Module 4

Question 1

What is abnormal psychology

Answer 1

Study of mental disorders - done by clinicians and researchers

Question 2

How many elements of abnormal behaviour are there

Answer 2

5 - a behaviour needs to meet all 5 to be classed abnormal

Question 3

What are the 5 elements of abnormal behavior?

Answer 3

Infrequency - behaviour must be rare
Deviance - behaviour is different than what is normally expected
Distress - behaviour must cause suffering
Disability - behaviour must cause impairment
Danger - behaviour puts someone in harms way

Question 4

What is the biological treatment approach

Answer 4

Addresses the physical characteristics of mental illness - eg hormone neurotransmitter imbalance. Treatment would be medication or surgery

Question 5

What is a psychodynamic approach?

Answer 5

Focus on root of the problem as it was caused from the past - work to remove hidden blocks

Question 6

What is a behavioural approach

Answer 6

Focus on the present - Uses reinforcement, punishment and exposure to condition behaviour to be better

Question 7

What is the cognitive approach

Answer 7

Focus on how and what we thinking - how it affects real situations

Question 8

What is a humanistic approach

Answer 8

Focus on teaching patient to seek fulfilment

Question 9

What is an eclectic approach?

Answer 9

Taking a range of treatment techniques to find best combo for patient

Question 10

What is anxiety

Answer 10

Apprehension about an anticipated issue

Question 11

What is fear?

Answer 11

Apprehensive response to immediate threat or danger - instinctive

Question 12

How many components are there for anxiety disorders? What are they?

Answer 12

3 - Cognitive/subjective, physiological and behavioural

Question 13

What are the different anxiety disorders?

Answer 13

Phobias - specific, social, orgoraphobia
Panic disorder
Generalised anxiety disorder
Obsessive compulsive disorder
Post traumatic stress disorder

Question 14

Characteristics of generalised anxiety disorder

Answer 14

Tendency to be anxious over many situations - difficult to control- creates distress

Question 15

Characteristics of panic disorder

Answer 15

Periods of intense fear when a threat is not present - unexpected - not anxious between attacks

Question 16

Characteristics of agoraphobia

Answer 16

Fear or anxiety of 2 or more - using public transport - open spaces - crowds - leaving home - causes distress

Question 17

Characteristics of social anxiety disorder

Answer 17

Fear of situations where person could get negative feedback - worry others will judge them

Question 18

Characteristics of specific phobias

Answer 18

Anxiety about a specific thing or situation

Question 19

Characteristics of OCD

Answer 19

Obsessions and compulsions
Obsessions - intrusive and recurring thoughts - persistent uncontrollable and irrational - contamination, symmetry and disorder
Compulsions - repetitive excessive behaviours a person is driven to perform to reduce anxiety caused by obsessive thoughts - cleaning, checking

Question 20

What are anxiety disorder treatments

Answer 20

Psychological treatments are effective - relaxation - cognitive restructuring - exposure therapy

Question 21

What is a major depressive episode

Answer 21

Must have 5 or more related symptoms in a 2 week period - change from previous functioning - 1 of these symptoms must be depressed mood or loss of interest - show significant impairment

Question 22

WHat is a major depressive disoreder

Answer 22

At least 1 depressive episode - not common

Question 23

What is persistent depressive disorder (dysthymia)

Answer 23

Chronic - longer than 2 years - less intense than MDD

Question 24

Factors of depressive disorders

Answer 24

Biological, social, psychological

Question 25

Biological factors that cause depression

Answer 25

Inherited 40-50% Neurotransmitters are critical in depressive disorder Not enough adrenaline can lead to adrenaline Not enough serotonin and dopamine can lead to depression

Question 26

Social/environmental factors that cause depression?

Answer 26

Diathesis stress model - stress reactivity combined with predisposition determines how they percieve a situation as stressful Stress is perception

Question 27

Psychological factors causing depression

Answer 27

cognitive theories - becks theory Behavioural theories- to cause improvement in depressive disorder - need to change behaviour Interpersonal theories - deficit in interpersonal functioning increase symptoms Psychodynamic theories - unconscious conflict increase symptoms

Question 28

What are the 4 phases of becks theory (treatment)

Answer 28

Increase activities and elevate mood - increased neurotransmitter flow Challenge automatic thoughts Identify negative thinking and biases Change primary attitudes / schema

Question 29

WHat other treatments are there

Answer 29

Drugs - anti depressant meds Electroconvulsive therapy - effective for severe depression - jolt electricity into brain

Question 30

What is psychosis

Answer 30

umbrella term for many psychotic disorders with wide range of symptoms

Question 31

What is schizophrenia

Answer 31

severe mental disorder - specific set of symptoms - needs 2 or more symptoms

Question 32

What are the 3 sets of psychotic symptoms

Answer 32

positive - excess of normal - hallucinations negative - absence from normal - lacking energy or motivation disorganised - strange/disorganised speech or thinking

Question 33

WHat is the schizophrenia criteria

Answer 33

must show social or occupational dysfunction and decline - at least 2 symptoms for 6 months

Question 34

What are the different types of positive delusions

Answer 34

Persecution - thinking someones after them Grandeur - someone is conspiring against them Reference - something is sending messages Erotomania - belief someone is in love with you Somatic - something wrong with body Nihilistic - world is coming to an end

Question 35

Different types of positive hallucinations

Answer 35

Auditory - voices that speak - not conversations Visual Olfactory - strange smells Gustatory - tastes Tactile - bodily sensations

Question 36

Disorganised symptoms

Answer 36

Loose association - series of ideas with no logical connections neologisms - make up words clang association - make each sentence rhyme Echolalia - repeats what people say to them Echopraxia - mimics others behaviour Word salad - incoherent speech

Question 37

Negative symptoms

Answer 37

Affective flattening - shallow emotions - doesnt express emotions Alogia - not much speech Thought blocking - person begins to speak then forgets what gonna say Avolition - lack of energy Anhedonia - cant experience pleasure

Question 38

What is the general order of symptoms

Answer 38

Usually starts with negative then disorganised then positive