Week 12

Question 1

Define psychopathology

Answer 1

Psychopathology refers to problematic patterns of thought, feeling or behaviour that lead to disrupted functioning and cause distress to that person or others. Varies between cultures, all cultures have some concept of mental illness.

Question 2

Define Mental Health

Answer 2

a person’s condition with regard to their psychological and emotional well-being.

Question 3

Define Mental Illness

Answer 3

a condition that causes serious disorder in a person’s behaviour or thinking

Question 4

Define Mental Disorder

Answer 4

There are many different mental disorders, with different presentations. They are generally characterized by a combination of abnormal thoughts, perceptions, emotions, behaviour and relationships with others.
Mental disorders include: depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia and other psychoses, dementia, and developmental disorders including autism.

Question 5

Describe the psychodynamic perspective

Answer 5

Distinguished three classes of psychopathology: Neuroses, personality disorders and psychoses.

Question 6

Describe the cognitive-behavioural perspective

Answer 6

Combines cognitive (dysfunctional attitudes, beliefs and cognitive processes) with behavioural (combined emotional responses) components.

Question 7

Describe the biological perspective

Answer 7

Seeks the roots of psychopathology in terms of brain circuitry

Question 8

Describe the systems perspective

Answer 8

views psychopathy through the context of social groups

Question 9

Describe the evolutionary perspective

Answer 9

Suggests psychopathy reflects genetic variation and adaptive mechanisms gone awry.

Question 10

Describe the descriptive approach to diagnosis

Answer 10

It aims to be atheoretical which means it is not biased toward any one perspective on psychopathology.

Question 11

Describe key principles and techniques of the psychodynamic therapeutic approach

Answer 11

the goal of therapy is to gain insight into unconscious conflicts that induce anxiety

Question 12

Describe key principles and techniques of cognitive-behavioural therapeutic approach

Answer 12

use classical conditioning techniques to focus on associations between stimuli and emotions

Question 13

Describe key principles and techniques of the humanistic therapeutic approach

Answer 13

focus on the ways individuals consciously experience self, relationships and the world

Question 14

Describe key principles and techniques of group and family therapies therapeutic approach

Answer 14

multiple groups work together to meet therapeutic goals.

Question 15

Describe biological treatments

Answer 15

Biological treatments differ from interpersonal approaches. They arise from the view that psychological disorders reflect the pathology of the brain. only administered by physicians.

Question 16

What are some examples of biological treatments?

Answer 16

Pharmacotherapy; the use of psychotropic drugs that work on the brain to alter mental functions

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT); the intentional induction of a brain seizure by shock

Psychosurgery; surgery intended to cause damage to the brain to alter behaviour.

Question 17

What medications can be used to treat psychosis?

Answer 17

Antipsychotics

Question 18

What medications can be used to treat depression?

Answer 18

Tricyclic antidepressants, MAO inhibitors, Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors

Question 19

What medications can be used to treat mania?

Answer 19

Mood stabilisers

Question 20

What medications can be used to treat anxiety?

Answer 20

Anxiolitics and antidepressants

Question 21

What are the two types of studies used for evaluating treatments?

Answer 21

Efficacy studies - assess treatment outcomes under controlled experimental conditions
Effectiveness studies - assess treatments as practices