AQA - Topic 4: Clinical
Psychology and Mental Health
Learning Outcomes:
1. Definitions in the field of mental health; deviation from ideal mental health,
deviation from social/cultural norms, failure to function adequately and
statistical infrequency.
2. The behavioural, emotional and cognitive characteristics of phobias,
depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
3. The behavioural approach to explaining and treating phobias: the two-
process model, including classical and operant conditioning; systematic
desensitisation, including relaxation and use of hierarchy; flooding.
4. The cognitive approach to explaining and treating depression: Beck's
negative triad and Ellis's ABC model; cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT),
including challenging irrational thoughts.
5. The biological approach to explaining and treating OCD: genetic and
neural explanations; drug therapy.
1. Definitions in the field of mental health
a) Deviation from ideal mental health
Definition:
Proposes that we define mental health by what is normal rather than what is
abnormal.
Based on Jahoda's six criteria for optimal psychological health:
AQA - Topic 4: Clinical Psychology and Mental Health 1
, Ideal Criteria Description
Positive attitude towards self High self-esteem and confidence
Self-actualisation Striving to fulfil one's potential (Maslow)
Resistance to stress Coping well with pressure
Autonomy Independent decision-making
Accurate perception of reality Realistic thinking
Competence in relationships, work, and
Adapting and mastering their environment
adapting
Evaluation
Strengths Weaknesses
1-Positivity
- The definition emphasises positive 1-Over- demanding criteria
achievements rather than the failures and - Most people do not meet all the ideals. e.g.
distress and stresses a positive approach few people experience personal growth all
to mental problems, by focusing on what is the time.
desirable,not undesirable. - According to this definition, most people
are abnormal.
2-Holistic
- The definition considers an individual as 2-Cultural bias
a whole person rather than focusing on - The criteria are based on Wester cultural
individual areas of their behaviour. concepts concerning self-fulfillment and
standing out as an individual.
3-Goal setting
- The definition permits identification of 3-Subjective criteria:
exactly what is needed to achieve - Not everybody has these attributes all the
normality, allowing creation of personal time. This would suggest that we are all
goals to work towards and achieve, thus abnormal to some extent.
facilitating self-growth.
b) Deviation from social norms
Definition:
Abnormality is defined as behaviour that violates social norms – expectations
or unwritten rules of behaviour in society.
AQA - Topic 4: Clinical Psychology and Mental Health 2
, Can include explicit norms (laws) or implicit norms (customs).
E.g. shouting at strangers, walking around naked in public.
Evaluation
Strengths Weaknesses
1-Change over time
- There is a lack of continuity over time, as
beliefs about abnormality and social norms
of morally acceptable behaviour change
1-Protects society
over time.
- The fact that society gives itself the right
- What is regarded as deviant by one
to intervene in abnormal people's lives can
generation may be perfectly acceptable to
be beneficial, as such individuals that need
the next
it may not be able to get help themselves.
e.g. before the 1970's homosexuality was
incorrectly considered a disorder.
2-Contextual awareness:
- The definition considers the social
2-Cultural differences
dimensions of behavior
- The behaviour of the white population in
- Behaviour tends to be context specific
western societies is used as the basis for
e.g. a naked person on a nudist beach
social norms, where deviation from this is
would not be considered abnormal
considered abnormal.
compared to a naked person running down
- Someone classified as abnormal in one
a street.
culture may not be seen as abnormal in
another culture
3-Clear distinction:
e.g. religious hallucinations may be regarded
- Distinguish between normal & abnormal -
as normal by some.
the definition gives a clear indication of
what is and isn't seen as normal behaviour.
3-Risk of abuse:
- Labeling people as "abnormal" can be
used to control minority or non-conforming
groups
c) Statistical infrequency
Definition:
Defines abnormality as statistically rare behaviour, based on how it deviates
from the normal distribution.
AQA - Topic 4: Clinical Psychology and Mental Health 3
, If a trait is 2+ standard deviations from the mean, it may be considered
abnormal (e.g., very high or low IQ).
Evaluation
Strengths Weaknesses
1-Objective 1-Arbitrary thresholds:
- Once a way of collecting data about a - It's not clear how far behaviour should
behaviour/character and a 'cut-off point' deviate from the norm to be seen as
has been agreed, it becomes an objective abnormal.
way of deciding who is abnormal. - Many disorders, like depression vary
- Based on real data - the definition relies greatly between individuals in terms of their
on real, unbiased data severity
2-No value judgments 2-Desirable behaviours may be rare:
- No judgments are made - Some rare behaviour and characteristics
e.g. homosexuality would not be seen are desirable rather than being undesirable.
under this definition as 'wrong' or e.g. being highly intelligent is statistically
'unacceptable', but merely as less frequent rare, but desirable.
than heterosexuality
3-Cultural factors
3-Useful in clinical contexts: - The definition doesn't consider cultural
AQA - Topic 4: Clinical Psychology and Mental Health 4
Psychology and Mental Health
Learning Outcomes:
1. Definitions in the field of mental health; deviation from ideal mental health,
deviation from social/cultural norms, failure to function adequately and
statistical infrequency.
