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GCSE Psychology > Unit 3: Psychological Problems > Flashcards

Unit 3: Psychological Problems Flashcards

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1
Q

What is unipolar depression?

A

A type of mood disorder causing periods of feeling sad and a lack of motivation to complete simple everyday activities.

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2
Q

What are the symptoms of unipolar depression?

A

main symptoms:
- lowering of mood
- lack of energy even after resting for a long time
- lack of motivation to do things

other symptoms:
- significant changes in weight due to change in appetite
- changes in sleep habits (insomnia/hypersomnia)
- diminished ability (difficult to concentrate)
- suicidal ideation

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3
Q

What are the different episodes (severities) of depression?

A

mild, moderate, severe

mild: 4 symptoms (upsetting but still carry out activities

moderate: 5-6 symptoms (serious problems when completing everyday tasks)

severe: 7+ symptoms and worthlessness (suicidal thoughts/engagements in self harm

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4
Q

How does depression affect individuals and society?

A

individuals: suicidal ideations - feelings of worthlessness (suicide = only option), 10-15% of severe depression patients commit suicide.

society: time missed from work by patients (due to lack of motivation - difficult to get to work), being behind in work can add to guilt, cost implications for company (cover workload) and being a financial burden.

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5
Q

What are the twin studies?

A

Genetic Explanation of Depression

A study conducted by McGuffin to investigate the risk of the other twin getting depression if one already has it. Proving whether depression comes through genetics (some people have a genetic predisposition)

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6
Q

What are the two types of twins and the similarities of their genes?

A

Dizygotic Twins: not genetically identical (fraternal) as they are developed from 2 different eggs during the same pregnancy. Share 50% of genes as each other (same as normal siblings)

Monozygotic Twins: Genetically Identical as developed from 1 egg split into 2 during pregnancy. Share 100% of genes as each other

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7
Q

What are the percentages that one would get depression if their twin had it?

A

Monozygotic Twins: 46% likely (100% same genes)

Dizygotic Twins/Siblings: 20% (50% same genes)

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7
Q

Is depression genetic?

A

According to the twin studies yes it is. The more genes you share with your sibling/twin the higher chance you are to also get depression if they have it too. But it is not guaranteed they would because it is not 100% (therefore not only up to genes). Genes only add to the diathesis stress model/give genetic predisposition.

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8
Q

What is a genetic predisposition?

A

When one has a biological tendency to develop a particular behavior due to the genes they have (genetic vulnerability). Therefore those with a genetic predisposition would have a higher change to develop depression if family members have done.

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9
Q

What are the triggers for depression?

A

stressful situations:
bullies, relationship issues, death of loved one (grief)

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10
Q

What is the diathesis stress model?

A

A model which shows that those with a genetic predisposition will only get depression with a trigger. That without an encounter they wouldn’t get it. Also those with a biological tendency need less of a trigger to push them off the edge and get depression, while those without can take a lot of stamina before they feel depressed.

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11
Q

What are the strengths of the genetic explanation?

A

It removes stigma if it is inherited by genes as it is not their fault - therefore they shouldn’t feel shame. They also wouldn’t be embarrassed to go get help/diagnosed.

Theres also lots of empirical evidence to prove this theory - twin studies (Caspi 2003)

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12
Q

Is depression inherited?

A

Depression is not solely inherited because if it were the rate for monozygotic twins would be 100% and not 46%. As they have identical genes. Therefore there must be other factors such as stressful environments etc.

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13
Q

What are the weaknesses of the genetic explanation?

A

It is deterministic - convincing that if you have those genes you will get depression (nothing you can do to change that) although some beg to differ. Some have free will - they can choose whether they let themselves become depressed.

It is reductionist - fails to encounter other factors which can give you depression. (tragic events, environment, stress, workload.)

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14
Q

What is stigma?

A

The feeling of shame/embarrassment in themselves one gets for having a mental disorder. Putting the blame on themselves.

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15
Q

What are some stressful life events?

A

workload, exams, societal expectations.

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16
Q

What was the aim of Caspi (2003)?

A

To investigate the role of stressful life events in depression. Why it works for some people and not others.

Whether those with stressful life events were more prone to depression with a certain variation of the 5-HTT gene.

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17
Q

What is the 5-HTT gene?

A

A gene which links to the amount of serotonin released in the brain.

There are two lengths of the aleal in the gene.

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18
Q

What were the 3 groups in Caspi’s procedure?

A

Group 1: Two copies of short aleal (17% of participants)

Group 2: One copy of short aleal and one copy of long aleal (51% of participants)

Group 3: Two copies of long aleal (31% of participants)

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19
Q

What was the procedure for Caspi (2003)?

