question

psychotherapy

answer

an interaction between a therapist and someone suffering from a psychological problem, with the goal of providing support or relief form the problem

question

ppl may fail to get treatment because of 3 major problems

answer

1. ppl may not realize that their disorder needs to be treated 2. there may be barriers to treatment, such as beliefs and circumstances that keep ppl from getting help 3. even ppl who ackknowledge they have a problem may not know where to look for services

question

treatment: 2 kinds

answer

1. psychotherapy (person interacts with a psychotherapist) 2. medical or biological treatment (disorder treated with drugs or surgery)

question

eclectic psychotherapy

answer

a form of psychotherapy that involves drawing on techniques from different forms of therapy, depending on the client and the problem

question

approaches to psychotherapy

answer

1. psychodynamic therapy 2. behavioral and cognitive therapies 3. humanistic and existential therapies 4. group therapy

question

psychodynamic psychotherapies

answer

- a general approach to treatment that explores childhood events and encourages individuals to develop insight into their psychological problems - roots from Freud

question

what is the commonly held belief behind all psychodynamic therapies?

answer

- all share the belief that the path to overcoming psychological problems is to develop insight into the unconscious memories, impulses, wishes, and conflicts that are assumed to underlie these problems.

question

psychoanalysts encourage clients to do what with their repressed conflicts?

answer

- bring them into consciousness so that the client can understand them and reduce their unwanted influences.

question

"developing insight" by Freud

answer

- goal of psychoanalysis is for the client to understand the unconscious through this process

question

free association

answer

- technique used by psychoanalysts -client reports every thought that enters the mind and the therapist looks for recurring themes, and dream analysis, in which the therapist looks for dream elements that symbolize unconscious conflicts or wishes

question

resistance

answer

a reluctance to cooperate with treatment for fear of confronting unpleasant unconscious material

question

transference

answer

an event that occurs in psychoanalysis when the analyst begins to assume a major significance in the client's life and the client reacts to the analyst based on unconscious childhood fantasies

question

in what common ways do other psychodynamic theories differ from Freudian analysis?

answer

-Jung and Adler agreed with Freud that insight was a key therapeutic goal but disagreed that insight usually involves unconscious conflicts about sex and agression

question

Jung: collective unconscious

answer

- the culturally determined symbols and myths that are shared among all ppl that he argued could serve as a basis for interpretation beyond sex or aggression

question

Adler

answer

- believed that emotional conflicts are the result of perceptions of inferiority and that psychotherapy should help ppl overcome problems resulting from inferior social status, sex roles, and discrimination

question

Klein

answer

- believed that primitive fantasies of loss and persecution (worry about parent death) were important factors underlying mental illness

question

Karen Horney

answer

- disagreed with Freud about inherent differences in the psychology of men and women and traced such differences to society and culture rather than biology

question

what primary problem did behaviorist have with psychoanalytic ideas?

answer

- behaviorists found they were particularly hard to test: How do you know whether a person has an unconscious conflict? - they focus of behaviors that oculd be observed (ie. avoidance of a feared object)

question

behavior therapy

answer

a type of therapy that assumes that disordered behavior is learned and that symptom relief is achieved through changing overt maladaptive behaviors into more constructive behaviors

question

3 examples of behavior therapy techniques in action

answer

1. eliminating unwanted behaviors 2. promoting desired behaviors 3. reducing unwanted emotional responses

question

eliminating unwanted behaviors

answer

- child throws tantrum in store...what happens after for child to shut up? - study of operant conditioning shows that behavior can be predicted by its consequences (the reinforcing or punishing events that follow) - adjusting by making consequence less reinforcing (no candy) and more punishing (time out) could eliminate that problem behavior

question

promoting desired behaviors

answer

-token economy - signal positive reinforcement because they can be exchanged for rewards - learned behaviors are not usually maintained when the reinforcements are discontinued

question

token economy

answer

a form of behavior therapy in which clients are given "tokens" for desired behaviors, which they can later trade for rewards

question

reducing unwanted emotional responses

answer

- reduce fear by gradual EXPOSURE to the feared object or situation - exposure therapy - depends on the processes of HABITUATION and RESPONSE EXTINCTION that were originally disocvered in the study of classical conditioning.

question

exposure therapy

answer

an approach to treatment that involves confronting an emotion-arousing stimulus directly and repeatedly, ultimately leading to a decrease in the emotional response

question

cognitive therapy

answer

a form of psychotherapy that involves helping a client identify and correct any distorted thinking about self, others, or the world - ie dog bite could result in dog phobia - cognitive theoristts might instead emphasize the MEANING of the event (strengthened belief that dogs are dangerous to explain the fear)

question

cognitive restructuring

answer

- a therapeutic approach that teaches clients to question the automatic beliefs, assumptions, and predictions that often lead to negative emotions and to replace negative thinking with more realistic and positive beliefs

question

how might a client restructure a negative self-image into a positive one?

