Behavioural/emotional/cognitive characteristics of Phobias/Depression/OCD - Psychopathology - Paper 1

Question 1

WHAT IS A PHOBIA

Answer 1

An irrational fear of an object/situation
Extent of the fear is out of proportion to any real danger

Question 2

What are the DSM-5 categories of phobia

Answer 2

Specific phobia - Of an object like an animal/body part or situation like having an injection.

Social anxiety - Of a social situation - public speaking or using a public toilet.

Agoraphobia - Being outside/in public places

Question 3

What are behavioural characteristics of phobias ?

Answer 3

Responding to things/situations we fear by behaving in certain ways.
Example - High levels of anxiety = Trying to escape

Question 3

Behavioural characteristics - Explain Panic
How could children act?

Answer 3

Presence of phobic stimulus cause panic.
Crying - Screaming -running away.
Children = Freezing/having a tantrum

Question 4

Behavioural characteristics - Explain Avoidance

Answer 4

Effort into avoiding the stimulus - can make it hard to go about daily life.

Example - Fear of public toilets
Someone might limit time they are out the house to avoid the need to use one.

Question 5

Behavioural characteristics - Explain endurance

Answer 5

Choosing to stay in presence of the phobic stimulus.
Someone with arachnophobia may choose to stay in a room with a spider to keep an eye on it.

Question 6

What are emotional characteristics?

Answer 6

A person’s feelings or mood:
Anxiety
Fear
Unreasonable emotional response

Question 7

Emotional characteristics - Explain Anxiety

Answer 7

Phobias = Anxiety disorders
Involve an emotional response of anxiety (unpleasant state of high arousal).
Prevents a person from relaxing.
difficulty feeling positive emotions.
Can be long term.

Question 8

Emotional characteristics - Explain Fear

Answer 8

Fear = Immediate/extremely unpleasant when encountering/thinking about phobic stimulus.
More intense
Shorter periods (than anxiety).

Question 9

Emotional characteristics - Explain Unreasonable emotional response

Answer 9

Anxiety/fear is much greater than normal.
Disproportionate response compared to the threat.
(Arachnophobia) - A small spider may cause a strong emotional response.
others would not experience this even to a more dangerous one.

Question 10

What are cognitive characteristics?

Answer 10

How people process information.
People with phobias process information about phobic stimuli differently from other objects/situations

Question 11

Cognitive characteristics - Explain Selective attention to the phobic stimulus.

Answer 11

If they can see it is hard to look away. (Little spider - endurance)
Good to keep attention on something dangerous but not if it is irrational.
Can make it hard to focus on everyday tasks if phobic stimulus present and the person is keeping their focus on that.

Question 12

Cognitive characteristics - Explain Irrational Beliefs

Answer 12

Thoughts cannot be easily explained and do not have any basis in reality.
(Social phobias) - Certain beliefs can cause them to have an increased pressure to perform well in social situation and can lead to them avoiding certain situations all together.

Question 13

Cognitive characteristics - Explain Cognitive distortions

Answer 13

The perceptions of the phobia may be inaccurate/unrealistic
Spider may appear to be a big dangerous monster even though it is small and not harmful.

Question 14

WHAT IS DEPRESSION?

Answer 14

Mental disorder characterised by low mood and low energy levels.
Major changes in the mood.

Question 15

What is the DSM-5 categories of depression?

Answer 15

Major depressive disorder - Severe but short term

Persistent depressive disorder - Long term/recurring depression + sustained major depression.

Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder - Childhood temper tantrums
Premenstrual dysphoric disorder - Disruption to mood before/during cycle.

Question 16

What are behavioural characteristics ? - Depression

Answer 16

Behaviour changes when we experience and episode of depression.
Activity levels
Disruption to sleep/eating behaviour
Aggression/self-harm

Question 17

Behavioural characteristics - Explain activity levels

Answer 17

Reduced levels of energy - make them lethargic
Cause people to withdraw from work/education/social life.
Some struggle to do basic tasks - get out of bed - brush teeth -shower.

Increased - Agitated individuals struggle to relax - pace up and down room.

Question 18

Behavioural characteristics - Explain Disruption to sleep/eating behaviour

Answer 18

Reduced sleep (insomnia)
Waking early or need for more sleep. (hypersomnia)

Eating can increase/decrease - changes in weight - gain/loose

Question 19

Behavioural characteristics - Explain Aggression/self-harm

Answer 19

More irritable - physical/verbal aggression
May end relationship/quit job ( display verbal aggression).

