Abnormal

Question 1

What is depression/ Major Depressive Disorder (MDD)?

Answer 1

It is characterised by a persistent feeling of sadness off a lack of interest in outside stimuli.

Question 2

Name three symptoms of MDD

Answer 2

Negative thinking with inability to see positive solutions, lethargy, suicidal thoughts, weight loss or gain.

Question 5

How are genetic factors an explanation for disorders?

Answer 5

Genetic heritability of depression cannot be measured directly but it can be estimated from data obtained in such methods as twin studies, family studies, adoption studies and molecular genetics.

Question 6

How does pinpointing a specific gene explain disorders?

Answer 6

Functional polymorphism in 5-HTT (serotonin transporter gene) determines how strongly stressful life events will influence depressive symptoms.

Question 7

What does Cognitive Theory of Depression suggest?

Answer 7

Cognitively factors are the major cause of depression.

Question 8

What does the Cognitive Theory of Depression highlight?

Answer 8

The importance of automatic thoughts (semi-conscious sub-vocal narrative that naturally occurs in people’s minds to accompany their daily activities).

Question 9

What is the central claim for the Cognitive Theory of Depression?

Answer 9

A change in automatic thoughts can lead to a change in behaviour.

Question 10

What are the three elements of depression?

Answer 10

Cognitive triad, negative self-schemata, and faulty thinking patterns.

Question 11

What is cognitive triad?

Answer 11

Negative beliefs about self, the world and the future - these negative beliefs are deeply rooted, and they influence automatic thoughts to be irrationally pessimistic.

Question 12

What is negative self-schemata?

Answer 12

When negative beliefs about oneself becomes generalised, individuals start seeing own fault in everything that happens to them, even if they cannot control it.

Question 13

What are faulty thinking patterns?

Answer 13

These are logical fallacies and irrational conclusions that people make because the way they process information is biased.

Question 14

How is the Cognitive Theory of Depression used in treatment of depression?

Answer 14

It forms the basis of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT). This approach of treatment is that confronting the client’s faulty thinking patterns with the objective reality of the situation will replace in turn affect behaviour.

Question 15

How do social vulnerability factors explain disorders?

Answer 15

Vulnerability factors (having three or more children, lack of an intimate relationship, lack of employment, and loss of mother) may increase the risk of developing depression.

Question 16

What effects of culture explains disorders?

Answer 16

It plays an important moderating role both in development and expression of depressive symptoms.

Question 17

What are the approaches to research for explaining disorders?

Answer 17

Correlational (sociocultural), quasi-interview, quasi-experimental, interview, longitudinal.

Question 18

What are the ethical considerations when experimenting explanations of disorders?

Answer 18

Experimenting and researching on depression is a very sensitive topic/ area and researchers have to be careful/ sensitive to participants as there is a possibilities of causing undue stress or harm if not carried out ethically. This especially applied to participants who have been diagnosed with depression.

Question 19

How can classification systems effect prevalence rates?

Answer 19

Any changes in the diagnostic manual will be reflected in estimates of the prevalence of disorders e.g. changing diagnosis to become more inclusive would increase the frequency of diagnosing people with depression.

Question 20

How can reporting bias effect prevalence rates?

Answer 20

E.g. some populations failing to report symptoms of depression because mental illness is stigmatised in their society.

Question 21

Why do prevalence rates differ between different cultures?

Answer 21

Because of the different values and beliefs within their culture e.g. individualism and collectivism.

Question 22

How do different cultures influence prevalence rates of disorders?

Answer 22

From the cultural variations in the expression of symptoms. There are different beliefs of what the symptoms mean in clinical situations which could lead to bias in diagnosis.

Question 23

What does biological treatment of depression assume?

Answer 23

That chemical imbalances in the brain is the major factor of the development of depression. This leads to the the idea that if we restore the balance of neurotransmitters in the brain, depressions symptoms will be reduced.

Question 24

What are selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)?

Answer 24

They are the most widely used class of antidepressants.

Question 25

How does SSRIs work?

Answer 25

They are selectively inhibiting reuptake of serotonin (a neurotransmitter that has been called the body’s natural “feel good” chemical) only, nothing else. This means the number of potential side effects is smaller.

Question 26

Why are SSRIs “better for scientific research?

Answer 26

Since only one independent variable (serotonin) is being manipulated making it easier to clearly attribute the observed reduction of symptoms to a certain cause.

Question 27

What are three side effects of SSRIs?

Answer 27

Drowsiness, nausea, insomnia.

