Characteristics

• What is a phobia?

  An irrational fear of an object or a situation
• How are phobias characterized?

  By excessive fear and anxiety disproportionate to real danger
• What categories of phobia does the DSM-5 recognize?

  Specific phobia, social anxiety, and agoraphobia
• What is a specific phobia?

  A phobia of an object or a situation
• What is social anxiety also known as?

  Social phobia
• What is agoraphobia?

  A phobia of being outside or in a public place
• What are the three categories of symptoms for mental health disorders?

  • Cognitive: the ways in which people think
  • Emotional: the way in which people feel
  • Behavioural: the ways in which people act
• What is a common behavioral response of a phobic person when encountering their phobic stimulus?

  They may panic, cry, scream, or run away
• How do most phobia sufferers behave towards their phobic stimulus?

  They go to great lengths to avoid it
• What is avoidance in the context of phobias?

  Remaining in the presence of the phobic stimulus while experiencing high anxiety
• What are cognitive distortions in phobics?

  Distorted perceptions of the phobic stimulus
• What are irrational beliefs in relation to phobic stimuli?

  Beliefs that increase pressure on the sufferer to perform well in social situations
• What is selective attention to phobic stimuli?

  Difficulty in looking away from the phobic stimulus
• How are phobias classified in terms of emotional response?

  As anxiety disorders involving anxiety and fear
• What is the difference between anxiety and fear in the context of phobias?

  Anxiety is long-term, while fear is an immediate response
• What is an example of a phobia and its emotional response?

  Arachnophobia involves increased anxiety when near spiders
• How do emotional responses to phobic stimuli manifest?

  They often go beyond what is reasonable
• What characterizes all forms of depression?

  Changes to mood
• What categories of depression does the DSM-5 recognize?

  Major depressive disorder, disruptive mood dysregulation disorder, persistent depressive disorder, and premenstrual dysphoric disorder
• What is major depressive disorder?

  Severe but often short-term depression
• What is disruptive mood dysregulation disorder?

  Childhood temper tantrums
• What is persistent depressive disorder?

  Long-term or recurring depression
• What is premenstrual dysphoric disorder?

  Disruption to mood prior to and/or during menstruation
• What are the behavioral characteristics of depression?

  • Reduced activity levels leading to lethargy
  • Disruption to sleep and eating behavior
  • Aggression and self-harm
• How do activity levels change in depression?

  Sufferers typically have reduced energy and may withdraw from life
• What is psychomotor agitation in depression?

  Struggling to relax and pacing up and down
• How does depression affect sleep and eating behavior?

  It can lead to reduced sleep or increased need for sleep and changes in appetite
• What aggressive behaviors can result from depression?

  Individuals may become verbally or physically aggressive, including self-harm
• What are the cognitive characteristics of depression?

  • Poor concentration
  • Attending to and dwelling on the negative
  • Absolutist thinking
• How does depression affect concentration?

  It is associated with poor levels of concentration
• What is attending to and dwelling on the negative in depression?

  Focusing on negative aspects and recalling unhappy events
• What is absolutist thinking in depression?

  Thinking in terms of all good or all bad situations
• What are the emotional characteristics of depression?

  • Lowered mood
  • Anger
  • Lowered self-esteem
• How is lowered mood described in depression?

  More pronounced than everyday feelings of sadness
• What role does anger play in depression?

  Sufferers frequently experience anger, sometimes extreme
• How does depression affect self-esteem?

  It tends to reduce self-esteem significantly
• What does OCD stand for?

  Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
• What common feature do OCD and related disorders share?

  Repetitive behavior accompanied by obsessive thinking
• What are the two elements of compulsions in OCD?

  Compulsions are repetitive and reduce anxiety
• How do compulsions help OCD sufferers?

  They are performed to manage anxiety produced by obsessions