Psychopathology

75%

Efficacy of CBT for OCD

ABC model

Ellis's explanation for how irrational thoughts affect behaviour A= activating event, B+ beliefs, C= consequences. The source of irrational beliefs = mustabatory assumptions

Agoraphobia

Irrational fear of being outside or in a public place

Avoidance

The act of staying away from something (e.g. the phobic object or situation)

Basal ganglia

Region of the brain involved in the coordination of movement that has been linked to OCD

Beck's Negative Triad

This demonstrates that there are 3 key elements in a person's beliefs which result in depression: the self, the future and the world. These are formed from negative schemas.

Benzodiazepines

Anti-anxiety drugs which work by enhancing the effect of the inhibitory neurotransmitter GABA. Are used to treat OCD as they have a quietening effect on the brain and reduce anxiety causes by obsessive thoughts

Bipolar depression

Condition where a person has periods of elevated mood (mania) as well as periods of depression

Catastrophising

Cognitive error where you exaggerate a minor setback and turn it into a major disaster

CBT

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy is a commonly used therapy which involves challenging and replacing irrational thoughts

Cognitive bias

Error in thinking caused by simplified information processing

Cognitive distortions

Maximising, minimising, generalising, catastrophising, all-or-nothing thinking or personalisation.

Compulsion

An irresistible urge to behave in a certain way

COMT gene

This provides instructions for making an enzyme called catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT). Catechol-O-methyltransferase (COMT) breaks down (degrades) dopamine in the synapse, maintaining appropriate levels of dopamine in the brain. A fault in this gene could lead to a dysregulation of serotonin (like the dysregulation associated with OCD).

Counter-conditioning

Learning a new response to the phobic object/situation e.g. replacing fear with relaxation

Cultural relativism

The idea that cultural norms and values are culture specific and no-one culture is superior to another culture

D in ABCDEFGHI for Depression

Disputing - to challenge irrational beliefs

Deviation from Ideal Mental Health

defines abnormality as the absence of signs of good mental health according to six categories proposed by Marie Jahoda: SPPEAR: S=self-actualisation, P=personal autonomy, P=positive attitudes, E=environmental mastery, A=accurate perception of reality, R=resistance to stress (autonomy)

Deviation from Social Norms

defines abnormality as anything that is different to social norms or expectations: these standards could be implicit (e.g. politeness) or enforced (e.g. crimes). Most people in a given group are socialised in line with these norms.

Dopamine

Higher levels of this neurotransmitter have been associated with the compulsions shown by OCD patients

DSM-V

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition is the standard classification of mental disorders used in the United States.

Effects of disputing and effective attitude to life

E in in ABCDEFGHI for Depression

Empirical disputing

Challenging self-defeating beliefs that may not be consistent with reality e.g. where is the evidence to support this belief?

Failure to Function Adequately

defines abnormality as not being able to cope in everyday life - this can cause distress to that individual and/or others who have a role in that individuals life. E.g. WHODAS is an assessment of ability to function /180

Fear hierarchy

A list of situations related to the phobic object/situation arranged in order from least to most frightening

Flooding

An intensive treatment for phobias where the patient experiences the worst of their phobia in one long session. This relies on adrenaline depletion and relaxation.

Homework

H in in ABCDEFGHI for Depression. This is where irrational beliefs are tested against the evidence and can be used to establish new and more rational beliefs.

ICD 10

The 10th revision of the International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems, produced by the World Health Organisation

Inactivity challenged/behavioural activation

I in in ABCDEFGHI for Depression. Pleasurable tasks can provide positive rewards that will act as an antidote to depression. This means the client is more likely to have a more positive outlook on life.

Logical disputing

Challenging self-defeating beliefs that do not follow logically from the information available e.g. Is this belief logical?

New feelings that are produced

F in in ABCDEFGHI for Depression

Obsession

An idea or thought that continually preoccupies or intrudes on a person's mind.

Orbifrontal cortex

A region of the brain which converts sensory information into thoughts and actions- higher activity has been found here in OCD patients

Pragmatic disputing

Challenging self-defeating beliefs by emphasizing the lack of usefulness of these beliefs e.g. Is this way of thinking going to help you?

Publication bias

A negative of drug therapy for OCD - which means that the positive benefits (even of less successful studies) were exaggerated, or the studies that went wrong may not have even been published. This is because a lot of this research is funded by the same drug companies who would benefit from selling these drugs.

REBT

Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy is a type of CBT based on Ellis's ABC model

Serotonin

Neurotransmitter which regulates mood - lower levels are associated with OCD

SERT gene

The SERT gene provides instructions for a protein that transports serotonin from the synaptic cleft back to the presynaptic neuron. This transport of serotonin by the SERT protein terminates the action of serotonin and recycles it, maintaining appropriate levels of serotonin in the brain. A fault in this gene could lead to a dysregulation of serotonin (like the dysregulation associated with OCD).

SSRIs

Antidepressant drugs used to treat OCD which work by preventing the re-absorption and breakdown of serotonin. This is because low levels of serotonin are implicated in OCD (and the anxiety that comes with it).

Statistical Infrequency

defines abnormality as behaviour that is not typical or common on a frequency distribution graph, it would lie in the extremes not the normal distribution.

Systematic desensitisation

A treatment for phobias in which the person is taught to relax and then is gradually exposed to the feared object, activity or event. This uses counterconditioning (and reciprocal inhibition) to reduce the effect of the phobic stimulus.

Tricyclics (or TCAs)

They (the drug) work on serotonin, noradrenaline (excitatory) and acetylcholine (excitatory). The mechanism of action is to inhibit the reuptake process which occurs after the release of the both serotonin and noradrenaline from the pre-synaptic neuron and block the receptors for acetylcholine.

Two-process model

Mowrer (1947) proposed this to explain how phobias are learnt: classical conditioning is used to explain the acquisition (initiation), and operant conditioning is used to explain the maintenance of phobias.

Unconditional positive reGard

Acceptance without judGement - G in ABCDEFGHI for Depression. If a client felt worthless - there is less value in changing their beliefs and behaviours.

Unipolar depression

A major depressive episode that occurs without the manic phase

3/4

Efficacy of SSRIs for depression

80

Number of candidate genes for OCD

60% ish

Efficacy of drug therapy for OCD

60-90%

Efficacy of Exposure and Response Prevention therapy for OCD

90%

Efficacy for REBT as claimed by Ellis taking an average of 27 sessions.

75%

Efficacy of SD for phobias