Question 28

What are the approaches to researching about biological treatments to depression?

Answer 28

Randomised control trial, longitudinal study, using a placebo condition.

Question 29

What does CBT assume?

Answer 29

Depression is caused by irrational automatic thinking patterns that lead to irrational behaviour.

Question 30

What does CBT target?

Answer 30

Automatic thoughts (making them more logical) and behaviour (making it more rational and more adjusted to the environment). This is also called cognitive restructuring and behavioural activation.

Question 31

What does CBT focus on?

Answer 31

Specific well-defined problems. The client is expected to be an active participant in the process of therapy.

Question 32

What are the approaches to researching the cognitive treatments to depression?

Answer 32

Randomised control trial, placebo condition, randomly assigned condition.

Question 33

What are the ethical considerations with researching biological and psychological treatments, and assessing the effectiveness of treatments to depression?

Answer 33

Having a placebo condition is what mainly needs to be considered. Throughout the experiment participants may develop more severe symptoms as they could feel feelings of hopelessness when the ‘treatment’ does not work.

Question 34

What is the role of culture in treatment?

Answer 34

Cultural factors can influence the patient’s internal model of illness (a culturally determined schematic representation of a mental disorder). This model will in turn mediate all treatment efforts, so a culturally sensitive psychiatrist must strive to understand the patient’s internal model and adjust the interventions accordingly.

Question 35

What are the approaches to researching the role of culture in treatment to depression?

Answer 35

Qualitative research, interviews, field observations, meta-analysis.

Question 36

How effective are biological treatments?

Answer 36

Research has shown that antidepressants are effective for the reduction of symptoms of depression and provide a quick result, but psychotherapy can reach the same levels of effectiveness in the long term. They are most effective when treating severe symptoms that must be reduced urgently (such as suicide ideation).

Question 37

What outcomes should be looked at when determining the effectiveness of CBT?

Answer 37

Response rate, remission rates, and relapse rate.

Question 38

What are response rates?

Answer 38

The percentage of participants who show at least a 50% decrease in the score on a standardised depression scale.

Question 39

What are remission rates?

Answer 39

The percentage of participants who show little or no symptoms of depression after the treatment period.

Question 40

What is a relapse rate?

Answer 40

The recurrence of a past condition (developing symptoms of depression again a while after the treatment was discontinued).

Question 41

How effective is cognitive treatments?

Answer 41

In terms of response and remission rates, it has been demonstrated in some research studies that CBT may be as effective as medication. In terms of relapse rates, it has been shown that the effect of CBT is more enduring than the effect of medication as it lasts longer after the therapy is discontinued. Effectiveness can also depend on which symptoms in particular are being targeted. Some symptoms may be more responsible to CBT, some to medication.

Question 42

How effective are sociocultural treatments to depression?

Answer 42

Taking cultural perceptions into account may enhance the effectiveness of treatment in certain cultural contexts.

Question 43

How are treatments to a cultural context adapted?

Answer 43

Using either a top-down approach or a bottom-up approach.

Question 44

What is a top-down approach?

Answer 44

A top-down approach involve relatively superficial changes to the original programme, such as changing the language of delivery or hiring bicultural support staff.

Question 45

What is a bottom-up approach?

Answer 45

Bottom-up approach involve deeper changes to the way treatment is delivered. Such adaptions typically start with a research phase where qualitative studies are conducted to understand the nature of patients’ interpretations of the illness and the treatment. Culturally sensitive treatments are then designed based on this information.

Question 46

What factors need to be considered when assessing the effectiveness of treatments?

Answer 46

Severity of the disorder, treatment outcomes, the time frame (short-term or long-term), method of measuring the therapy outcomes (observable changes in a patient’s behaviour), the exact mechanism of change (the knowledge of which element exactly cause the positive change), placebo effects (treatment can only be considered effective if it outperforms the placebo).

Question 47

What approach is used to research prevalence rates of disorders?

Answer 47

Correlational studies.

Question 48

What are the ethical considerations behind research prevalence rates of disorders?

Answer 48

There are no ethical concerns as all the data is gathered from previously done research. The only concern would be of the studies themselves, but not specifically when researching prevalence rates.

Question 58

What are the ethical considerations when researching the role of culture in treatment to depression?

Answer 58

Researchers have to be consideration to the culture’s beliefs and values. Researchers also need to be careful when choosing an approach such as interviews or field observations on a sensitive topic like mental illness to not cause undue stress or harm on the participant.