Psychopathology: Characteristics of phobias, depression, and OCD Flashcards
What is Psychopathology?
The scientific study of mental disorders.
What are behavioural characteristics?
What someone does (their actions).
What are emotional characteristics?
How someone feels.
What are cognitive characteristics?
How someone thinks.
What are phobias and how do you know if someone actually has an official phobia?
Phobias are a mental disorders that are clinically diagnosed. Phobias make it harder for the person to function in everyday life.
Name 1 behavioural characteristic of phobias.
Panic: could include the physical responses of crying, freezing, screaming, and sweating.
Name a second behavioural characteristic of phobias.
Avoidance: The person will go to great lengths to avoid coming into contact with the very thing they are afraid of.
Name 1 emotional characteristic of phobias.
Anxiety: The person is unable to relax and it makes it harder for them to have any sort of positive emotions from the experience.
Name a second emotional characteristic of phobias.
Fear: This causes the fight or flight response. amongst other things, the heart rate and breathing rate increase.
Name 1 cognitive characteristic of phobias.
Irrational beliefs: Irrational (unreasonable and illogical). They may view the feared object or situation as more dangerous than it actually is.
Name a second cognitive characteristic of phobias.
Selective attention: The person tends to focus their attention onto the feared stimulus to the point where it interferes with other tasks.
Name 1 behavioural characteristic of depression.
Lack of energy and pleasure: This could mean lack of engagement and participation in things such as school, work and their social life.
Name a second behavioural characteristic of depression.
Disruption to sleep and eating: This may mean a reduction in sleep or an increased need for sleep. A person may eat more and gain weight, or eat less and lose weight.
Name 1 emotional characteristic of depression.
Depressed lowered mood: This is a continuos low mood and sadness
Name a second emotional characteristic of depression.
Lowered self-esteem: Sufferers of depression have a low view of themselves, even to the point of hating themselves.
Name 1 cognitive characteristic of depression.
Inability to concentrate: A person may struggle to make decisions about things they would typically find quite simple or struggle to focus on a particular task.
Name a second cognitive characteristic of depression.
Negative thoughts/ Dwelling on the negative: A sufferes thoughts may emphasise and dwell on a negative view of things and fail to acknowledge and focus on the positives.
What are obssessions?
Unwanted distressing thoughts and urges which create anxiety.
What are compulsions?
A behaviour performed to help make the anxiety go away which when performed provides some temporary level of relief.
Name 1 behavioural characteristic of OCD.
Compulsions: Repetitive behaviour that a person with OCD feels driven to perform.
Name a second behavioural characteristic of OCD.
Reduced social activity: The individual with OCD can have problems engaging in normal relationships.
Name 1 emotional characteristic of OCD.
Anxiety: The obssessive thoughts cause an a feeling of intense anxiety or distress.
Name a second emotional characteristic of OCD.
Depression: The anxiety experienced can often result in a low mood and a loss of pleasure in everyday activities because everyday activities are interrupted by obssessive thoughts and repetitive compulsions.
Name 1 cognitive characteristic of OCD.
Obssessive persistent thoughts: Where an unwanted, intrusive, and often distressing thought, image, or urge repeatedley enters your mind.
