Pyschological Therapies

Question 1

What are some common affective / anxiety disorders that can be aproached from a non-pharmaceutical angle?

Answer 1

Major Depressive Disorder (MDD)

General Anxiety Disorder

Panic Disorder and Phobic Anxiety Disorders

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

Question 2

What are some substances that are part of misuse disorders that may be approached non-pharmaceutically?

Answer 2

Alcohol

Tobacco

Opioids

Stimulants

Benzos

Question 3

What are some disorders of reactions to stress that can be treated non-pharmacologically?

Answer 3

PTSD - post traumatic stress disorder

Question 4

What are some conditions that cognitive behavioural therapy is particularly effective at managing?

Answer 4

Depression
Anxiety 
Phobias
Obsessive compulsive disorder 
Post traumatic stress disorder

Question 5

How is cognitive behavioural therapy structured?

Answer 5

Therapist assesses the problematic thoughts of the patient, how these thoughts affect the patients feelings and how these feelings in turn affect future behaviour

Therapist then prescribes the patient tasks to do to make them understand their “thinking errors”

Question 6

What are some types of “thinking errors” that a cognitive behavioural therapist may identify in patients?

Answer 6

Automatic negative thoughts 
Unrealistic beliefs 
Cognitive distortions 
Catastrophizing 
Overgeneralizations 
Black and white / all or nothing thinking 
Perfectionism

Question 7

What is the rationale behind cognitive behavioural therapy?

Answer 7

Focuses on the activites avoided by patients and their mechanisms of avoiding these activities and then shows the patient the unintended consequenses of these avoided activities

Things that get avoided are social interactions for example, mechanisms are by watching rubbish on TV the whole time etc

Question 8

How does a cognitive behavioural therapist structure the treatment they impose on patients?

Answer 8

Finds out about patients avoiding techniques and then discusses the ramnifications of these behaviours

eg. patient sleeps all day and eats shit food to feel better
Therapist will show them that sleeping excessively makes you more lethargic and that unhealthy diets are proven to have a negative impact on mood

Question 9

What conditions are effectively treated by interpersonal psychotherapy? How long does IPT usually last?

Answer 9

Depression and anxiety

12-16 weeks

Question 10

What is the mechanism behind interpersonal therapy?

Answer 10

Depressive affects are often influenced by interpersonal events (bereavement / role change etc.)

Therapist assigns the patient a “sick role” and then constructs an interpersonal map. Focuses this map on specific relationships that are resulting in depressive effects

Sets goals with the patient to help reduce depressive symptoms and improve interpersonal functioning

Question 11

What is the mechanism behind motivational interviewing?

Answer 11

Motivational speech is more effective than advice giving

Used when patient is reluctant or unmotivated towards change

Avoids arguments - challenging patients perspective tends to make them defensive

Question 12

What are the three stages of motivational interviewing?

Answer 12

Planning - advising and motivating the patient to figure out the logistics of their behavioural change

Action - prevent relapse, encourage in failures and strategies to maintain goals

Maintenance - coping strategies and slip back protocols (what the patient will do to slip back into good habits when faced by adversity)