A

Each participants completed a questionnaire about major life events from 21-26 years old.

About money, health , relationships etc. He used the quantitative data to create a depression score.

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20
Q

How many participants were in Caspi’s study?

A

847 members (who have been studied since birth)

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21
Q

What type of study was Caspi’s?

A

Longitudinal Study - done over a long period of time.

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22
Q

What were the results of Caspi’s study?

A

Those with 2 short 5-HTT with more stressful life events between 21-26 years old showed an increase in symptoms of depression after stressful events until they were 26.

They are more likely to be diagnosed with depression than those with 2 long aleals. They are also more likely to develop suicidal thoughts after 3 stressful events.

However those with 2 short aleals and no stressful events may not develop depression.

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23
Q

What is the conclusion of Caspi’s study?

A

There is an interaction between genetic influences and life events. Nature and nurture work together to increase the likelihood of develop depression (you need both)

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24
What are the strengths of Caspi's study?
Large sample size - generalisable results. A larger variety is more accurate and reliable. Useful for doctors as they know causes for symptoms and is also time/cost restraints.
25
What are the weaknesses of Caspi's Study?
The data is self reported through the questionnaires therefore it is unreliable as some may exaggerate/tone down their symptoms and be untruthful.
26
What is a cognitive process?
All the processes that happen in your mind. How we think.
27
What is the cognitive theory?
An explanation of depression focusing on the influence of thought processes on behaviour. Do faulty/irrational thoughts influence our behaviour and help develop depression?
28
What is Beck's Cognitive Triad?
A negative triad which develops through past bad experiences. A negative view of ourself leads to a negative view of the future which leads to a negative view of the world. A constant cycle which makes you think irrationally about everything. Those with all 3 views are likely to get depression.
29
What is magnification?
Seeing problems far worse than in reality. Which can happen if you are in a negative triad.
30
What happened between Albert Ellis and Aaron Beck?
They both worked together to make a cognitive theory model but they parted because they couldn't agree. Ellis' believed that there must be an activating event that causes your depressing symptoms. But Beck didn't believe that.
31
What is Ellis' ABC model?
That during an event you can choose to have rational thoughts about it or irrational thoughts. Rational thoughts: positive emotional consequences Irrational thoughts: negative emotional consequences (depression)
32
What are the strengths of the cognitive theory?
Takes into account life events (makes people feel heard) leading to a more personalised session/treatment. Combines nature and nurture - more holistic approach. Not just about biological factors but general life events that shape us to be the way we are. Can be applied to CBT as it challenges irrational thoughts to decrease the need for antidepressants.
33
What are the weaknesses of the cognitive theory?
difficult to tell whether irrational thoughts are the cause or symptom of depression. (can't test scientifically) not all cases of depression need a activating event as there isn't always a trigger and your thought processes can't be explained. for example post partum depression is due to change in hormones (biological factors) and not thought processes.
34
What is CBT?
Cognitive Behavioural Therapy A type of therapy used to trat mental health disorders (cognitively)
35
What does CBT do?
Help patients change the way they think.
36
What are the stages of CBT?
First Stage: Discussing symptoms with therapist (finding the cause) Subsequent Stage: Therapists challenge the irrational ways of thinking - replacement of negative thoughts. Series of sessions followed by 'homework' Homework: Providing a rebuttal to an irrational thought - practicing rational thoughts by being self aware. (worksheets, journaling etc.)
37
What are the strengths of CBT as a treatment of depression?
Evidence to prove effectiveness: Matthijs Beltman (2010) proved CBT improved symptoms more than antidepressants or those waiting for treatment. Longer lasting treatment than medication as patients learn long-term skills to control symptoms with their thoughts.
38
What are the types of treatments for mental health disorder?
CBT and Drug Therapy
39
What are the weaknesses of CBT?
Symptoms of depression are lack of motivation. And the effectiveness of CBT relies on the effort the patient puts in. Patients with a lack of motivation might not will to complete homework/attend sessions. It may be unethical as therapists may abuse their power and tell patients that their thought processes are the problem and change their behaviour to what the therapist thinks is 'normal/appropriate'
40
What are the types of antidepressants?
SSRI's, SNRI's, MAOI's, TCA's
41
When is drug therapy useful?
For those whose symptoms keep coming back and those with mild depression.
42
What is drug therapy?
Using medication: antidepressants to treat symptoms of depression.
43
What do antidepressants do?