answer

- clients are taught to examine the evidence for and against a particular belief or to be more accepting of outcomes that may be undesirable yet still manageable - any irrational beliefs might bedeveil a person with serious emotional problems if left unchallendged and so are potential targets for cognitive restucturing

question

mindfulness meditation

answer

- a form of cognitive therapy that teaches an individual to be fully present in each moment; to be aware of his or her thoughts, feelings, and sensations; and to detect symptoms before they become a problem - helpful for preventing relapse in depression

question

cognitive behavioral therapy

answer

a blend of cognitive and behavioral therapeutic strategies - client expected to do things (ie practice relaxation)

question

CBT: 2 things

answer

1. problem focused (undertaken for specific problems) 2. action oriented (select specific strategies to help address those problems)

question

why do most therapists use a blend of cognitive and behavioral strategies?

answer

- the client is expected to DO things, such as practice relaxation exercises or use a dairy to monitor relevant symptoms. - this is in contrast to psychodynamic or other therapies where goals may not be explicitly discussed or agreed on and the client's only necessary action is to attend the therapy session.

question

how does a humanistic view of human nature differ from a psychodynamic view?

answer

-humanistic and existential therapies share the assumption that psychological problems stem from feelings of alienation and loneliness and that these feelings can be traced to failure to reach one's potential (humanistic) or failure to find meaning in life (existential)

question

Humanistic approach: person-centered therapy

answer

- an approach to therapy that assumes all individuals have a tendency toward growth and that this growth can be facilitated by acceptance and genuine reactions from the therapist - therapist tends not to provide advice or suggestions about what the client should be doing. (the therapist paraphrases the client's words, mirroring the client's thoughts and sentiments)

question

person-centered therapy: therapist should demonstrate 3 basic qualities

answer

1. conguence (being open and honest in the therapeutic relationship and communicating the same message at all levels) 2. empathy ( continuous process of trying to understand the client by getting inside his or her way of thinking, feeling, and understanding the owrld ,which enables the therapist to better appreciate the client's apprehensions, worries, or fears) 3. unconditional positive regard ( provide a nonjudgemental, warm, and accepting environment in which the client can feel safe when expressing his or her thoughts and feelings)

question

existential approach: gestalt therapy

answer

- an existentialist approach to treatment with the goal of helping the client to become aware of his or her thoughts, behaviors, experiences, and feelings to "own" or to take responsibility for them - therapists ar encourage to be enthusiatic and warm toward their clients - therapist reflect their impressions of the client back to the client - emphasizes the experiences and behaviors that are occuring at that particular moment in the therapy session - focusing technique , empty chair technique

question

focusing technique

answer

- " how do you feel as you describe what happened to you?"

question

empty chair technique

answer

- clients encouraged to put their feelings into action - client imagines that another person is in an empty chair, sitting directly across from the client - the client then moves from chair to chair, alternating between role-playing what he or she would say to the other person and how he or she images the other person would respond

question

couples therapy

answer

- a married, cohabitating, or dating couple is seen together in therapy to work on problems usually arising within the relationship - problem is seen as arising from their interaction rather than from the problems of one half of the ocuple

question

group therapy

answer

- therapy in which multiple participants (who often do not know one another at the outset) work on their individual problems in a group atmosphere - therapist serve more as a discussion leader than as a personal therapist, conducting the sessions both by talking with individuals and by encouraging them to talk with one another

question

what are the advantages of a group therapy approach?

answer

- groups provide a context in which clients can practice relating to others. this can be especially helpful for clients who are otherwise socially isolated - attending a group with others who have similar problems shows clients that they are not alone in their suffering - group members model appropriate behaviors for one another and share their insights about how to deal with their problems - group therapy is often just as effective as individual therapy

question

self-help groups and support groups

answer

- discussion or Internet chat groups that are often run by peers who have themselves struggled with the same issues.

question

self-help support groups: pros

answer

- cost effective - allow ppl to realize that they are not the only ones with a particular problem --> gives them the opportunity to offer guidance and support to one another based on personal experiences of success.

question

self-help support groups: cons

answer

- some members may be disruptive or aggressive or encourage one another to engage in behaviors that are countertherapeutic - ppl with moderate problems may be exposed to others with severe problems and may become oversensitized to symptoms they might otherwise have not found disturbing - mechanisms to evalutate these groups or to ensure their quality are rarely in place ( no trained therapist)

question

antipsychotic drugs

answer

medications that are used to treat schizophrenia and related psychotic disorders - blog dopamine receptors therefore could treat schizo (dopamine hypothesis)

question

psychopharmacology

answer

the study of drug effects on psychological states and symptoms

question

what are the advantages of the newer, atypical antipsychotic medications?

answer

- newer drugs appear to block both dopamine and serotonin receptors - serotonin has been implicated in some mood disorders, which may explain why atypical antipsychotics can provide relief for both positive and negative symptoms

question

newr atypical antipsychotic meds: side effects?

answer

- motor disturbances (involuntary movements of the face, mouth and extremities - side effects milder

question

anti-anxiety medications

answer

- drugs that help reduce a person's experience of fear or anxiety - facilitating the action of the neurotransmitter GABA

question

anti-anxiety meds: why be cautiaus of prescription?

