Edexcel GCSE Psychology (Psychological Problems)

What is unipolar depression?

A type of mood disorder causing periods of feeling sad and lacking motivation to do everyday activities.

What does ICD-10 stand for?

International Classification of Disease - version 10

What are the 3 categories that unipolar depression can be put in?

Mild

Moderate

Severe

Name some symptoms of unipolar depression? [8 possible answers]

• Not enjoying activities that they used to enjoy doing.

• Poor sleep, finding it difficult to fall asleep or waking up tired.

• Extreme tiredness that is not relieved by sleep.

• Poor appetite or an increased appetite.

• Lack of self-esteem.

• Feeling guilt or blaming themselves for problems.

• Acting nervously or feeling like general behaviour has slowed.

• Feeling suicidal or attempting to commit suicide.

What are the 3 main symptoms of unipolar depression?

• Lowering of mood - feeling sad or upset.

• Lack of energy after rest.

• Lack of motivation.

What does ICD-10 require a patient to have before diagnosis of unipolar depression?

The ICD-10 require them to have at least one of the three main symptoms for at least 2 weeks on most days.

The patient should also suffer from another one of the three symptoms at some point in that two week period.

How many symptoms are present in mild depression?

4 symptoms are present in mild depression.

How many symptoms are present in moderate depression?

5 or 6 symptoms are present in moderate depression.

How many symptoms are present in severe depression?

7 or more symptoms are displayed.

What features or characteristics may we see from a person with mild depression?

The person may find their symptoms upsetting but they will be able to carry out most day-to-day activities.

What do the ICD-10 refer to addiction as?

A dependance disorder, because the body ‘depends’ on the substance or activity to feel normal.

What features or characteristics may we see from someone with severe depression?

The person may have suicidal thoughts or engage in self-harm to cope with their feelings.

What is addiction?

Addiction is a psychological problem where people feel the need to 'have' or 'do' something regularly to avoid negative feelings.

What are withdrawal symptoms?

A set of unpleasant physical and psychological symptoms a person feels when trying to quit an addiction. The person may take or do the thing again to just feel 'normal'.

What features or characteristics may we see from someone with moderate depression?

The person may struggle to do day-to-day activities, such as going to work or school.

What are the symptoms of a dependance disorder (or addiction)? 6 possible answers.

• Frequently feeling the need to take a substance.

• Stopping or reducing the substance is very difficult.

• Physical withdrawal symptoms such as: shaking, sweating or vomiting when the substance is not used for a period of time.

• Developing tolerance to a substance: meaning a person needs to take more of the substance to get the same effect over time.

• Replacing normal, fun activities with time spent using the substance.

• Ignoring the evidence that the use of the substance is harmful to them.

What are the symptoms of behavioural addiction?

• The need to do the activity regularly.

• Reducing the activity is very difficult.

• Doing the activity more often or making if it more risky and extreme to get the same buzz.

• Spending more and more time doing the activity. doing other things they used to enjoy less.

• Ignoring arguments that the activity is unhealthy or damaging.

How many symptoms need to be present over how long to be diagnosed with addiction?

3 symptoms need to be present at the same time over at least a 1 month period.

How has the incidence of mental health problems changed over time?

• Over the years, the amount of people being diagnosed with depression and other mental illnesses is growing.

• Brandon Hidaka suggests that 'modern living' is more stressful and has more risk factors that lead to depression, for example: sleep deprivation.

• The rise in cases in teenagers being diagnosed is heavily growing too.

• Jean Twenage found that the cause of the rise in cases in teenagers could mean that their lifestyles are more stressful today than in the past.

• Liu yo Lin has shown links between high social media usage and depression in her studies.

How do mental health problems affect individuals and society?

• A major effect of depression is the increasing risk of individuals committing suicide.

• Many people are missing work because of mental illnesses, this puts a strain on workforces that need to get emergency cover.

• Antidepressant drugs are very expensive to prescribe.

• There are not enough therapist to help council patients.

• Treatment, drug and therapeutic, costs NHS a lot, which could put a strain on their other services.

What is genetic predisposition?

A biological tendency to develop a particular behaviour as a result of the genes someone has.

What is the diathesis-stress model?

An explanation for depression that claims people can have a gene that makes them more likely to develop depression, but only if they face a stressful situation that triggers depressive thoughts.

What are the strengths of using a genetic explanation for depression?