raise levels of neurotransmitters such as serotonin/noradrenaline. which control our mood. it increases number of neurotransmitters and help the effects of them last longer.
44
What are neurotransmitters?
chemicals found within the nervous system that pass messages from one neuron to another across a synapse.
45
What is serotonin?
A neurotransmitter associated with controlling our mood
46
What is noradrenaline?
A neurotransmitter that us involved with mood and is released during times of stress.
47
What is reuptake?
The process in which neurons reabsorb neurotransmitters that they released (e.g. serotonin/noradrenaline)
48
What is addiction?
A mental health issue in where people rely on a particular substance or activity in order to be able to go out with their daily routine and feel normal.
49
What type of disorder is addiction?
A dependance disorder: you depend on it in order to live normally
50
What are some things you can get addicted to?
Behaviours: Gambling, Internet, Sex Substances: Alchohol, Smoking, Drugs
51
What are the symptoms of substance addiction?
when substance is not used: shaking, sweating, vomiting, craving/need to take substance. building a tolerance to substance (no 'buzz' anymore) denial of substance being harmful
52
What are the symptoms of behavioral addiction?
need/craving to do activity regularly (difficult to reduce) spending more time doing activity than things you love do more 'risky' activities to get more 'buzz'
53
What is a new type of addiction increasing
Internet addiction as technology has become much more accessible
54
How does addiction affect individuals and society?
individuals: impacts your relationships, can't engage in productivity, debt/bankruptcy, quality of life diminish society: costly to society - getting out of work so much pay for replacements, NHS pays a lot to help, criminal behaviour increases
55
What is the genetic explanation of addiction?
The idea that addiction runs in families. But that doesn't necessarily mean everyone is guaranteed to.
56
What are the adoptive studies for addiction?
Donald Goodwin (1973) adopted children inherit genes from their biological parents but are raised by their adoptive parents. (nature and nurture) those with alcoholic biological parents would actually show signs of alcoholism even proving they inherit it and not influenced by environment.
57
Why do we use adoptive children for studies?
Since adoptive children hold the genetics of their biological parents (addicts) but don't grow up in their environment. Rather a more stable one with the foster family. So it is a combination of nature vs nurture to see which causes addiction.
58
What gene is related to addiction development?
DDR2 gene variation (A1) affects the way the brain reacts to pleasurable activities making you want to do it more often + riskier versions to get a buzz.
59
What are the twin studies for addiction?
Dorit Carmelli (1992) is just like the depression twins study.
60
What is dopamine?
A chemical that gets released when you are happy, sending pleasure to the brain.
61
What are the dopamine receptors called and what do they do?
D2 dopamine receptors release dopamine so if one has less they need to do more risky things to actually get the dopamine/buzz.
62
What are the strengths of the genetic explanation of addiction?
it helps destigmatize addiction because it is not your fault but your genes. there are many scientific explanations and evidence that make it valid. (twin + adoption studies)
63
What are the weaknesses of the genetic explanation of addiction?
it is reductionist because it fails to take it social factors. (eg. twins have the same living environment) no single gene has been found solely linked to addiction. DDR2 is also linked to autism which symptoms are very different to addiction so its hard to explain.
64
What is the learning theory?
An explanation that believes behaviour is learned to associations and experiences.
65
What are the 3 types of learning theory?
classical conditioning, operant conditioning, social learning
66
What is classical conditioning?
learning from associations (natural responses to a substance/activity)
66
What is operant conditioning?
learning from the consequences of actions (your choice)
67
What is reinforcement?
an outcome resulting from an action that increases the chance of you repeating the behaviour. the outcome is normally gaining positive things or losing negative things.
68
What is the social learning theory?
a learning theory which proves that behaviour is learnt through the observation and imitation of role models.
69
Why might teenagers follow the social learning theory?
Since their pre-frontal cortex is not fully developed until 25 they imitate others. (don't make their own responsible decisions)
70
What is ARRM?
a = attention r = retention r = reproduction m = motivation the process of how we imitate others actions
71
What are the weaknesses of the learning theory as an explanation of addiction?
it is overly-simplistic - it explains why one might try the behaviour for the first time (peer-pressure) but not why they stay addicted. people don't normally idolize addicts as they aren't role models. doesn't take into account biological factors.
72
What are the strengths of the learning theory as an explanation of addiction?
if we learn habits we can unlearn them - treatable. helps explain relapses - associations + social behaviors
73
What does CBT do for addiction?
helps people understand the triggers for their addictive behaviors and how to control it
74
What are the 2 stages of CBT as a treatment for addicition?
functional analysis stage, skills training stage
