Transcript Characteristics of Phobias, Depression and OCD

Psychopathology

Behavioural, Emotional and Cognitive
Characteristics of
 Phobias
 Depression
 OCD



Behavioural –
Emotional –
Cognitive –
What do these mean?
How would you define them?



Behavioural – ways in which people act
Emotional – ways in which people feel
Cognitive – the process of thinking



In groups of 3
Take a disorder
List some symptoms you can think of
associated with that disorder under each
heading
 Behavioural
 Cognitive
 Emotional
COGNITIVE
BEHAVIOURAL
Selective attention Avoidance
Irrational beliefs
Panic
Cognitive distortions Endurance
EMOTIONAL
Persistent excessive fear
Unreasonable response
Fear when exposed
Sleep disturbance.
Personal hygiene
Energy-loss of.
Weight (gain or loss)
Social impairment.
Concentration problems
Negative schemas
Death (thoughts of)
Worthlessness
Anger
Loss of enthusiasm
Lowered mood
Compulsions-Anxiety Reducing and
Repetitive
 Avoidance
 Depression
 Distress
 Insight
 Obsessive thoughts





What are phobias?
What are your phobias?
Why do you have them?
What symptoms do people with phobias
show?


Characterised by excessive fear and anxiety
Triggered by an object, place or situation
 Specific Phobia (object or situation)
 Social Phobia (speaking or eating in public)
 Agoraphobia (fear of being outside in space)
Specific (isolated) phobias
Specific phobias are fears relating to something specific
Four major sub-types have been identified:
•Animal type – e.g. Arachnophobia
•Situational type – e.g.Claustrophobia
•Natural environment – e.g.Acrophobia (heights)
•Blood-injection-injury – e.g. Algophobia (pain)
Age of onset is 7-9 years and most people tend to have more
than one type.
Next slide warning!
Specific Phobias – Animal type
Huntsman Spider - Australia
Specific Phobias Situational type
Specific Phobia –
Natural environment
Social Phobias
•Social Phobias are an excessive fear of social
situations e.g. eating in public
•The age of onset tends to be around 15 years
and is most prevalent in people around 18 – 29
years.
•Lifetime prevalence: 11% males & 15%
females
Agoraphobia
•This is a fear of open / public spaces and is
especially debilitating as it may prevent some
people from going out of their home. It is often
seen as the most serious of phobias and many
sufferers are prone to panic attacks when
venturing out.
•It is closely associated with panic disorder.
•Prevalence: 4%; twice as likely in females
Helminthophobia
Spermophobia
Ergasiophobia
Pediophobia
Astraphobia
Helminthophobia
Work
Spermophobia
Lightning
Ergasiophobia
Children
Pediophobia
Worms
Astraphobia
Germs
COGNITIVE
BEHAVIOURAL
Selective attention Avoidance
Irrational beliefs
Panic
Cognitive distortions Endurance
EMOTIONAL
Persistent excessive fear
Unreasonable response
Fear when exposed
 https://www.youtube.com/watch
?v=JDvDCqLCdEE
Children are prone to phobias, including some that may
appear downright odd to us as adults. One phobic
stimulus is buttons.
 Eloise has a phobia of buttons. She refuses to wear
anything with buttons and she even refuses to go into
clothes shops where there are likely to be clothes with
buttons. When questioned, Eloise says that this is
because of the extreme anxiety that buttons cause her.
She also says that she believes that buttons will always
pinch her skin and that this will leave a bruise.

1.
2.
identify the behavioural, emotional and cognitive
aspects of Eloise’s fear.
Think of another specific phobia. What behaviours,
emotions and cognitions characterise it?
Children are prone to phobias, including some that may
appear downright odd to us as adults. One phobic
stimulus is buttons.
 Eloise has a phobia of buttons. She refuses to wear
anything with buttons and she even refuses to go
into clothes shops where there are likely to be clothes
with buttons. When questioned, Eloise says that this is
because of the extreme anxiety that buttons cause her.
She also says that she believes that buttons will
always pinch her skin and that this will leave a
bruise.

