Psychopathology Flashcards
Deviation of abnormality
Statistical infrequency
- makes the assumption- abnormal behaviour- negative- positive- genius level IQ-130- unusual- below 70- not undesirable- treatment- certain behaviors- abnormal- don’t require treatment-can be use alone to make a diagnosis- SF definition not always accurate
Not everyone unusual benefits from a label as abnormal regardless of how unusual they are
- even when someone living a happy life- e.g. Low IQ, but not distress, can work, don’t need a diagnosis of intellectual disability
Deviation from social norm
-real life application in the diagnosis of antisocial personality disorder
-this is when a person is impulsive, aggressive, irresponsible = one important symptom is the absence of prosocial internal standards , and failure to conform to culturally normative ethical behaviour
E- therefore there is a place for deviation from social norm in thinking what’s normal and abnormal
Behaviour is visible to other = help identify who needs help and get support
Definition questioned- social norms changes overtime- a behaviour that broken social norms and was considered abnormal in 1950, may not be viewed as abnormal today
E- being unmarried in 1940’s’s- breaking social norms = behaviour was classed as abnormal
Many of these women were sectioned a moral imbeciles= demand to give up babies
Limitation- it’s not the individual who clans change but the classification of behavior by society = questions validly of using this definition alone to define abnormality
Failure to function adequately
- does not always indicate the presence of psychological abnormality
E.g someone losses their job= will not be able to go to work, earn money for their family= may cause them personal distress but it doesn’t indicate an abnormality
Limitation as environmental factors may cause a failure to function rather than psychological abnormality = questions validly of using this definition to identify abnormality
Judging person as distressed or distressing relies on subjective assessment
Some patient may say that they are distress but may be judged as not suffering
There are methods to making such judgment as objective as possible e.g. checklist such as global assessment of functioning scale = however= someone ( psychiatrist has the right to make this judgement)
Deviation from ideal mental health
-very comprehensive - covers a broad range of criteria for mental health - definition also included range of reasons why people should get help through mental health services such as counseling
Useful application- gain benefit to improve their psychological problem = encourages people to set goals to achieve that
L- make it a good tool for thinking about mental health
Definition is ethnocentric
- criterial used are based on western culture
Such as her emphasis on personal growth and individual autonomy reflect, western, individualistic culture like America
However not viewed in collective culture as their culture focus on working together for the community
The behavioural appraoch to explaining phobias
Criticized for being reductionist
The 2 process model suggest= complex mental disorder such as phobia are solely caused by our experience of association, rewards and punishment
Problem- seen as too simplistic- ignores the role of their factors such as everyday stressor and role of biology in development of abnormalities = limited explanation
Alternative explanation for acquisition of phobia
Ignores biological factors in ph
as we easily acquire phobia of things we have source of danger in our evolutionary past= such as snakes, dark, its adaptive to acquire fear
- seligman- called this biological preparedness- suggest we have innate predisposition to acquire certain fears
Running away for e.g- fire, snakes= increases likelihood of survival
As things like snake has been a threat to human life
We less likely to have phobia in things such as cars, guns= modern= we are not biologically prepared to learn fear response towards them
Shows there’s many component into explanation of ph
Alternative explanation for avoidance behaviour
BuCK- safety= great motivator for avoidance behaviour = rather than avoiding anxiety associated with phobic stimulus
- e.g- social anxiety phobias- such suffered can ventur out into public but only with a trusted friend despite= exposed to 100 stranger which usually trigger anxiety
- means Mowrer explanation of phobia = incomplete= avoidance may not be only motivation by anxiety reduction
Good explanatory power
- not only does it explain how we get the phobia- how they are maintained
Helpful in application to therapy such as SD = successful also flooding
As it explained why patient need to be exposed to fears stimulus to prevent negative reinforcement of avoidance behaviors
HOWEVER- less effective in complex phobia - social phobia - involve both anxiety and cognitive aspect. Suggest concept of 2 process model may not be helpful in treating. Every phobia
The behavioral approach to treating phobias
Supporting evidence- in how SD is effective in treatment of specific phobia
- gilroy et al followed up 42 patient = who been treated for spider phobia in 3, 45 min sessions
Their progress = compared to control group of 50 patient who was treated by relaxation= no exposure
Extent of such phobia= measured using spider questioners and through observation
- at both 3 months and 33 months after treatment - SD group less fearful than relaxation group
- shows- SD = helpful = reducing anxiety in spider phobia = effect long lasting
Not effective in treating all phobia
- especially for p’s with phobia that not developed through personal experience such as fear of heights, can’t be effectively treated using SD
- some believe certain phobia like height have evolutionary survival benefits
So phobia is a result of evolution= not personal= ineffective in treating evolutionary phobia= SD can’t be applied
-more acceptable
Flooding
- cost effective
- Ougrin compared flooding to cognitive therapies- found it to be cheaper
- because p’s phobia typically 1 session
Strength as it free them from their symptoms= allowing them to live normal life
So flooding highly effective and quicker
Although cost effective= highly traumatic for patient
- caused high level of anxiety
