Psychopathology Flashcards
OCD
Anxiety disorder chara by persistent & recurrent thoughts & repetitive behavs
Behavioural Characteristics - OCD
Thoughts & behavs = repetitive
Hinder everyday function
Social impairment
Emotional Characteristics - OCD
Extreme levels of anxiety & distress
Cognitive Characteristics - OCD
Recurrent & persistent thoughts
Recog obsession & compulsions as self gen & realisation of inappropriateness & uncontrollable
Genetic Explanation - OCD
Idea = genetically passed in DNA & inherit vuln if mems of bio fam have
37% have parents w/ OCD & 21% have siblings w/ OCD
Candidate genes create vuln = polygenic over 230 pos
SERT gene = serotonin - low levels of serotonin
COMT gene = dopamine = high levels bc of low activity of enzyme that breaks down DA
Certain genes can cause in some but not others must = m factors
Diathesis Stress Model - OCD
= genetic vulnerability but environ stressor e.g., bereavement / pandemic
Neural Explanation - OCD
Linked to breakdown in immune system func - lymes disease & flu
Neuro chems - DA & S - PET scans show low levels of S & drugs that inc S dec symptoms
Basal ganglia - responsible for innate psycho motor func Rapport & Wise suggested that hyper sen = rep beh
Orbitalfrontal cortex = worry circuit inability to filter small worries PET scans show high levels of anxiety
Thalamus inc motivation to clean & check safety OFC inc anxiety & planning to avoid
Genetic Explanation Evaluation
Most evidence = twin studies - Nestadt reviewed cases & found 68% MZ & 31% DZ concor - not all genes
Stewart et al (2007) performed gene mapping on OCD patients & found variant of OLIG-2 gene - little practical app too many genes involved
Fam Studies - but could also support environ
May have genetic vul but then = triggered by stressor - Cromer (2007) over 1/2 of OCD patients in sample had traumatic event & inc OCD after may = m prod to focus on environ causes not all OCD = completely gen
Neural Explanation Evaluation
Hu (2006) comp s activity in 169 OCD p’s & 235 non OCDs found lower S in OCD
Zohar et al (1987) gave MCCP dec S levels to 12 non OCD & 12 OCD symptoms inc
Allows med to = developed & advances in tech to investigate brain areas& advances in tech to investigate brain inc accuracy
Drugs not completely effective but = cheaper than CBT - just bc SSRIs dec doesn’t mean causes
Compulsions explained by abnor in BG not thoughts
OCD treatment
Drug therapy SSRIs selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors = anti deps inc S levels usually 12-16 weeks works on inc certain neurotrans prevent S reabsorp cause OFC to function at normal levels e.g., flurotine
Anticyclic & anti-psychs dec DA if SSRIs don’t work
Therapy assumes = chemical imbalance often w/ CBT if reduce emo symps patient can engage m some work w/o drugs
OCD Treatment Evaluation
Julian (2007) reported on studies of SSRIs show although symps don’t fully disappear 50-80% of p’s improve
Not a cure dec symps - side effects e.g., sleep disruption, headaches & appetite loss
Only for adults not young ppl
Don’t necessarily dec OCD directly but = cheap but need therapy for LT reduction
Some OCD after trauma - drugs not effective?
Soomro (2009) research shows SSRIs dec OCD severity & aren’t disruptive
Unreliable evidence may = skewed by drug companies
Unipolar Depression
A form of depression w/o mania
Bipolar Depression
Form of depression chara by periods of heightened moods, despondency & hopelessness
Clinical Characteristics of Unipolar Depression
Beh: loss of energy, social impairment weight change, poor personal hygiene, sleep pattern disturbance
Emo: loss of enthusiasm, constantly sad, worthless feeling
Cog: delusions, low concentration, poor memory, thoughts of death
Clinical Characteristics of Bipolar Depression
Beh: high energy levels, recklessness, talkative
Emo: elevated mood states, irritability, lack of guilt
Cog: delusions, irrational thoughts
Becks Negative Triad
Negative views about the world, the future and the self - some = m vul to depression = 3 parts
Faulty information processing - when attend to the negative aspects of a situation & ignore positives, blow small problems out of proportion & think in ‘ black and white’ terms.
Negative self schema - Interpret all info about themselves in a negative way
Negative triad - person has a negative view of themselves (thinking I’m a failure and it’s negative impact upon self esteem), negative view of the world (e.g. the world is a cold hard place) and negative view of the future (e.g. there isn’t much chance that the economy will get any better)
Schemas
Cog biases in negative schemas
Ineptness schemas - can’t do anything
Self-blame schemas - blame everything on self
Negative self evaluation feel can’t improve & don’t see positives
Triggered in sim situs
Become framework to view life fuel & fuelled by cog biases
Cognitive Biases
Arbitrary inference blame something on self not their fault
Selective abstraction - only think about negative
Overgeneralisation - exag one small thing to big disaster
Mispercieve reality - schemas & cog biases maintain negative triad