75
What do you do in the first stage of CBT as a treatment of addiction?
Functional Analysis Stage: analyse and work closely with the patient to find the trigger and looking at their emotions. Therefore the therapist and the patient can have a better understanding of the addiction. Making them realise the impact of the behaviour and get them out of denial.
76
What do you do in the second stage of CBT as a treatment of addiction?
Skills Functioning Stage: Teaching them skills to cope with their addiction and control the patterns of their behaviour which lead to the addiction.
77
How do therapists teach skills to patients in CBT?
Assertive Training: How to say no to the urge to do the behaviour causing your addiction
78
When is CBT most effective?
When combined with drug therapy to control withdrawal symptoms.
79
What are the strengths of CBT as a treatment of addiction?
patients learn long term skills which reduce the risk of relapse supported by research evidence - Young (2007)
80
What are the weaknesses of CBT as a treatment for depression?
addict must be motivated to change and be committed (its hard) alcoholics who go through CBT know the skills but choose not to use them after treatment is over.
81
What is the background of Young (2007)?
internet addiction have increased in recent years Young saw CBT was effective for other addictions and wanted to see if it worked for internet addiction
82
What was the aim of Young's (2007)?
to investigate the effect of CBT on internet addiction see how problem behaviors improved before, during, and after therapy
83
What was the procedure of Young (2007)?
1. all participants completed internet addciton test (IAT) 2. all participants were given CBT 3. in sessions 3,8,12 participants were given a client outcome questionnaire - measuring effectiveness of CBT
84
How were the participants selected in Young's (2007) study?
114 partcipants recruited from a center for online addiction in the US. 58% males and 42% female 6% educated until uni all participants completed IAT those who diagnoses addicted were chosen. anyone with any other psychological problems were not chosen.
85
What was the client outcome questionnaire like?
12 questions given on a 5 point rating scale that measured the effectiveness of CBT.
86
What were the results of Young's (2007) study?
30% males = addicted to porn 30% females = addicted to online chat rooms 96% said the biggest problem was the time wasted rating of CBT sessions enjoyability increased throughout CBT did improve and no significant drops 6 months after therapy
87
What are the strengths of Young's (2007) study?
it is very useful for internet addiction - encourages treatment. online CBT is very easy to attend. reliable because its the same questionnaire throughout - consistent + standardized
88
What are the weaknesses of Young's (2007) study?
self report methods are unreliable because people's feelings are subjective. all types of internet addiction were merged so its hard to see which types were treated successfully. no data telling us effectiveness for different types of internet addiction.
89
What makes quitting your addiction hard?
Withdrawal: causes many unbearable symptoms when you go without doing the activity.
90
What is a dependency disorder?
you don't want to do it but due to withdrawal you can't go without it anymore since you depend on it to survive
91
What are some symptoms of withdrawal?
sweating, insomnia, shaking, lack of apetite etc.
92
What is detoxification?
when an addict tries to quit taking the substance they are addicted to
93
How can you reduce cravings?
medicated drugs can help reduce cravings. the nervous system are used to the effects of the addiction: when they stop they need it to feel normal again. so a medicated drug can replace those effects but in a harmless way to reduce withdrawal.
94
How does drug therapy treat underlying mental health problems?
antidepressants + drugs reduce symptoms of mental health problems which can cause relapse
95
How does drug therapy reduce behavioural addiction?
stops withdrawal effects for when that behaviour isn't done, making living without it much easier. the drugs help you cope with detoxification.
96
What are the strengths of drug therapy?
research evidence supports - 75% gambling addicts treated with naltrexone. effective for behavioral addictions too. helps patient access other types of therapy to control long-term sober. (deals with withdrawal) along with CBT creates a long-term substance free habit. tackles other issues too.
97
What are the weaknesses of drug therapy?
drug treatment for a substance addiction can worsen problems: get addicted to drug treatment as without may get withdrawal. effectiveness addiction is mixed since its a complex mental health problem. John Krystal (2001) said there is no significant difference in relapse rates. (naltrexone and alcohol)
98
Define Nature
biological factors we are born with which influence our behaviour. genes we cannot change.
99
Define Nurture:
environmental factors that are influenced by our upbringing which affect our behaviour.
100
Do we use nature, nurture, or both to explain our behaviour?
A combination of nature and nurture explain our behaviour.
101
What are some mental health evidence of nature and nurture?
nature: Caspi (2003) 5-HTT short aleal gene variation. but must combine with 3 major life events (nurture) nurture: Learning Theory behaviour is learned through experiences. but influenced by genes (nature)

GCSE Psychology (8 decks)

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