Due to the traumatic nature of of flooding= higher level of p’s attrition= often unwillingness to see the treatment through the end
Exposing people at high level of anxiety where don’t feel in control= unethical compared to SD where ps in control
- so it’s a waste of time and money= ps don’t finish
The cognitive approach to explaining depression
Theory explains basic symptoms but depression is complex
- as people have multiple emotions from anger to sadness
- beck also cannot explain extreme emotions like hallucinations, bizarre beliefs= very occasionally depressed p will suffer cotard syndrome
Therefore theory cannot explain all causes= only focus on one aspect
Practical application in cbt
- explanation forms a basis of a CbT
All cognitive aspect of depression can be identified and challenged in cbt
These include components of negative triad that are easily identifiable
- means therapist can challenge them= encourage the p to test whether they are true
Strengh- translate well into successful therapy
Effectiveness of CBT= merit to accuracy of Becks cognitive theory as explanation of depression
Ellis ABC model
- practical application- explanation Les to successful therapy known as REBT= form of CBT
It identify and disputes irrational thoughts
- David et al stated REBT can both change negative belief and change symptoms of depression
Shows has real world value= supports basic theory of ABC model as it suggest irrational belief has some role in depression
-partial explanation
- only account for reactive depression = here person has an activating event
Don’t account for endogenous depression = where depression not traceable to life event= no obvious cause to lead to person to be depressed
- shows model less useful in explaining endogenous depression
It limited= only explain some causes of depression
The cognitive approach to explaining depression
- evidence support effectiveness of treating depression
- march et al compared effect of CBT with antidepressants drugs and combination of the 2 in 327 adolescent with main diagnosis of depression
After 36 weeks= 81% of CBT group, 81% of antidepressants group, 86% of CBT plus antidepressants group significantly increased
Shows CBT just as effective as medication and helpful alongside medication - suggest there’s good case for making CBT the first choice of treatment in public health care system
-may not work for midst sever cases
- idea reflected by March et al
Those with sever depression may not be able to attend to regular CBT sessions
- due to lack of motivation/ inability to get out of bed= feel hopeless = can’t pay attention to
Although can use antidepressants = limitation of CBT=. Can’t be used as a sole treatment for all case of depression
Overemphasis on cognition= minimizing importance of the circumstances which a person is living
- circumstances = lead to depression
Such as overt of abuse
Need to change their circumstances however with CBT= their focus on patient mind not environment
= ineffective in treating patient until their circumstances change= CBT don’t take into account other factors
Individuals differences affect whether CBT effective or not
- some feel very positive about treatment = prepared to engage= other people are due to engage with programme= such as complexity of homework task
- some patient may really want to explore their last like childhood experience as they may be link= but can’t as CBT only focus on present
Weakness= suggest CBT would not be the best treatment for all depression suffers= important that need of patient should ALways be consider before course of treatment is decided
The biological approach to explaining ocd
- too many candidates genes
- over 230 gene each individually coding for an increasing risk of OCH
- practical issue= diffuse to assess which candidate gene have greater influence
Psychologist have been less successful at pinning down all genes involved - don’t know which gene drug treatment should target
- not useful as it provide little practical value
Ignore environmental factors even though it can also trigger or increase risk of developing OCD
- Cromer= found over half of his patients in their sample had traumatic events in their last= also OCD more server= more than one trauma
Suggest OCD cannot be entirely genetic= may be more productive to focus on in environmental cause = able to do something about it
Neural explanation
We should it assume neural mechanisms causes OCD
There’s evidence suggest various neurotransmitters and structures of brain do not function normally in patient with OCD
However don’t mean abnormal functioning CAUSES OCD
These abnormalities may have been a result of OCD rather than cause
Issue with correlation
Critisised for being reductionist
- biological expansion suggest OCD is cause by present of SERT or COMT gene or by lower level of serotonin
- states OCD is a product of just an individual nature
Problem- can be seen as too simplistic- ignore role of other factors
Such as childhood experiences
The biological approach to treating OCD
- cost effective and non disruptive
Are cheap compared to psychological treatment = good value for public health organization like NHS - SSRI also non disruptive to patient lives compared to psychological therapies
- they can take drug life relatively normal life
-more preferable
Serious side effects
-a significant minority will get not benefit
- also suffer side effects- indigestion, blurred vision= usually temporary
Those taking clomipramine = side effect more serious
Such as 1 in 10 suffer from erection problem, weight gain, tremors
More than 1 in 100 become aggressive, increase heart rate
- side effect have more serious implication
Reduce effectiveness =. Some may stop taking medication
Not appropriate to treat causes of ocd that follow trauma with drugs
However it don’t acknowledge that OCD can have range of other causes and that in some cases it’s a response to a traumatic life event
Therefore use of drugs may not be useful in all cases = not effective
Drugs treatment for ocd can reduce time people take out of work
Through sick day = increasing productivity of the workforce = ensuring people are working
Means that more people will be paying taxes
This shows that there’s practical application of it benefitting not only people but economy
