Psychopathology - characterisitics

• Abnormality


  A mental disorder characterised by low mood and low energy levels
• Types of abnormality


  • Phobias
  • Depression
  • OCD
• Phobias


  • An excessive fear and anxiety, triggered by an object, place or situation
  • The extent of the fear is out of proportion to any real danger presented by the phobic stimulus
• Depression


  A mental disorder characterised by low mood and low energy levels
• OCD


  A condition characterised by obsession and/or compulsive behaviour
• 90% of OCD sufferers will experience obsessive thoughts
• Around 10% of OCD sufferers show compulsions alone (they have no obsessions)
• For the majority of OCD sufferers, a compulsive behaviour is performed in an attempt to manage the anxiety produced by the obsession
• Behavioural characteristics of phobias

  • panic
  • avoidance
  • endurance
• Behavioural characteristics of depression

  • shift in activity level
  • shift in sleeping + eating behaviour
  • aggression + self harm
• Behavioural characteristics of OCD

  • compulsions
  • avoidance
• Emotional characteristics of phobias

  • fear
  • anxiety
  • panic
• Emotional characteristics of depression

  • lowered mood
  • anger
  • lowered self-esteem
• Emotional characteristics of OCD

  • anxiety + distress
  • depression
  • guilt + disgust
• cognitive characteristics of phobias

  • irrational beliefs
  • recognising the fear as irrational
  • cognitive distorations
• cognitive characteristics of depression

  • poor concentration
  • dwelling on the negative
  • absolutist thinking
• cognitive characteristics of OCD

  • obsessive thoughts
  • coping strategies
  • insight