answer

- can be highly addictive - side effect: drowsiness, coordination, memory - with alcohol, can depress respiration, potentially causing accidental death

question

antidepressants

answer

a class of drugs that help lift people's mood

question

antidepressants: 2 classes

answer

1. MAOIs 2. tricyclic antidepressants

question

MAOIs

answer

- prevent the enzyme monoamine oxidase from breakdown NTs such as norepinephrine, serotonine and dopamine - side effects: dizziness and loss of sexual interest ( not prescribed anymore)

question

tricyclic antidepressants

answer

-block reuptake of norepinephrine and serotonin, thereby increasing the amount of NT in the synaptic space between neurons - still sometimes used but have serious side effects: dry mouth, constipation, difficulty urinating, blurred vision, and racing heart

question

antidepressant: selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)

answer

- most commonly used antidepressant - block the reuptake of serotonin in the brain, which makes more serotonin available in the synaptic space between neurons. - the greater availability of serotonin in the synapse gives the neuron a better chance of "recongizing" and using this NT in sending the desired signal - hypothesis: low levels of serotonin are a causal factor in depression

question

SSRI: why called selective?

answer

- unlike the tricyclic antidepressants which work on the serotonin and norepinephrine systems, SSRIs work more specifially on the serotonin system

question

antidepressant: effexor

answer

- a serotonin and norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor (SNRI) - whereas SSRIs ony act on serotonin, SNRIs act on both serotoninand norepinephrine

question

should we use antidepressants to treat bipolar?

answer

- no because they might actually trigger a manic episode - should be treated with MOOD STABILIZERS (medications used to suppress swings between mania and depression)

question

why are herbal remedies used?

answer

- major reasons ppl use these products are that they are easily available over the counter, can be less expensive, and are perceived as "natural " alternatives to "drugs"

question

herbal remedies: effective?

answer

- not considere medications by regulatory agencies and are exempt from rigorous research to establish their safety and effectiveness - classified as nutritional supplements and regulated in the same way as are foods - little scientific info, including possible interactions with other meds

question

do therapy and medications work through similar mechanisms?

answer

- in both groups, those who responded to treatment showed similar reductions in activation of amygdala, hippocampus, and neighboring cortical areas during this challengel - for emotional information (brain centers) - these findings suggest that both therapy and medication affect the brain in regions associated with a reaction to threat.

question

electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)

answer

a treatment that involves inducing a mild seizure by delivering an electrical shock to the brain - mainly to treat severe depression, although it may also be useful for treating mania - side effect: impaired short term memory, which usually improves over the first month or 2 after the end of the treatment, headaches, and muscle aches

question

transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)

answer

a treatment that involves placing a powerful pulsed magnet over a person's scalp, which alters neuronal activity in the brain - non invasive and side effects are minimal

question

phototherapy

answer

a treatment for seasonal depression that involves repeated exposure to bright light - treat patients with seasonal patterns with their depression, which occurs in winter months due to lack of light

question

psychosurgery

answer

surgical destruction of specific brain areas - rarely used - person with OCD who fail to respond to treatment may benefit from specific surgical procedures that destory parts of the cingulate gyrus and corpus callosum

question

deep brain stimulation

answer

- treatment pioneered only recently - small battery powered device is implanted in the brain - successful for OCD treatment and can provide benefits for ppl with a variety of neurologic conditions - the tremor that accompanies Parkinson's disease has proven to be treatable in this way as have some severe depression that are otherwise untreatable

question

3 kinds of treatment illusions

answer

1. natural improvement 2. nonspecific treatment effects 3. motivation to get well causes errors in reconstructive memory for the original symptoms

question

natural improvement

answer

- tendency of symptoms to return to their mean or avg, level - ppl turn to therapy when their symptoms are at their worst. when this is the case, the client's symptoms will often improve regardless of whether there was any treatment at all

question

nonspecific treatment effects

answer

- not related to the specific mechanisms by which treatment is suppose to work -placebo

question

motivation to get well causes errors in recontructive memory for the original symptoms

answer

- you might think that youve improved because of a treatment when in fact, you're simply misrembering- mistakenly believing that your symptoms before treatment were worse than they actually were

question

placebo

answer

an inert substance or procedure that has been applied with the expectation that a healing response will be produced

question

2 main types of treatment studies

answer

1. outcome studies (designed to evaluate whether a particular treatment works, often in relation to some other treatment or a control condition 2. process studies (designed to answer questions regarding why a treatment works or under what circumstances it works)

question

double-blind experiment

answer

- a study in which both the patient and the research/therapist are uninformed about which treatment the patient is receiving

question

what are the current controversies surrounding evaluation of the effectiveness of psychotherapy

answer

- the typical psychotherapy client is better off than 3/4 of untreated individuals - although weaknesses in how patients are tested, diagnosed and treated, evidence generally support the effectiveness of many treaments, including psychodynamic therapy - key question: which treatments are effective for which problems

question

iatrogenic illness

answer

a disorder or symptom that occurs as a result of a medical or psychotherapeutic treatment

Chapter 14 :Treatment of Psychological Disorders – Flashcards

Unlock all answers in this set

Haven't found what you were looking for?

Search for samples, answers to your questions and flashcards