Psychpathology Flashcards
Outline stats deviation and deviation from social norms
Normal - behaviours we see regularly
Abnormal - behaviours that do not occur frequently
A persons thinking or behaviour would be considered abnormal if it was found to be numerically rare/ uncommon
Normal IQ score - 70-130+
Abnormal IQ score - 70 or below (intellectual disability disorder)
Each culture, country and social group have their normal behaviour.
Antisocial personality disorder:
Absence of prosocial behaviour and failure to conform with lawful and cultural normative ethical behaviour.
Evaluate stats deviation and deviation from social norms.
LIMITATION - The main objective for definitions of abnormality is to be able to diagnose people and get treatment. However it doesn’t distinguish between desirable/undesirable behaviour. An IQ of 130+ is abnormal but desirable.
STRENGTH - Most mental illness diagnosis are based on a scale. This means we can see what’s normal and abnormal (autism spectrum)
LIMITATION - Cultural relativism - you can’t generalise to other cultures.
LIMITATION - Stigma around mental health
Outline failure to function adequately and deviation from ideal mental health.
Failure to function adequately- when a person is unable to cope with everyday life. Rose hand and Seligman: No longer conforms to social rules Severe personal distress Irrational behaviour Intellectual disability disorder Less than 70 + not being able to function adequately. Jahoda: Rational, realistic Actualise, achieve goals Independent No distress Stress free, successful, self esteem
Evaluate failure to function adequately and deviation from ideal mental health.
LIMITATION - Subjective judgements - A psychiatrist needs to make judgements.
LIMITATION - Social norms can change throughout cultures/situations.
STRENGTH - Jahoda covers a lot of areas which people typically report when dealing with mental health disorders.
LIMITATION - Jahoda No one can be like that all the time. Everyone would be abnormal.
Phobia characteristics
Behavioural: Panic, Avoidance
Emotional: Anxiety, unreasonable responses
Cognitive: selective attention, Irrational beliefs
Depression characteristics
Behavioural: low activity levels, disruption to sleep/ eating
Emotional: lowered mood, anger
Cognitive: Poor concentration, absolutist thinking.
OCD characteristics
Behavioural: Compulsions, avoidance
Emotional: Anxiety, guilt + disgust
Cognitive: obsessive thoughts, insight
Outline the behavioural approach to explaining phobias
Little Albert study: Bell ---> unhappy, rabbit ---> happy Bell + rabbit---> unhappy Rabbit ---> unhappy Maintenance by operant conditioning: Negative reinforcement: A person learns to avoid the object and so therefore avoids negative emotions.
Evaluate the behavioural approach to explaining phobias
LIMITATION - Protection from harm
LIMITATION- Not all bad experiences lead to phobias
STRENGTH - Easily applied to therapy as it explains why people need to be exposed.
Outline behavioural treatments for phobias
Systematic Desensitisation:
Anxiety hierarchy, relaxation techniques, exposed to objects and they are calm , reciprocal inhibition, move up hierarchy.
Flooding:
Patient is exposed to stimulus’ all at once and not allowed to leave
Evaluate behavioural treatment for phobias
STRENGTH - Gilroy et al 42 patients, archnaphobia, 2 groups: systematic desensitisation, and relaxation. SD were calmer at 3+33 months.
STRENGTH- research support, reported well to SD 75%. This means Vivo treatments and better than inverto.
LIMITATION - a medical professional has to be present as its so traumatic
LIMITATION - children cant do it
Outline cognitive approach of depression
Faulty information process- everything is negative.
Becks cognitive triad of depression:
You have to be happy with yourself, future and world.
Ellisis ABC model:
Activating events, Beliefs, consequences.
Evaluate the cognitive approach of depression
STRENGTH - ABC model, lead to effective treatments.
STRENGTH - ABC model, Depressed patients are more likely to make errors in logic. Therefore supporting irrational beliefs.
STRENGTH- TRIAD, Grazoli and terry - 65 pregnant women. Those women judged to be in high cognitive vunribility are more likely to suffer with post natal depression.
LIMITATION - Jarret says the triad does not explain some symptoms such as cortard syndrome.
Outline the cognitive treatment for depression
REBT - is an action orientated psychotherapy. Teaches the individual to challenge, identify and replace irrational thoughts with healthy ones.
Empirical argument + logical argument
CBT - Client based therapy, client identifies their own unhelpful beliefs and then proves them wrong. Builds a relationship with therapist.
Both challenge irrational beliefs
Evaluate the cognitive treatment for depression
STRENGTH- REBT after 27 sessions, 90% of patients had a reduction in symptoms.
LIMITATION - Antidepressants work just as well as CBT. After 36 weeks the CBT and antidepressants group both had 81% reduction in symptoms.
LIMITATION - CBT less suitable for those with high levels or irrational beliefs.
LIMITATION - Anti depressants - higher success rate, quicker and cheaper.
