AO1 The behavioural, emotional and cognitive characteristics of phobias, depression and obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)

Phobia

An extreme, irrational fear leading to intense anxiety and avoidance of an object or situation

Emotional characteristics of phobias

Fear and anxiety

Behavioural characteristics of phobias

Avoidance and panic

Cognitive characteristics of phobias

Irrational beliefs and selective attention

Fear in phobias

Marked, persistent, excessive and unreasonable

Anxiety in phobias

Unpleasant state of high arousal

Avoidance in phobias

Avoidance of the feared situation interferes with the person’s normal life

Panic in phobias

Response to the object/situation which may lead to crying, freezing or running away

Irrational beliefs in phobias

The person is thinking irrational although they recognize their fear is excessive/unreasonable

Selective attention in phobias

Direct their attention away from the object when it is present

Emotional characteristics of depression

Lowered mood, low self-esteem and anger

Behavioural characteristics of depression

Reduced energy or lethargy, disruption to sleep and disruption to eating

Cognitive characteristics of depression

Negative thoughts/schemas, irrationality and poor concentration

Lowered mood in depression

People are sad and may feel worthless, hopeless or emptiness

Low self-esteem in depression

They like themselves less than usual, some have a sense of self-loathing

Anger in depression

Directed at themselves or others, through self-harming or aggression

Reduced energy or lethargy in depression

Feelings of tiredness, effecting work, education or social life

Disruption to sleep in depression

Some sleep more and other experience insomnia and find it difficult to sleep

Disruption to eating in depression

Some have a reduced appetite whereas other eat considerably more

Negative thoughts/schemas in depression

Focus on the negatives and ignore positives in situations. They experience guilt and often have a negative view of the world and expect things to turn out badly.

Irrationality in depression

Thoughts don’t reflect reality

Poor concentration in depression

Find it hard to stick to a task, make decisions and have poor decision-making

Obsessive compulsive disorder

An anxiety disorder

Emotional characteristics of OCD

Anxiety and guilt/disgust

Behavioural characteristics of OCD

Compulsions and avoidance

Cognitive characteristics of OCD

Obsessions and insight

Anxiety in OCD

Obsessions and compulsions cause considerable distress and worry

Guilt and disgust in OCD

Patients are aware their behaviour is excessive which causes feelings of embarrassment and shame

Compulsions in OCD

Performed to reduce anxiety created by obsessions. Repetitive actions the patient feels they must perform so something bad doesn’t happen

Avoidance in OCD

Avoid situations that trigger their anxiety

Obsessions in OCD

Recurrent intrusive thoughts or impulses that are seen as inappropriate

Insight in OCD

People with OCD know their obsession and compulsions are irrational, but cannot help it.