• If we look at depression as a result of genes people inherit then society may be more accepting of those with depression. People with depression may be more accepting of having depression and they may be more willing to have treatment.

• Lots of research backs up the point that genetics has an impact on developing depression. This can be seen from the twin studies and the amount of serotonin people have in their bodies.

What is serotonin?

A neurotransmitter associated with controlling mood.

What are the weaknesses of using genetic explanation for depression?

• Some people believe that you have the free will to choose whether or not you 'let yourself' become depressed.

• Another argument is that the genetic theory is reductionist because it does not take into account that many other factors can contribute to a person becoming depressed.

What are the strengths of using genetic explanation for addiction?

• There is scientific evidence such as twin studies and adoption studies.

• Genetic explanation can help use understand why some people find it easier to stop and start addictive activities. This allows us to have better understanding in how to treat addiction.

What are the weaknesses of using genetic explanation for addiction?

• It is reductionist because it fails to take into account other factors that lead to addiction.

• Research has not been able to find a single gene that explains where addiction comes from.

What is the cognitive theory explanation of depression?

Cognitive theory states that behaviour can be explained by looking at how the brain processes information, and therefore how we think.

What is Negative triad?

A set of thought patterns where people feel bad about themselves, the future and the world in general. This develops from bad past experiences.

How did Aaron Beck explain depression?

He suggested that depression can be explained by negative thought patterns that people have based upon past experiences. These are negative self-schemas.

What did Ellis's ABC model suggest?

• Activating event: something that makes a person feel bad or unsettled. E.g. a bad exam result.

• Beliefs: A person will associate the event to why it has happened, this can be rational or irrational.

• Consequences: - If a person has a rational thought, they will think they failed the exam because they didn’t study enough.

- If a person has an irrational thought, they will think they’ve failed because they went to a birthday party last week, although they studied the rest of the time.

Strengths of the cognitive theory explanation?

• It takes into account past events in people's life's.

• It has been applied to modern day therapy, cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT).

Weaknesses of the cognitive theory explanation?

• It is difficult to tell if irrational thoughts are a caused of depression or a symptom?

• Some types of depression cannot be explained by past life experiences.

What is the genetic theory of addiction?

There is some evidence that addictions run through families which explains why some people can do addictive activities but still not become addicted. However, others may do an activity once and become addicted.

How does the Twin study link to genetics?

The Twin study found that identical twins, monozygotic twins with 100% shared genes are more likely to share the same addiction.

However, dizygotic (unidentical) twins were less likely.

How does the adopted child study link to addiction and genetics?

If adopted children who had at least one biological parent with alcohol addiction they were more likely to show signs of alcohol addiction themselves.

Strengths of the genetic explanation of addiction?

• There are scientific studies that back up the genetic theory, such as twin and adoption studies. This makes the theory more reliable.

• It helps us understand why some people are more prone to becoming addicts. This helps doctors find ways to find ways of treating different individuals.

Weaknesses of the genetic explanation of addiction?

• It is reductionist because it fails to take social factors into account.

• Research has not been able to find a single gene that explains where addiction comes from. DDR2 A1 has been linked but is not fully responsible for addiction.

What is CBT?

Cognitive behavioural therapy is a type of therapy used to treat many different mental health disorders.

The main aims are to help patients change the way they think (cognitive side). And to change they way they act to improve their symptoms (behavioural side).

What are the strengths of using CBT to treat depression?

• There is evidence to suggest that it is effective. Matthijis Beltmen found that depressed patients treated with CBT improved more than those patients without CBT.

• CBT is longer lasting treatment, compared to antidepressants, which can stop working after a period of time or cause problems when used for long periods. With CBT, patients learn to control and deal with thoughts and emotions - this knowledge can be used after therapy.

What are the weaknesses of using CBT to treat depression?

• It relies on patients wanting to change their behaviour and on the patient realising their thoughts are irrational. A symptom of depression is a lack of motivation, so patients may not be able to attend all session and complete homework.

• There are also ethical objections. Some people believe therapist encourage patients that they way they think is 'wrong', this could further put the patient into a depressive sate.

• Some therapists could abuse their power or change people's ways of thinking to suit what the therapist believes to be 'normal'.

What are the 2 stages when using CBT to treat addicts?

• Functional analysis.

• Skills training.

What is Functional analysis?

