system
- PET scans can show levels of serotonin activity in the brain
- PET scans also show that OCD sufferers can have relatively high levels of activity in the frontal orbital cortex
What is drug therapy
the treatment of OCD through chemical means
What is an example of drug therapy and how does it help patients with OCD
- SSRIs
- they elevate levels of serotonin in the orbital frontal cortex at more normal levels
How does psychosurgery treat OCD
- it’s irreversible treatment involving removing brain tissue to disrupt the cortico-striatal circuit by the use of radio-frequency waves
How effective are biological treatments to OCD
- psychosurgery has a low success rate and can have serious side effects
- its only used in severe forms of OCD where other treatments haven’t worked for about 10 years
- 10% of patients with OCD usually get worse over time even with drug treatments
What treatment is seen as the most effective
CBT
