Psychopathology P1 Flashcards
The three characteristics of phobias
• behavioural
• emotional
• cognitive
3 Behavioural characteristics of phobias
• panic
• avoidance
• endurance
Emotional characteristics of phobias
• anxiety
• fear
• unreasonable emotional response
Cognitive characteristics of phobias
• selective attention to phobia stimulus
• irrational beliefs
• cognitive distortions
The two process model for phobias
Phobias are initiated through classical conditioning (associations) and maintained through operant conditioning (consequences)
Systematic desensitisation
- Gradual exposure to the phobia to relearn a new reaction to the stimulus
- called counter conditioning using the principle of classical conditioning, inhibition and things
The process of systematic desensitisation
- Anxiety hierarchy
- Relaxation (reciprocal inhibition)
- Exposure, work thier way through the hierachy whilst maintaining relaxation
Flooding
Immediate and intense exposure to the phobia, this stops a phobic response very quickly as without the option of avoidance behaviour they learn the stimuli is harmless through what is called extinction. A learned response is extinguished when the conditioned stimulus is encountered without the unconditioned stimulus
Beck’s negative triade
Explains vulnerability to depression in cognitive terms
- negative view of the world
- negative view of the future
- negative view of self
Cognitive approach to depression
Becks negative triade
Ellis ABC model
Ellis’s ABC model
Ellis thought depression came from irrational thought and the cure is rational thought, the abc model to explain and identify
- A activating event, triggers the belief
- B beliefs, everything must be perfect
- C consequences, emotional and behavioural consequences can trigger depression
Becks factors that cause depression
- Faulty information process
- Negative self schema
- The negative triad
Becks cognitive therapy
• first identify the automatic thoughts negative triade
• once thoughts are identified they must be challenged
• client is set homework to challenge the negative thought in their every day life
Ellis rational emotive behaviour therapy
• extends the ABC model to D for dispute and E for effect
• central technique is to identify and dispute irrational thoughts
• up to psychologist to dispute irrational belief with empirical (evidence) and logical (facts) arguments
Behavioural emotional and cognitive characteristics of OCD
Behavioural - compulsions to repeat behaviour, to reduce anxiety and avoidance
Emotional - anxiety with depression and guilt
Cognitive - obsessive thought, rituals and insight into anxiety
Candiate genes
Specific genes are likely to be involved in venerability
Polygenic
How many genetic variations may be involved in OCD
230 genetic variations may involved in OCD (coding serotonin)
The role of serotonin
A neurotransmitter that regulates the mood and repetitive activity, low serotonin means mood related info and knowing when to stop may not happen
OCD may happen due to
- disrupted serotonin system
- damage to frontal lobes
- genetic mutation
Biological approach to treating OCD
Drugs that increase or decrease levels of neurotransmitters
SSRI
Prevents the reabsorption of serotonin into the presynaptic neurone and increase serotonin levels
how do SSRI work?
- Not all neurotransmitters bind to post- synaptic receptor sites
- Instead, they are reabsorbed into the synaptic vesicle
- They then break down before being re- used (re- uptake)
- SSRIs block the synaptic vesicle
- So, more serotonin is available to bind to receptors
differnt types of SSRI and why/why not theyre used
how do SSRIs aliviate OCD symptoms
- Serotonin is an inhibitory neurotransmitter
- Those with OCD have lowserotonin
- Insufficientinhibition / toomuchelectrical activity
- SSRIs are serotonin agonists
i.e., they increaselevels of serotonin - Enhance inhibitory effect of serotonin
- Reduceelectrical activityacross brain, including orbital frontal cortex
- Alleviates obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviour
- high serotonin also aliviates mood and depression
strngths and limmiations of drug therpaies for OCD
How long does SSRI take to have an effect on the patient
3-4 months
Drugs with therapy
Drugs reduce a personal emotional symptoms allowing them to better focus on the therapy witch has a long term effect
Four definitions of abnormalities
Deviation from social norm
Statistical infrequency
Failure to function adequately
Deviation from ideal mental health
Evaluation of statistical infrequency as an explanation of abnormality
Evaluation of deviation from social norms as an explanation of abnormality
Evaluation of failure to function as an explanation for abnormality
+ Represents a threshold for help so resources can be targeted to those who need it most
- Can label alternative life style as abnormal and discriminate of what’s different
Evaluation of deviation from ideal mental health as an explanation for abnormality
statistical infrequency
deviation from social norms
deviation from ideal mental health
failure to function
