psychopathology Flashcards
What is Statistical Infrequency?
abnormality is defined as those behaviours that are extremely rare
What is Cultural Relativism?
the view that behaviour cannot be judged properly unless it’s viewed in the context of the culture in which it originates.
What is the diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorder?
a list of mental disorders that is used to diagnose mental disorders
Define Deviation from social norms
abnormal behaviour is seen as deviation from unstated rules about how one ought to behave.
Define the term failure to function adequately.
people are judged on their ability to go about daily life. if they can’t do this and are also experiencing distress then it is considered as a sign of abnormality
Define Deviation from ideal mental health
Abnormality is defined in terms of mental health, behaviours that are associated with competence and happiness.
An ideal mental health would include a positive attitude towards the self, resistance to stress and an accurate perception of reality.
What are phobias?
a group of mental disorders characterised by high levels of anxiety in response to a particular stimulus
What is depression?
a mood disorder where an individual feels sad and/or lacks interest in their usual activities
What is OCD?
an anxiety disorder where anxiety arises from both obsessions and compulsions.
What is flooding?
a form of behavioural therapy used to treat phobias and other anxiety disorder.
A client is exposed to( or imagines) an extreme form of the threatening situation under relaxed conditions until the anxiety reaction is extinguished
What is the two-process model?
a theory that explains the two processes that lead to the development of phobias
What is the ABC model?
a cognitive approach to understanding mental disorders, focusing on the effect of irrational beliefs on emotions
What is Systematic desensitisation?
a form of behavioural therapy used to treat phobias and other anxiety disorder.
A client is gradually exposed to( or imagines) the threatening situation under relaxed conditions until the anxiety reaction is extinguished
What are irrational thoughts?
the opposite of rational thinking.
when your thinking is rigid and unrealistic and lack internal consistency
What is Concordance rate?
a measure of genetic similarity
What is Dopamine?
a type of neurotransmitter in the brain with effects on motivation and drive
What is Serotonin?
a neurotransmitter implicated in many different behaviours and physiological processes, including aggression, eating behaviour, sleep and depression.
What is noradrenaline?
A neurotransmitter mainly in areas of the brain that are involved in governing autonomic nervous system activity e.g blood pressure or heart rate
What are the six categories from ideal mental health
- Self-attitudes - having high self-esteem and strong sense of identity.
- Personal growth - the extent to which an individual develops their full capabilities.
- Integration - such as being able to cope with stressful situations
- Autonomy - being independent and self-regulation
- Having an accurate perception of reality.
- Mastery of the environment - ability to love, function at work and in interpersonal relationships.
What are the two biological explanations of OCD?
- Genetic explanations : The COMT gene, The SERT gene, Diathesis- stress disorder.
- Neural explanations: Abnormal levels of neurotransmitters, abnormal brain circuits
Give some facts about the COMT gene.
- produces an enzyme that degrades dopamine.
- A low activity variant of this gene is found in OCD patients.
- Their impaired inability to degrade dopamine leads to higher levels in the synapse particularly after stress.
Give some facts about the SERT gene.
- produces a protein that transports serotonin back to the presynaptic neuron.
- OCD patients have a high activity variant of this gene
- removing serotonin to quickly results in lower results received and a shorter duration of serotonin’s effect
Name three drugs used to treat OCD
SSRIs
Tricyclics
Benzodiazepines
Describe how SSRIs treat OCD
they block the re-uptake of serotonin at the presynaptic membrane, increasing serotonin concentration at receptor sites on the post-synaptic membrane.
Describe how tricyclics treat OCD
they block the mechanism that re-absorb both serotonin and noradrenaline into the presynaptic cell after it has fired.
Describe how benzodiazepines treat OCD?
they slow down the activity of the CNS by enhancing the activity of neurotransmitters that when released has a general quieting effect on many of the neurons in the brain.