The first stage of CBT to treat addiction. The therapist and patient identify who, what or where is the cause of their addictive triggers.

What is Skills training?

The second stage of CBT to treat addiction whereby addicts learn ways to control the patterns of behaviour that lead to addiction. Patient will learn skills and activities that prevent addictive triggered, they will usually also have a diary for homework.

What are the strengths of using CBT to treat addiction?

• It aims to help patients control their own addictive behaviour which can help them through the rest of their life.

• Research evidence finds that this method is effective in especially treating people with internet addictions.

What are the weaknesses of using CBT to treat addiction?

• The patient has got to be motivated and willing to change their behaviour. One symptom of addiction is finding it hard to stop and ignoring evidence that the addiction is harmful.

• It is found that over time, patients start to forget and ignore what they have learned if they don't continue to practice the prevention skills: this causes the addiction to return.

Explain drug therapy to treat depression.

Antidepressant drugs work by raising the levels of neurotransmitters such as serotonin and noradrenaline, which are thought to play a role in our mood.

These drugs are given to patients who have suffered from long term and/or recurring episodes of mild or severe depression.

What are the strengths of drug therapy on depression?

• Antidepressant drugs can improve a patients symptoms enough to make it easier for them to attend psychological therapy such as CBT. This is because the patient will have better motivation to attend sessions and complete the homework they are set.

• Evidence shows that patients who take antidepressants show more improvement than to other patients who take placebo drugs or no drug at all.

What are the weaknesses of drug therapy on depression?

• The antidepressant drugs can have unpleasant side effects when combined with particular foods; the patients will need to follow a strict diet plan to prevent side effects.

• The side effects are: drowsiness, nauseous and dizziness.

• Many argue that the drugs improve symptoms but do not cure the patients from depression.

• A patient may feel better and stop taking the drug, but once the medication has left the body, there will no longer be an increase in neurotransmitters. This can cause the patients symptoms to return, causing a relapse.

What is a relapse?

A return of symptoms after treatment has been given.

How can drugs be used to treat addiction?

Drug therapy can be used to help a patient cope with the effects of detoxification.

What is detoxification?

When an addict tries to stop taking the substance they are addicted to.

How does withdraw impact drug addicts?

When a person stops taking a substance they are addicted to, they can face physical symptoms of withdrawal as the substance leaves their system.

For example: loss of appetite, insomnia, shaking, headaches.

This can make detoxification a difficult process.

What are the strengths of using drugs to treat addiction?

• There is evidence that shows patients with addictions see a decrease in their addictive activities whilst using drug therapy compared to patients who do not use drug therapy.

• Using drugs can lower a patients cravings, making it easier for them to spend more time with therapist for additional treatment.

What are the weaknesses of using drugs to treat addiction?

• There is no conclusive evidence that states drug therapy works on all individuals with all types of addiction. Drug therapy is limited to who it actually helps and what addictions it can actually stop.

• It is argued that giving medication to someone who already an addiction, especially a drug addiction, could worsen a person's problems further.

What are the aims of Capsi’s influence of life stress on depression study?

• To investigate why stressful life evens seem to lead to depression in some people but not others.

• To Investigate if stressful life events are more likely to lead to depression for people with a certain variant of the 5-HTT gene.

What was the procedure of Caspi’s Influence of life stress on depression study.

• Participants were members of the Dunedin Multidisciplinary Health and Development Study - a group of children who have been studies since birth.

• A total of 847 participants.

• The participants were divided up into 3 different groups based on the version of the 5-HTT gene they had.

• Participants completed questionnaires about all their life events between their 21st and 26th birthday. They were asked about relationships, money issues, health issues etc.

• Another questionnaire asked if the participants had any symptoms of depression before their 26 birthday.

What were the results of Capsi’s Influence of life stress on depression?

• Participants who had a short version of the 5-HTT gene and experienced stressful life experiences between 21 and 26 had shown significant increase in symptoms of depression.

• These participants with the short version of the gene and had suffered from stressful life experiences were more likely to be diagnosed with depression and had serious thoughts of suicide.

What did were the conclusions of Capsi’s Influence of life stress on depression?

The evidence suggested that there is a significant interaction between life events and genetic influences in causing depression.

What are the strengths of Caspi’s Influence of life stress on depression study?

• There were 847 participants, which is a very large sample. This means a that generalising the results from the study should be easier and more reliable.

