Psychopathology

Question 1

What is depression?

Answer 1

Mood disorder

Question 2

What is a phobia?

Answer 2

Anxiety disorder- instances of irrational fears that produce a conscious avoidance of the feared object or situation.

Question 3

Agoraphobia

Answer 3

fear of being trapped in a public place where escape is difficult

Question 4

What is OCD?

Answer 4

Anxiety disorder with two components:

1) compulsions (repetitive behaviours)
2) obsessions (persistent thoughts)

Question 5

Cognitive characteristics of depression

Answer 5

A diminished ability to concentrate and a tendency to focus on the negative.
Recurrent thoughts of self-harm, death or suicide.
Often slower in making decisions as they may find it difficult to pay attention.

Question 6

Behavioural characteristics of depression

Answer 6

Loss of energy- sufferers often experience a reduction in energy and constantly feel tired.
Sleep disturbance- hypersomnia or insomnia
Changes in appetite- either eat more or eat less, resulting in weight loss or weight gain

Question 7

Emotional characteristics of depression

Answer 7

Depressed mood, feelings of worthlessness and lack of interest and pleasure in all activities.
Some sufferers experience anger, either directed at others or themselves, which can result in self-harming behaviours

Question 8

Cognitive characteristics of phobias

Answer 8

• An irrational nature of the person’s thinking
• Resistance to rational arguments
• Recognises fear is excessive or irrational (this may be absent in children). This distinguishes a phobia from a delusional mental illness where the person isn’t aware of its irrationality, like schizophrenia.
• Selective attention towards the phobic stimulus

Question 9

Behavioural characteristics of phobias

Answer 9

• freeze or faint
• avoidance of the feared situation interferes with the person’s life- their occupation, routine and relationships
• this distinguishes phobias from every day fears which don’t interfere with normal day-to-day living

Question 10

Emotional characteristics of phobias

Answer 10

• persistent fear, likely to be excessive and unreasonable
• anxiety and panic
• these are caused by the anticipation of a specific object/situation and are out of proportion to the actual danger posed.

Question 11

Cognitive characteristics of OCD

Answer 11

• Obsessive thoughts may include: fear of safety, by leaving doors or windows open; religious fears, from being immoral and fear of contamination, by dirt or germs.
• Sufferers may adopt cognitive strategies, for example those with religious obsessions may pray over and over, to reduce their feelings of being immoral.
• Sufferers are aware their obsessions and compulsions are irrational and experience selective attention towards the anxiety-generating stimuli

Question 12

Behavioural characteristics of OCD

Answer 12

Compulsions- repetitive behaviours that sufferers feel compelled to complete. They are used to manage or reduce anxiety and are a response to the obsessions.

Question 13

Emotional characteristics of OCD

Answer 13

• Anxiety caused by the obsessions which are forbidden/persistent thoughts and ideas
• Some sufferers experience depression as the anxiety experienced can result in a low mood and loss of pleasure in daily activities due to being constantly interrupted by obsessive thoughts and repetitive compulsions.
• Irrational guilt