Week 1 + 2 Introduction to Psychopathology

Question 1

What are some of disorders of psychopathology?

Answer 1

Can include anxiety, mood, eating, sexual, addictive, psychotic, personality and neuro-developmental disorders.

Question 2

What is psychopathology?

Answer 2

Scientific study of psychological disorders. Looks at nature, causes and treatment of psychological disorders.

Question 3

What do scientific-practitioners do?

Answer 3

ask meaningful questions + keep up-to-date on research findings + evaluate and synthesise information in logical ways + deliver effective treatment outcomes for their clients

Question 4

What are the indicators of abnormality and can they be considered in the absence of other indicators?

Answer 4

Subjective stress/distress (depression yes, manic no) +
maladaptiveness (dieting for anorexics yes, dieting for balance no)

+ statistical deviancy (high IQ abnormal but not bad)

+ violation of societal standards

+ social discomfort

+ irrationality and unpredictability + dangerousness.

No single behaviour is sufficient in determining abnormality.

Question 5

The DSM5 describes three basic features of a psychological disorder. What are they?

Answer 5

1. clinically significant difficulties in thinking, feeling or behaving
2. dysfunction in psychological, developmental, and/or neurobiological processes
3. personal distress and/or impaired functioning

Question 6

How have people over time been stigmatised or maltreated by our understanding of mental illness?

Answer 6

Stigmatised people are distinguished from others based on their mental illness, which effects self-esteem and help seeking.

Over time people have been hidden away, treated with religious ceremonies, potions, prayer and mild forms of exorcism etc.

Question 7

Describe the importance of the psychoanalytic school of thinking on today’s understanding of psychopathology?

Answer 7

Although Freud’s early work (emphasised unconscious conflicts) was not subjected to scientific rigour, it has informed later theories.

Interpersonal perspective > emphasises cultural and social forces rather than instincts as determinants of behaviour

Attachment theory > emphasises importance of quality parenting/early attachments for later functioning in life

Question 8

The psychodynamic influence

Answer 8

1. childhood experiences help shape adult personality
2. there are unconscious influences on behaviour
3. the cause and purpose of behaviour may not be clear

Question 9

Describe Pavlovian and operant conditioning and these processes cause and maintain an anxiety disorder.

Answer 9

A central approach to the behavioural perspective is learning.

Modification in behaviour as a consequence of experience > classical (pavlovian) conditioning and instrumental (operant) conditioning.

Learning can be used to understand why an anxiety (conditioned response) exists i.e. trauma, phobia, reward.

Question 10

Describe the importance of the cognitive behavioural model while also noting its weaknesses.

Answer 10

The CBT model helps to understand how thoughts and information processing can become distorted and lead to maladaptive emotions and behaviours.

Uses self-efficacy (belief that goals can be achieved) + cognitive distortions (awareness of irrational thought patterns involved in the onset of psychopathology) + attentional bias (affected by recurring thoughts).

Although it is one of the most common and dominant forms of treatment there is still not a lot of scientific support for the cognitive side of the cognitive-behavioural model.

Has informed third-wave CBT, which is supported by evidence, but no indication that CBT works better than pure behavioural treatments.

Question 11

Describe a holistic model of psychopathology.

Answer 11

There is no single cause of psychopathology.

In includes
developmental + biological + behavioural + emotional and cognitive + social and interpersonal influences.

Need to understand all the pieces to understand psychopathology.

Question 12

Four models that define abnormality

Answer 12

the statistical model (infrequent occurrence - top/bottom 5%) which is definable, objective, measurable and non-pejorative
+

the cultural model (breaks societal rules) which allows for cultural variation
+

the danger model (self-harm or harm to others) +

the distress model (causing significant distress) is definable, measurable, non-pejorative.

Question 13

Factors that contribute to abnormality

Answer 13

biological (genes) + psychological (cognition) + environmental/social (cultural).

Question 14

What is the interplay between abnormality and culture?

Answer 14

Decisions and interpretations of abnormal behaviour involve judgements based on cultural values that change over time i.e. being gay was a diagnosis in the 60’s but not today.

Some abnormal behaviour is universal but other can be based on an individual’s culture.

Question 15

Describe the biological perspective of psychopathology.

Answer 15

Characterised by genetic vulnerabilities > almost always polygenic and considered in conjunction with environmental interaction i.e. epigenetics

Brain dysfunction & neural plasticity >influence of biology on behavioural outcomes

Neurotransmitter imbalance > norepinephrine, dopamine (pleasure), serotonin (thinking/processing), glutamate (schizophrenia) + GABA (anxiety).

Hormonal imbalance > malfunctioning of the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal axis (HPA) has been implicated in some mental disorders. Integrates CNS & endocrine system in response i.e. amount of cortisol (stress) released

Question 16

Describe the social perspective of psychopathology

Answer 16

Exposure to multiple uncontrollable/unpredictable frightening life events likely to increase vulnerability to psychopathology.

