Physchopathology Flashcards
(13 cards)
Define Statistical Infrequency and evaluate it
Defines Abnormality as statistically rare characteristics and behaviours. The further a characteristic or behaviour is from the mathematical average the more rare it is.
Good: provides a clear way of determining whether something is abnormal. Good measure for many psychological disorders such as intellectual disabilities.
Bad: infrequency does not always mean abnormality. Some psychological disorders are different to measure objectively.
Define deviation from social norms and evaluate it.
Social norms are the expected rules of behaviour in society
e.g wearing clothes in public and respecting people’s personal space
Good: social norms are flexible to account for the individual and situation
Bad: social norms change over time
They also change over cultures
Define failure to function adequately and evaluate it
When a person is unable to navigate everyday life or behave in the necessary ways to live a normal life
Rosenham and Seligman(1989) identified various feautures of abnormality:
Personal distress
Maladaptive Behaviour
Irrationality
Unpredictably
Discomfort to others
Good: majority of people who seek clinical help for psychological disorders do so because they believe the disorder is affecting their ability to function normally
Bad: not everyone with a mental disorder is unable to function in society
Define Deviation from ideal mental health and evaluate it
Defined the normal characteristics people should possess. Jahoda (1958) identified 6 criteria relating to ideal mental health.
A positive attitude towards self
Self actualisation
Autonomy
Ability to resist stress
An accurate perception of reality
Mastery of environment
Good: focuses on entire person rather than atomised element
Provides a positive goal to strive for
Bad: very few people meet all the criteria’s
Hard to measure
Define the emotional, behavioural and cognitive characteristics of Phobias
Emotional: Nature to feel some fear in opposed danger but people with phobias experience extreme fear that is uncontrollable.
Behavioural: Screaming, crying, running away from feared stimuli. A phobic person will try to avoid the stimuli. Person with aero phobia will stay away from airports .
Cognitive: most people with phobias recognise their fear is irrational. This recognition does little to reduce the fear the phobia person feels.
Define Systematic Desensitisation and evaluate it.
Gradually increasing exposure to the feared stimuli until it no longer induces anxiety
A person feared of spiders will be asked to:
1) imagine spiders and guide through relaxation strategies until they stay calm.
2) process repeated with pictures of spiders
3) seeing spiders in a cage
4) holding an actual spider
Good: effective. Acceptable to clients
Bad: ignores any deep underlying psychological or emotional issues
Most evidence suggests flooding is more effective.
Define flooding and evaluate it
Involves exposing the person to the most extreme scenarios straight away.
The person would be placed in direct contact with spiders until their anxiety response stops
Good: highly effective and quick treatment for phobias
Bad: deliberately creates high levels of anxiety so is a traumatic experience for phobic patients
Less effective for some types of phobias such as social ones
Define emotional, behavioural and cognitive characteristics of OCD
Emotional: High levels of anxiety and stress in response to obsessive thought me and inability to control compulsive behaviours
Behavioural: continuous repetition of rituals and behaviours in response to obsessive thoughts. Both the obsessive thoughts and the compulsive behaviours get in the way of everyday functioning, work and social interactions.
Cognitive: continually repeat thoughts to do with their obsession and cognitive biases mean they have difficulty focusing on anything else. They are aware of their inappropriate and exaggerated thoughts.
Define the SERT Gene
A mutation of this gene increases reabsorption of serotonin by the pre synaptic neuron so less is available at the synapse, so there is less firing of the post synaptic neuron.
Reduces serotonin action -> less calm + happy
Define the COMT gene
A mutation in the gene causes less reabsorption of dopamine by the pre synaptic neuron so more is available at the synapse so there is more firing of the post synaptic neuron.
Boosts dopamine action -> increases stimulation
Neural explanation of OCD
1) Orbital Frontal Cortex detects a potential danger
2) Threat sent via basil ganglia to the Thalamus
3) The thalamus then sends a signal back to the OFC to take action
Define Emotional, behavioural and cognitive characteristics of Depression
Emotional: People with depression experience persistent feeling of sadness. This low mood may come and go in cycles lasting months or years.
Behavioural: Low energy, reduced activity, reduced social interactions.
Irregular sleep patterns.
Gain or loose weight
Cognitive: May have exaggerated or delusional negative thoughts about themselves and what people think of them. They may have difficulty concentrating and remembering things. May think suicidal.
Define the cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)
Sees depression as caused by negative, irrational and maladaptive thought patterns. CBT treats depression by identifying these depressed thought patterns and replacing them with alternative ones.
Therapists help identifying patients depressed thought patterns. Therapist then encourages the patient to question these depressed thought patterns and recognise them as unhelpful and not representative of reality. The patient is then encouraged to replace these irrational and unhelpful thoughts affects the patients mood, which in turn affects the patients behaviour