• The results can help doctors in identifying the reasons for someone's depression by looking at the 5-HTT gene, they can understand that particular variants of the gene is a cause of a patients depression.

What are the weaknesses of Capsi’s Influence of life of life stress on depression?

• Some people are more likely to put themselves in stressful situations that lead to their depression, such as working a particular job. This could mean that the gene has little influence on depression and that it's actually mostly down to life experiences.

• Evidence for self-report data may not be reliable. Some people may exaggerate their symptoms.

What is a longitudinal study?

The same people are tested over a period of time to investigate changes.

What were the aims to Young’s therapy with internet addicts experiment?

To investigate the effect of using CBT to treat a group patients diagnosed with internet addiction.

What was the procedure to Young’s therapy with internet addicts experiment?

• 114 participants who had been diagnosed with internet problems.

• Participants were given o line CBT sessions where they done functional analysis and skills training to help deal with their addiction.

• Participants filled out questionnaires during 3rd, 8th and 12th sessions to track their progress.

• The participants then filled out a questionnaire 6 months after treatment to see the effects.

What were the results of Young’s therapy with internet addicts experiment?

• Many people felt they had improved symptoms.

• Men's addictions were mostly towards pornography and women's addictions were mostly towards online chat rooms.

What were the conclusions to Young’s Therapy with internet addicts experiment?

The results of this study suggests that CBT can have an effective treatment for internet addiction because clients reported an increase in their ability to control problem behaviours. It also seems to give effective long-term effects.

What are the strengths of Young’s therapy with internet addiction experiment?

• Evidence shows that CBT can be a useful method into helping treat internet addiction.

• Some people may be embarrassed to see a therapist in real life, so running the sessions online might encourage more people to access treatment for addictions.

• Using questionnaires with the same score format allowed examiners to compare a patients before and after results.

What are the weaknesses of Young’s therapy with internet addiction experiment?

• People may lie in the questionnaire because they know they should be getting better with their addictions in decreasing internet use. Instead they lie to make it seem they are getting better.

• CBT does not show to help with all types of internet addiction as there are many different types.

What the 3 main learning theories for addiction?

• Classical conditioning.

• Operant conditioning.

• Social learning theory.

What is classical conditioning?

Learning by association. If a patient does an activity or takes a substance and gains a positive feeling from it, they are then likely to associate that feeling with the substance or activity...making them want to do or take it again.

Another example can be: eating a food and then becoming sick. The brain subconsciously associates that food with becoming sick, which is why you feel sick when you see or smell the food again.

What is operant conditioning?

Learning from consequences of actions. If a person receives a positive feeling or result from taking or doing something, then they are more likely to do it again and this is how addiction can start.

The positive consequence received is a form of reinforcement that strengthens a behaviour and makes it more likely to be repeated.

Where an addict tried to quit, they will find it hard because they experience bad side effects, and so they learn that by stopping they will feel bad so they continue with the addiction.

What is social learning theory?

Social learning theory claims that behaviour is learned as a result of observing other people, especially those we consider role models.

If someone we look up to has a particular addiction, we ourselves are more likely to copy the addiction. For example, a parent that smokes is more likely to have a child that grows to smoke, compared to a parent that doesn't.

What are the strengths of the learning theories?

• By assuming addiction is learnt, they are also behaviours that can be unlearnt. This is an important factor when it comes to treating addiction.

• Classical conditioning explains why addicts sometimes relapse even years after they have stopped.

What are the weaknesses of the learning theories?

• It is reductionist because it ignores the role of biological factors that could influence addiction.

• Learning theories do not explain how many people take part in 'addictive' activities but only a small amount actually become addicted.

What is detoxification?

When an addict tries to stop taking the substance they are addicted to.

What is nature?

Nature refers to the biological factors that influence a persons behaviour, and these are generally in place before we are born. An example can be in the genes we inherit for our parents.

What is nurture?

Nurture refers to the environmental factors that can influence a persons behaviour, mostly after they are born.

What claim backs up the thought that psychological problems are caused by nurture?

CBT helps in training people to control and change their emotions to over come symptoms. This backs up the point that mental health problems are learned. From this we can unlearn them, backing up the argument of nurture being the cause.

What claim backs up the thought that psychological problem are caused by nature.

From Caspi's experiment, links can be found between depression and a particular gene called 5-HTT, this backs up the nature argument.