Can include:
early life depression/trauma + problems with care givers + marital discord/divorce + low SES/unemployment + maladaptive peer relationships + prejudice and discrimination.

Question 17

Phobia

Answer 17

A psychological disorder characterised by marked and persistent fear of an object or situation.

Question 18

Abnormal behaviour

Answer 18

A psychological dysfunction within an individual that is associated with distress or impaired functioning and a response that is not typical or culturally expected.

Question 19

Psychological dysfunction

Answer 19

A breakdown in cognitive, behavioural or emotional functioning. Best considered on a dimension or continuum rather than categorically.

Question 20

What is stigma

Answer 20

Stigma refers to destructive attitudes and beliefs held by society.

Includes ignorance, prejudice or discriminatory responses to people with mental health problems.

Personal or public,
self directed or perceived difference.

Question 21

Exposure therapy

Answer 21

Helps anxiety by confronting the cues that cause the conditioned response.

Often considered the gold standard for anxiety related maladaptive behaviours.

Question 22

Disorder prevalance

Answer 22

How many people within a population have a disorder

Question 23

Disorder incidence

Answer 23

How many new cases of a disorder present within a certain time period i.e. a year

Question 24

Taijin Kyofusho

Answer 24

A Japanese custom where anxiety is related to embarrassing the group rather than the self. One’s body parts or function displease, embarrass or are offensive to the group/others.

Question 25

What are the four characteristics of stigma?

Answer 25

1. Labels that distinguish one person from another
2. Labels are thought of as undesirable societal attributes
3. People with the label are seen as different from those without the label
4. People with the label are discriminated against unfairly

Question 26

What is statistical abnormality?

Answer 26

Abnormal if occurrence is infrequent i.e. top and bottom 5%.

Advantages:
Objective, Definable and measurable, Non-pejorative

Disadvantages:
Some abnormality moderately common, Many uncommon behaviours are not seen as abnormal (e.g. concert pianist), hard to capture grey areas, many disorders aren’t uncommon.

Question 27

What is cultural abnormality?

Answer 27

Abnormal if it breaks the implicit rules of a society

Advantages:
Describes several disorders, Allows for cultural variation

Disadvantages:
Varies across time and culture, Hard to define & measure, Very pejorative, potential for abuse e.g. political prisoners, ‘hysterical’ women. Culture changes over time e.g. homosexuality was a diagnosis in the 60s, not now (in our culture)

Question 28

What is ‘danger to self or others’ abnormality?

Answer 28

Abnormal if it poses a risk or danger to self or others

Advantages:
Describes certain cases, has Protective value

Disadvantages:
Can be abused and violate rights, May suppress individuality, Hard to define, not relevant to most people

Question 29

What is ‘distress as reported by the individual’ abnormality?

Answer 29

Abnormal if it’s causing significant distress

Advantages:
Non-pejorative, Clear definition – self defined, Measurable

Disadvantages”
Doesn’t always fit e.g. manic episode, psychotic

Question 30

What are some of the factors that might cause development of abnormal behaviours?

Answer 30

Causal pathways are highly complicated as we can have multiple factors leading towards the development of abnormal behaviours.

biological aspects
(physical health, neurobiology, genetic vulnerability, immune response)
psychological aspects
(perceptions, temperament, attitudes/beliefs, social skills, trauma, grief)

environmental aspects
(culture, SES, peer group, family relationships, work)

Question 31

Normal and abnormal behaviour is a continual interaction of:

Answer 31

Psychological, biological, and social influences.

Question 32

Behaviourism focuses on:

Answer 32

How learning and adaptation affect the development of psychopathology.

Question 33

Hippocrates assumed that normal brain functioning was related to:

Answer 33

Four bodily fluids or humours.

Question 34

What do Watson, Skinner, and Pavlov have in common?

Answer 34

They were all behaviourists.

Question 35

What is the treatment type for humanistic therapy?

Answer 35

Person centred with unconditional positive regard.

Question 36

Problems with caregivers, early life depravation and marital discord are all associated with:

Answer 36

The social perspective.

Question 37

Neurotransmitter imbalance is associated with:

Answer 37

The biological perspective

Question 38

Which perspective was a reaction against radical behaviourism?

Answer 38

Cognitive-behavioural perspective.

Question 39

What is the treatment type for psychoanalytic theory?

Answer 39

Hypnosis, free association, and dream analysis.

Question 40

Which perspective was a reaction against the unscientific methods of psychoanalysis?

Answer 40

Behavioural perspective.

Question 41

The dominant school of thought given its research base is the:

Answer 41

Cognitive-Behavioural Perspective.

Question 42

What is the “gold standard” treatment for anxiety disorders?

Answer 42

Exposure Therapy.

Question 43

Research about psychological disorders falls into 3 main categories:

Answer 43

Description, causation, and
treatment/outcomes.

Question 44

What is the treatment type for the behavioural model?

Answer 44

Classical conditioning, systematic desensitisation, and operant conditioning.