P1 Psychopathology - Characteristics of Mental Disorders Flashcards
What is a phobia?
A phobia is an anxiety disorder. It is an irrational fear that produces a conscious avoidance of the feared object or situation.
Approximately 2.6% of people in the UK have a clinical phobia
What is the main emotional characteristic of phobias?
The main emotional characteristic is fear, accompanied by persistent, which the phobic recognises is disproportionate to the danger posed by the phobic stimulus
What is a behavioural characteristic of phobias?
Fear produces the behavioural characteristic of avoidance. This interferes with the phobics usual social and occupational functioning over an extended period of time. They may also freeze or faint in the presence of a phobic stimulus.
What is a cognitive characteristic of phobias?
A defining cognitive characteristic of phobia is thought processes. This is the irrational thinking and the resistance to rational arguments.
What is depression?
Depression is a mood disorder.
What is the emotional characteristic for depression?
The main emotional characteristic of major depressive disorder is either sadness or loss of interest and pleasure in normal activities.
What is a behavioural characteristic of depression?
Behavioural characteristics of depression include a shift in activity level - either reduced or increased.
What is the cognitive characteristic of depression?
The main cognitive characteristic of depression are associated with negative thoughts, such as a negative self concept as well as guilt, a sense of worthlessness and so on
What is OCD?
OCD is an anxiety disorder. The two components of OCD are obsessions and compulsions. Obsessions are persistent thoughts and compulsions are repetitive behaviours.
What is the cognitive characteristic of OCD?
The obsessions are the main cognitive characteristics of OCD and these are recognised by the sufferer as being excessive or unreasonable.
What is the emotional characteristics of OCD?
Due to the fact that OCD sufferers believe they have no control over the thoughts or impulses, they experience embarrassment and shame and this is the main emotional characteristic of OCD. Sufferers also experience embarrassment and shame about their obsessions and compulsions .
What is a behavioural characteristics of OCD?
A person who is obsessed by a fear of being contaminated with germs may develop mental acts such as praying or counting as a way of reducing anxiety. The avoidance of certain objects is the main behavioural characteristic of OCD.