identify the behavioural, emotional and cognitive
aspects of Eloise’s fear.
2. Think of another specific phobia. What behaviours,
emotions and cognitions characterise it?
1.
COGNITIVE
BEHAVIOURAL
Selective attention Avoidance
Irrational beliefs
Panic
Cognitive distortions Endurance
EMOTIONAL
Persistent excessive fear
Unreasonable response
Fear when exposed



Characterised by low mood and energy
Major depressive disorder = severe but often
short-term depression
Persistent depressive disorder = long-term or
recurring depression including sustained
major depression

What behavioural, emotional and cognitive
symptoms of depression can you think of?
Sleep disturbance.
Personal hygiene
Energy-loss of.
Weight (gain or loss)
Social impairment.
Concentration problems
Negative schemas
Death (thoughts of)
Worthlessness
Anger
Loss of enthusiasm
Lowered mood

Jessica is a 20 year old university student. Her parents have been
very worried since she returned home for a holiday. They hear
Jessica up late at night and also notice that she appears to have
lost quite a bit of weight. Jessica is very sensitive when asked
about this and snaps at her parents.

In one argument she says that she hates her parents and herself. In
another argument she says that she did not enjoy being at uni and
hates visiting her family. She shows no enthusiasm about
returning to uni after the holiday and has been unable to
concentrate on a piece of coursework she has brought home to
work on.
1.
2.
identify the behavioural, emotional and cognitive aspects of
Jessica’s state.
Based on these characteristics, should Jessica’s parents be
concerned that she may be suffering from depression? Explain
your answer.

Jessica is a 20 year old university student. Her parents have been
very worried since she returned home for a holiday. They hear Jessica
up late at night and also notice that she appears to have lost quite
a bit of weight. Jessica is very sensitive when asked about this and
snaps at her parents.

In one argument she says that she hates her parents and herself.
In another argument she says that she did not enjoy being at uni
and hates visiting her family. She shows no enthusiasm about
returning to uni after the holiday and has been unable to
concentrate on a piece of coursework she has brought home to work
on.
1.
identify the behavioural, emotional and cognitive aspects of
Jessica’s state.
Based on these characteristics, should Jessica’s parents be
concerned that she may be suffering from depression? Explain
your answer.
2.
Sleep disturbance.
Personal hygiene
Energy-loss of.
Weight (gain or loss)
Social impairment.
Concentration problems
Negative schemas
Death (thoughts of)
Worthlessness
Anger
Loss of enthusiasm
Lowered mood




OCD is a range of related disorders
Repetitive behaviour accompanied by
obsessive thinking
Obsessions (recurring thoughts, images)
Compulsions (repetitive behaviours)
Obsessive
thought
Temporary
relief
Anxiety
Compulsive
behaviour







Compulsions-Anxiety Reducing and…
Repetitive
Avoidance
Depression
Distress
Insight
Obsessive thoughts

https://www.youtube.com/watch
?v=ua9zr16jC1M

Jaz suffers from OCD. She described her condition as
follows:

I’m constantly anxious about catching diseases from other
people. I can’t get thoughts and pictures of dirt out of my
mind, Every day I clean my whole house and wash my
hands hundreds of times every day. When anyone comes
to the house I make them wash their hands before I can go
near them. I know this is ridiculous but I can’t help it- it
makes me feel better, but only for a little while.
1. identify the behavioural, emotional and cognitive
aspects of Jaz’s state.
2. OCD is illustrated as a cycle- use the cycle to describe
Jaz’s OCD.

Jaz suffers from OCD. She described her condition as
follows:

I’m constantly anxious about catching diseases from other
people. I can’t get thoughts and pictures of dirt out of my
mind, Every day I clean my whole house and wash my hands
hundreds of times every day. When anyone comes to the
house I make them wash their hands before I can go near
them. I know this is ridiculous but I can’t help it- it makes me
feel better, but only for a little while.
1. identify the behavioural, emotional and cognitive aspects
of Jaz’s state.
2. OCD is illustrated as a cycle- use this cycle to describe Jaz’s
OCD.
Obsessive
thought
Temporary
relief
Anxiety
Compulsive
behaviour
Compulsions-Anxiety Reducing and
Repetitive
 Avoidance
 Depression
 Distress
 Insight
 Obsessive thoughts
