Clinical Psychology

Question 1

Who is credited with opening the first psychological clinic?

Answer 1

Lightner Witmer (University of Pennsylvania, 1896).

Question 2

Where were the first Clinical Psychology trainees in the UK trained?

Answer 2

The Maudsley Hospital, London (1949).

Question 3

What are the two main aspects of the “reflective scientist-practitioner” model?

Answer 3

• Being evidence-based
• applying reflective practice (“thinking on your feet”).

Question 4

According to the BPS (2010), what is the core aim of clinical psychology?

Answer 4

• To reduce psychological distress
• enhance wellbeing through the application of psychological theory and data.

Question 5

According to the MRC, what are the four main stages in developing COMPLEX interventions?

Answer 5

• Intervention development
• feasibility and piloting
• evaluation
• implementation.

Question 6

Why is it important for interventions to be based on theory?

Answer 6

It provides an early understanding of the processes of change and strengthens the evidence base.

Question 7

What must be considered when DEVLOPING mental health interventions for clinical practice?

Answer 7

• Evidence base
• theory of change
• feasibility
• implementation challenges.

Question 8

What is the developmental psychopathology perspective?

Answer 8

Early childhood experiences can influence the risk of later mental health problems.

Question 9

What percentage of children aged 5–16 in the UK meet criteria for an emotional or behavioural disorder?

Answer 9

Around 10% (Ford et al., 2017).

Question 10

Which disorders are among the most prevalent in UK children?

Answer 10

• Anxiety disorders (3.5%)
• ADHD (2.2%)
• disruptive behaviour disorders (5%).

Question 11

Name three disorders classified as externalising behaviours.

Answer 11

• ADHD
• Oppositional Defiant Disorder (ODD)
• Conduct Disorder (CD).

Question 12

What are executive function deficits, and how are they related to externalising behaviours?

Answer 12

• Problems with impulsivity
• working memory
• cognitive flexibility, often seen in ADHD.

Question 13

How might socioeconomic status influence externalising behaviours in children?

Answer 13

Poverty-related stress can increase behavioural problems, partly due to reduced parental time and resources.

Question 14

What parenting practices are associated with high externalising behaviours?

Answer 14

• Hostility
• inconsistent discipline
• low warmth (Johnston & Mash, 2001).

Question 15

Give two examples of internalising behaviours in children.

Answer 15

• Childhood anxiety disorders
• childhood depression.

Question 16

What is separation anxiety in childhood?

Answer 16

• Excessive distress when separated from parents
• often involving fear of harm or inability to sleep alone.

Question 17

How do chronic physical health conditions affect child anxiety?

Answer 17

• They increase anxiety directly (due to unpredictability)
• indirectly (by affecting family dynamics) (Ferro & Boyle, 2014).

Question 18

What is vicarious learning in the context of child anxiety?

Answer 18

Children learning fear responses by observing fearful reactions in others (Askew, Kessock-Phillip, & Field, 2008).

Question 19

How might parental anxiety contribute to child anxiety?

Answer 19

Anxious parents may model fearful behaviour, creating a learning environment that promotes anxiety (Li et al., 2008).

Question 20

Why might it be problematic to assume that parenting alone causes child anxiety?

Answer 20

Genetic factors and broader environmental influences also contribute; parenting is just one piece of a complex puzzle.

Question 21

How might the “reflective scientist-practitioner” model help a clinical psychologist adapt interventions for diverse populations?

Answer 21

• by encouraging critical reflection on the evidence
• adapting techniques based on client feedback and cultural context.

Question 22

Why is it important to consider both feasibility and theory of change when developing a new psychological intervention?

Answer 22

• if it’s a good theory but impractical it will fail in real-world application
• feasibility ensures that delivery is possible within available resources.

Question 22

How could poverty act both as a context factor and a mechanism influencing externalising behaviours in children?

Answer 22

• Poverty shapes parenting practices (context)
• it creates stressors (mechanisms) like reduced supervision
• which increases family conflict, directly increase behavioural problems.

Question 23

Critique the idea that externalising behaviours are primarily caused by deficits in executive functioning.

Answer 23

• executive deficits contribute BUT!!!!!
• externalising behaviours are also shaped by environmental, relational, socio-cultural factors
• so a purely biological view is REDUCTIONIST!!!!!!!!!

Question 24

How might school interventions need to differ for children with internalising versus externalising behaviours?

Answer 24

- Internalising children might benefit more from confidence-building and emotional regulation support. - whereas externalising children need structured behaviour management and positive reinforcement systems.

Question 25

How might an intervention that improves parental consistency simultaneously reduce both internalising and externalising behaviours?

Answer 25

- Consistent parenting provides emotional security (reducing anxiety) - clear behavioural expectations (reducing disruptive behaviour).

Question 26

How could **vicarious learning** contribute differently to **anxiety** and to **aggression** in children?

Answer 26

- Observing fearful models increases anxiety - observing aggressive models normalises aggression and may lead to externalising behaviours.

Question 27

Discuss how **genetic predispositions** and **environmental learning** might interact in the development of childhood anxiety.

Answer 27

- A genetic predisposition for heightened emotional sensitivity might make children more reactive to: - anxious parenting OR threatening environments, amplifying learned fear responses.

Question 28

Why is it problematic to evaluate intervention success purely based on symptom reduction without a process evaluation?

Answer 28

- Symptom reduction doesn't reveal whether the intervention worked through intended mechanisms - or simply due to external/contextual changes (e.g., supportive teachers, social changes).

Question 29

How could a multi-systemic model better explain child mental health issues than models focusing only on individual or family factors?

Answer 29

It recognises that child mental health emerges from dynamic interactions between; - individual traits - family relationships - peer groups - schools - socio-economic environments.