Psychopathology

Question 1

What is pluralism

Answer 1

Having multiple ways of practicing or thinking

Question 2

Three views of mental disorders

Answer 2

• Brain disorders - something has gone wrong in the brain
• Understandable reactions to abnormal and stressful situations/life histories
• Not “real” things in nature, they are simply labels constructed by society based on particular cultural values, norms, and power structures

Question 3

What is the DSM

Answer 3

List of 298 recognised mental disorders/conditions with guidelines for diagnosis

Question 4

How does the DSM define features of a mental disorder

Answer 4

• Clinically significant disturbance
  -Underlying dysfunction is psychology, biology, or development of an individual
• Usually significant distress or disability
• Socially non-normative

Question 5

What is classification in a research context

Answer 5

Organise a topic of study so the researches can coordinate their efforts and know they are studying the same things

Question 6

What is classification in a health context

Answer 6

Allows clinicians to label the problem at hand, and to connect this to the research literature and their previous experience so that they know what to do

Question 7

2 other purposes of diagnostic systems

Answer 7

• Provide a common language for clinicians
• Justifying insurance cover

Question 8

define Descriptive classification

Answer 8

Break things up based on observable features

Question 9

define Causal Classification

Answer 9

Break up the topic of study based on underlying cause of the groupings (origin)

Question 10

What is a diagnosis and what is the purpose of them

Answer 10

• A label/category that helps us study and treat mental disorder
• Offers a quick and efficient way to make treatment decisions

Question 11

Limitations of diagnoses

Answer 11

• Descriptive in nature
• Do not capture underlying causal structure

Question 12

How does DSM diagnose

Answer 12

Defines diagnoses using criteria (have to meet all to receive diagnosis.) One of the criteria usually lists symptoms (do not need all the symptoms, just a certain number)

Question 13

What does DSM focus on

Answer 13

diagnostic reliability

Question 14

diagnostic reliability

Answer 14

Diagnoses will remain the same across different clinicians

Question 15

What does the DSM do as a result of its focus on diagnostic reliability

Answer 15

Criteria are developed to distinguish one disorder from another, NOT diagnose the condition fully. Thus, DSM criteria aren’t full descriptions of disorders. Instead, they are said to ‘index’ (or point to)a certain mental disorder.

Question 16

Limitations of DSM

Answer 16

Heterogeneity , Dimensionality

Question 17

Define Symptomatic Heterogeneity

Answer 17

It’s often possible to meet DSM criteria with very different sets of symptoms.

Question 18

causal heterogeneity

Answer 18

Two people can be diagnosed with the same thing while having no symptoms in common

Question 19

Define Dimensionality

Answer 19

Does not capture differing severities - is very categorical

Question 20

Limitations of diagnosis in mental health

Answer 20

diagnosis does not signify cause as we DON’T KNOW if there is a single cause

Question 21

Usefulness of diagnosis

Answer 21

• Beginnings of treatment guidance
• Recognition and legitimization of the problem
• Illusion of “understanding” through tentative explanations but can provide NO solid theories
• Organisation structures that can help (impatient, psychologist etc)

Question 22

What is anxiety & 2 broad responses ?

Answer 22

A feeling of worry & nerviousness and
it can be adaptive or maldaptive

Question 23

Evolutionary significance of anxiety

Answer 23

Emotional signal allowing us to perceive and sense danger and threat, encouraging avoidance/optimal performance.

Question 24

What is a theory

Answer 24

An (explanatory) theory is a scientific explanation of how something works. Eg. The theory of evolution by natural selection

Question 25

Clark’s (1986) model of panic

Answer 25

Bodily signals of anxiety are misinterpreted as catastrophic, resulting in a positive feedback loop

Perceived threat –> Apprehension –> body sensations –> interpretation of sensations as catastrophic.

Question 26

Transdiagnostic Mechanism

Answer 26

A ‘transdiagnostic mechanism’ is a chunk of a theory/explanation that seems to apply across different problems/diagnoses.

Question 27

example of a model showing Transdiagnostic Mechanism

Answer 27

Clark’s model of panic

Question 28

what is anxiety sensitivity

Answer 28

the tendency to be freaked out/overwhelmed by anxious feelings

Question 29

Hyperventilation cycle

Answer 29

Stress —> Hyperventilation –> Anxiety –> More hyperventilation –> Sympyoms

Question 30

Why do our bodies hyperventilate

Answer 30

• Anxiety is highly based on survival and preparation for fight/flight
• One way our bodies do this is by increasing the rate at which we are breathing
• If we are not in a state were we require an increased breath rate, we will get nauseous, and experience symptoms as too much CO2 is exchanged from the blood.

Question 31

What is a formulation

Answer 31

a theory/explanation of an individuals particular present problems - psychologists formulate the problem after an initial assessment, and then use this formulation to inform the treatment approach.

Question 32

what subclinical traits are apart of the ‘Dark Tetrad’

Answer 32

Narcism, psychopathy, sadism & Machiavellians

Question 33

How does the DSM define mental health diagnoses

Answer 33

Using criteria and symptoms

Question 34

Define theory

Answer 34

An attempt at explaining a phenomenon in the world

Question 35

Define agoraphobia

Answer 35

Type of anxiety where a person is afraid to leave an environment they known/consider safe

Question 36

2 negative consequences of perfectionism

Answer 36

• procrastination due to not wanting to start because wanting it to be perfect
• High self-judgement & concern over mistakes