Characteristics

• Clinical characteristics of phobias

  > Behavioural

  • Avoidance
  • Panic - crying, screaming or running away from stimulus, alternatively freezing or fainting

  > Cognitive

  • Persistent irrational beliefs
  • Selective attention

  > Emotional

  • Anxiety - exposure causes worry or distress
  • Fear - exposure causes terror
• Clinical characteristics of depression

  > Behavioural

  • Change in activity levels - withdrawal from activities once enjoyed (anhedonia)
  • Disruption to sleep - insomnia / hypersomnia

  > Cognitive

  • Poor concentration levels
  • Negative schema

  > Emotional

  • Lowered mood - sad or empty
• Clinical characteristics of OCD

  > Behavioural

  • Compulsions - external behaviours that are repeated to reduce anxiety

  > Cognitive

  • Obsessions - internal, intrusive thoughts that are recurring and unpleasant causing anxiety
  • Awareness
  • Hypervigilance - constant alertness

  > Emotional

  • Anxiety and distress