Physical aggression = Directed against self - Self-harm
Cutting/suicide.

Question 20

Explain emotional characteristics of depression

Answer 20

Feelings/mood
Lowered mood
Anger
Low self-esteem

Question 21

Emotional characteristics - Explain Lowered mood

Answer 21

Feeling sad/lethargic daily and can feel worthless/empty

Question 22

Emotional characteristics - Explain Anger

Answer 22

Can feel more heightened anger.
Directed at self/others.
Lead to aggressive behaviour/self-harming

Question 23

Emotional characteristics - Explain Lowered self-esteem

Answer 23

Self-esteem = How much we like ourselves
Depression = Reduced self-esteem
Self loathing/hate themselves.

Question 24

Explain cognitive characteristics of depression

Answer 24

How people process information Think differently about aspects of the world differently Poor concentration Dwell on negative Absolutist thinking

Question 25

cognitive characteristics - Explain Poor concentration

Answer 25

Unable to stick to tasks they previously could. Hard to make decisions Can interfere with individuals work

Question 26

cognitive characteristics - Explain Dwelling on the Negative

Answer 26

Pay more attention to negative aspects of a situation ignoring the positives. (Glass half empty rather than half full) Bias to recalling unhappy events over happy ones.

Question 27

cognitive characteristics - Explain Absolutist thinking

Answer 27

Black/white thinking. If a situation is unfortunate they will see an absolute disaster cannot see the good in a situation

Question 28

WHAT IS OCD - OBSESSIVE COMPULSIVE DISORDER

Answer 28

Obsessions/compulsive behaviour Obsessions = Cognitive Compulsions = Behaviour Repetitive behaviour accompanied by obsessive thinking

Question 29

What is the DSM-5 categories of OCD ?

Answer 29

Most people with OCD have both Obsessions/Compulsions Example - Hoarding disorder - The compulsive gathering of possessions and inability to part with anything no matter the value.

Question 30

What are the behavioural characteristics of OCD

Answer 30

Compulsions Repetitive and reduce anxiety Avoidance

Question 31

Behavioural characteristics - Explain Compulsions are repetitive

Answer 31

Compelled to repeat behaviour (Handwashing/tidying/ordering objects)

Question 32

Behavioural characteristics - Explain Compulsions reduce anxiety.

Answer 32

Compulsive behaviours performed to manage anxiety produced by obsessions. (Handwashing constantly) - Response to obsessive fear of (germs).

Question 33

Behavioural characteristics - Explain avoidance

Answer 33

Try to reduce anxiety Keeping away from situations that trigger it. (Compulsive handwashers - avoid coming into contact with germs). This can cause problems in everyday life as they will avoid ordinary situations which can lead to further ones.

Question 34

What are Emotional characteristics of OCD

Answer 34

Anxiety and distress Accompanying depression Guilt/Disgust

Question 35

Emotional characteristics -Explain Anxiety/Distress

Answer 35

OCD= Unpleasant emotional experience Due to the anxiety with obsessions and compulsions. Obsessive thoughts = Unpleasant/frightening (overwhelming anxiety). The urge to repeat a behaviour (compulsion) creates Anxiety.

Question 36

Emotional characteristics - Explain Accompanying depression

Answer 36

OCD + Depression OCD - Low mood/lack of enjoyment in activities. The compulsive behaviour can bring tempt relief from anxiety.

Question 37

Emotional characteristics - Explain Guilt/Disgust

Answer 37

Other negative emotions Irrational guilt over minor things Disgust - against something external like dirt

Question 38

What are the Cognitive characteristics of OCD ?

Answer 38

How people process information Obsessive thoughts Can be cognitive coping strategies Insight into excessive anxiety

Question 39

Cognitive characteristics -Obsessive thoughts

Answer 39

Recurring thoughts Unpleasant thoughts (Worries of being contaminated by dirt) (Impulses)

Question 40

Cognitive characteristics - Cognitive coping strategies

Answer 40

A religious person with ocd may feel obsessive guilt and may respond by praying. This can manage the anxiety but can make them appear abnormal to others. Distract from everyday tasks.

Question 41

Cognitive characteristics - Insight into excessive anxiety

Answer 41

Aware that their obsessions/compulsions are not rational. If they believed their obsessive thoughts were based on reality that could be a symptom of a different disorder. However, they still have these thoughts about worst case scenarios that could happen. They become hypervigilant - keep attention on potential hazards.