Clinical Psychology Questions

strengthening of EGO

The data are raw observations about a phenomenon, which are stable features or observations of the world, a theory describes how a phenomenon comes about.

adaptive response of organisms/cells to moderate exposure and a maladaptive response to intense exposure. it is basically (functional) adaptation to new (high-level stress) exposure

newborn mouse opening its eyes 2 weeks earlier than it should because its mother isn't present; the high stress levels indicated danger due to the mothers disappearance. It serves as a functional adaptation for the baby mouse in case of danger, it can see and protect itself.

Incentive-sensitization theory

It is an interaction of genetic factors (hit 1) with early-life environmental factors (hit 2) exposed to later life environments (hit 3) which may compromise mental functions & increase the risk of psychiatric functions.

Stress sensitisation. The same stressful experience experienced multiple times over time creates a lower threshold and its impact increases as well → linear growth

The stress-inoculation theory: if you expose yourself to a moderate stressor you can train yourself to be more resilient the cumulative stress model: with cumulative stressors across a lifespan it can exceed a certain threshold which enhances the risk of the development of psychopathy in at-risk individuals.

in addiction people often learn this behavior by for example observing your parents drink in social situations and thus thinking that is normal.

overdose is not an accurate wording, because overdosing depends on the environment rather than the amount of drugs. Someone who uses x amount of drugs at home and is used to it, can OD in a completely new environment with that same amount of drugs.

Due to classical conditioning; we can learn from others to use alcohol to calm our nerves, but if you are nervous every day you easily abuse alcohol every day to calm down, this is a learned coping mechanism which is very harmful.

That the concept of addiction was a social construct. They found out because half of the veterans were addicted to heroin but only 12 percent got re-addicted.

because there are cultural differences, expression of mental health problems are different, help seeking differs, social support differs, and there are biological differences too.

bidirectional relationship: depression can lead to diabetes and diabetes could lead to depression

High symptoms burden, more functional impairment, lower quality of life, expensive costs, premature mortality

1. it is learnt behavior

2. it emerges in an environmental context

3. it is developed & maintained by particular thought processes and patterns.

4. CBT can be integrated well with other approaches as different approaches tend towards similar outcomes.

Anxiety and Depression disorders

Homework, psychoeducation, relaxation training, Exposure, cognitive restructuring

1. current cognitive functioning

2. attentional ability

3. memory

4. executive functioning

1. reconstructing misinterpretations

2. exposure therapy

gait and balance decline with age, and older adults are at an increased risk for fall.

In separation anxiety, anxiety occurs when anticipating or separating from home (or major attachment figures), whereas in SM, there is a consistent failure to speak in specific social situations despite speaking in other situations. Children with SM are often willing to engage through nonverbal communication.

safety behaviors --> anxiety sensitivity --> aversion to somatic sensations associated with anxiety-inducing situations/experiences --> interoceptive avoidance. A decrease in safety behaviors is associated with a decrease in anxiety.

ability to observe thoughts and feelings as objective events rather than identifying those thoughts, feelings and beliefs to oneself

1. catastrophizing

2. overestimating the likelihood of negative outcomes

Acquisition of fear through classical conditioning. Avoidance of fear stimulus is reinforced through operant conditioning (avoidance → reduces anxiety → safety behaviours --> cycle)

because they facilitate treatment selection, communication and prognosis, but they are based on data. Mental disorders can be described by diagnoses, which are arbitrary due to their descriptive nature

because diagnoses are constructs, not observations, used in clinical situations → not natural. Diagnoses don't have sharp boundaries --> overlap or comorbidity

1. underlying mechanisms

2. functions

3. evolution

refers to legal substances (nicotine and alcohol) as a gateway for the progressive use of soft drugs (prescription drugs and cannabis) to more illicit substances (cocaine and heroin)

drug addiction is an excessive amplification of psychological 'wanting', triggered by cues, without an amplification of 'liking'

1. features of trauma memories

2. negative meanings of trauma

3. avoidance

1. Psychoeducation

2. exposure

3. emotion regulation (4) dealing with a range of emotions (5) changing memories (6) changing personal meanings

External threat: result from appraisals about impending danger, leading to excessive fear internal threat: result from negative appraisals about one's behavior, emotions or reactions during the trauma

1. Rumination

2. avoidance of reminders (3) substance use (4) safety behavior (5) suppression of memories

1. appraisals

2. memory characteristics

3. cognitive/behavioral strategies

1. identifying threatening personal meanings

2. Identifying updating information

3. Active incorporation of the updating information in to the hot spots

imaginal reliving: the therapist will only assess the memory 2-3 times PET: more sessions are devoted to reliving the traumatic event.

the parts in a traumatic experience that have been misinterpreted and that have to be updated to change negative appraisal beliefs

imagery transformation techniques; the client transforms the trauma image into a new image that signifies the trauma is over.

because one may experience a lot of positive symptoms; as non-existent entities add to ones reality.

1. delusional disorder

2. schizoaffective disorder

3. major depressive disorder (4). bipolar disorder (5). psychosis due to substance use or medical conditions

1. does not work if the client has too much paranoia

2. Medication is almost always necessary

3. does not work if comprehension/attention/memory/language/motivation are severely impaired.

event --> automatic thought (AT) or belief (AB) --> influenced by a core belief about oneself, others, and/or the future --> an emotional and physiological reaction --> can have behavioral consequences

Normalization of psychotic symptoms; people who buy a lottery ticket often experience grandiosity as they think they will win

probing questions meant to stimulate critical thinking to elicit challenging ideas

ego-dystonic: is incongruent with ones desires ego-syntonic: is congruent with ones desires

1. Hallucinations/delusions

2. negative symptoms

3. disorganisation

affects

1. visual perception (metamorphopsia)

2. hearing and the sense of touch

3. sense of time

4. perception of one's own body and its parts (body image distortion)

less social cohesion, less social control, socio-economic disparities, more stimulation, relative high drug use and pollution

1. Novo mutation hypothesis: increase in age --> more mutations --> potential error in the baby's DNA

2. selection into late fatherhood; more desirable men are picked first --> the less desirable ones are 'left over'

Plagiopsia: all vertical lines seem slanted Macropsia: object seems larger than it is in real life Achromatopsia: inability to see colour

1. Prior suicidal thoughts and behaviors

2. Psychopathology

3. Suicidal thoughts and behaviour exposure (in media)

1. Anhedonia

2. Insomnia (3). loss of appetite (4). Memory and concentration difficulties

1. Stress-sensitization theory: the impact of stressors increases with successive stimuli

2. allostatic load: the accumulating wear and tear on the body (3.) Hormesis: adaptive responses of cells/organisms to moderate exposure and maladaptive responses on high-level/intense exposure (4.) Kindling: After and episode the threshold for depression will be lower and lower

seeing contours around an object

1. negative appraisals

2. Characteristics of trauma memories

The idea that suppressing mental images has paradoxical effects

1. identifying personal meanings through imaginal reliving, narrative relieving and content discussion.

2. Identifying updating information

3. Active incorporation of updating info into hot spots

1. Case formulation

2. Reclaiming/rebuilding life assignment

3. Changing problematic appraisals

4. Update trauma memories (5). Discrimination training with triggers of reexperiencing (6). Site visit (7). Dropping unhelpful behaviors and cognitive processes (8). Blueprint