Psychopathology - Mental Illness AO1

Question 1

What system classifies and specifies mental health problems?

Answer 1

Diagnosis and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)

Question 2

What is a phobia?

Answer 2

It’s a type of anxiety disorder characterised by uncontrollable, excessive fear and anxiety caused by a stimuli (object, place, situation)

Question 3

What is the DSM’s categories for phobias?

Answer 3

1. Specific phobia (caused by stimuli)
2. Social anxiety (fear of social situations)
3. Agoraphobia (phobia of being in public places/outside)

Question 4

What is the DSM’s categories for depression?

Answer 4

1. Major Depressive Disorder - short term depression
2. Persistent Depressive Disorder - long term
3. Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder - disruption to mood before or during menstruation

Question 5

What is the DMS’s categories for OCD?

Answer 5

1. Obsessions
2. Compulsions

Question 6

What is depression?

Answer 6

A mood disorder that causes sufferers to experience chronic low mood

Question 7

What is OCD?

Answer 7

an anxiety disorder where sufferers experience persistent and intrusive thoughts (obsessions) and/or compulsions

Question 8

What are the behavioural characteristics of phobias?

Answer 8

1. Avoidance
2. Panic (crying, screaming)
3. Disruption

Question 9

What are the emotional characteristics of phobias?

Answer 9

1. Anxiety Emotional
2. Responses are unreasonable (their response to phobia is beyond reason/out of proportion of danger posed)

Question 10

What are the cognitive characteristics of phobias?

Answer 10

1. Selective attention to stimuli
2. Irrational beliefs
3. Cognitive disorders (perception of phobic stimuli may be distorted)

Question 11

What are the behavioural characteristics of depression?

Answer 11

1. Activity level
2. Disruption to sleep and eating behaviours
3. Aggression and self harm

Question 12

What are the emotional characteristics of depression?

Answer 12

1. Low self-esteem
2. Low mood
3. Anger

Question 13

What are the cognitive characteristics of depression?

Answer 13

1. Poor concentration (may find it difficult to stick with tasks as they usually would)
2. Dwelling on the negative
3. Absolutist thinking (have black and white thinking)

Question 14

What are the behavioural characteristics of OCD?

Answer 14

1. Avoidance (avoid situations that may trigger anxiety)
2. Compulsions

Question 15

What are compulsions?

Answer 15

Intense, uncontrollable urges to perform tasks and behaviours

Question 16

What are obsessions?

Answer 16

Reoccurring/Intrusive thoughts or images

Question 17

What are the types of compulsions?

Answer 17

1. Repetitive - when sufferers are compelled to repeat a behaviour
2. Reduce Anxiety - when they repeat behaviours to reduce anxiety produced by obsessions

Question 18

What are the emotional characteristics of OCD?

Answer 18

1. Anxiety and distress (obsessions are distressing and compulsions create anxiety)
2. Accompanying depression (anxiety caused by OCD can be accompanied by low mood and lack of enjoyment in activities)
3. Guilt and disgust

Question 19

What are the cognitive characteristics of OCD?

Answer 19

1. Obsessive thoughts
2. Insight into excessive anxiety(they are aware their obsessions and compulsions are irrational)