2. The behavioural, emotional and cognitive characteristics of phobias,
depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD).
3. The behavioural approach to explaining and treating phobias: the two-
process model, including classical and operant conditioning; systematic
desensitisation, including relaxation and use of hierarchy; flooding.
4. The cognitive approach to explaining and treating depression: Beck's
negative triad and Ellis's ABC model; cognitive behaviour therapy (CBT),
including challenging irrational thoughts.
5. The biological approach to explaining and treating OCD: genetic and
neural explanations; drug therapy.
1. Definitions in the field of mental health
a) Deviation from ideal mental health
Definition:
Proposes that we define mental health by what is normal rather than what is
abnormal.
Based on Jahoda's six criteria for optimal psychological health:
AQA - Topic 4: Clinical Psychology and Mental Health 1
, Ideal Criteria Description
Positive attitude towards self High self-esteem and confidence
Self-actualisation Striving to fulfil one's potential (Maslow)
Resistance to stress Coping well with pressure
Autonomy Independent decision-making
Accurate perception of reality Realistic thinking
Competence in relationships, work, and
Adapting and mastering their environment
adapting
Evaluation
Strengths Weaknesses
1-Positivity
- The definition emphasises positive 1-Over- demanding criteria
achievements rather than the failures and - Most people do not meet all the ideals. e.g.
distress and stresses a positive approach few people experience personal growth all
to mental problems, by focusing on what is the time.
desirable,not undesirable. - According to this definition, most people
are abnormal.
2-Holistic
- The definition considers an individual as 2-Cultural bias
a whole person rather than focusing on - The criteria are based on Wester cultural
individual areas of their behaviour. concepts concerning self-fulfillment and
standing out as an individual.
3-Goal setting
- The definition permits identification of 3-Subjective criteria:
exactly what is needed to achieve - Not everybody has these attributes all the
normality, allowing creation of personal time. This would suggest that we are all
goals to work towards and achieve, thus abnormal to some extent.
facilitating self-growth.
b) Deviation from social norms
Definition:
Abnormality is defined as behaviour that violates social norms – expectations
or unwritten rules of behaviour in society.
AQA - Topic 4: Clinical Psychology and Mental Health 2
, Can include explicit norms (laws) or implicit norms (customs).
E.g. shouting at strangers, walking around naked in public.
Evaluation
Strengths Weaknesses
1-Change over time
- There is a lack of continuity over time, as
beliefs about abnormality and social norms
of morally acceptable behaviour change
1-Protects society
over time.
- The fact that society gives itself the right
- What is regarded as deviant by one
to intervene in abnormal people's lives can
generation may be perfectly acceptable to
be beneficial, as such individuals that need
the next
it may not be able to get help themselves.
e.g. before the 1970's homosexuality was
incorrectly considered a disorder.
2-Contextual awareness:
- The definition considers the social
2-Cultural differences
dimensions of behavior
- The behaviour of the white population in
- Behaviour tends to be context specific
western societies is used as the basis for
e.g. a naked person on a nudist beach
social norms, where deviation from this is
would not be considered abnormal
considered abnormal.
compared to a naked person running down
- Someone classified as abnormal in one
a street.
culture may not be seen as abnormal in
another culture
3-Clear distinction:
e.g. religious hallucinations may be regarded
- Distinguish between normal & abnormal -
as normal by some.
the definition gives a clear indication of
what is and isn't seen as normal behaviour.
3-Risk of abuse:
- Labeling people as "abnormal" can be
used to control minority or non-conforming
groups
c) Statistical infrequency
Definition:
Defines abnormality as statistically rare behaviour, based on how it deviates
from the normal distribution.
AQA - Topic 4: Clinical Psychology and Mental Health 3
, If a trait is 2+ standard deviations from the mean, it may be considered
abnormal (e.g., very high or low IQ).
Evaluation
Strengths Weaknesses
1-Objective 1-Arbitrary thresholds:
- Once a way of collecting data about a - It's not clear how far behaviour should
behaviour/character and a 'cut-off point' deviate from the norm to be seen as
has been agreed, it becomes an objective abnormal.
way of deciding who is abnormal. - Many disorders, like depression vary
- Based on real data - the definition relies greatly between individuals in terms of their
on real, unbiased data severity
2-No value judgments 2-Desirable behaviours may be rare:
- No judgments are made - Some rare behaviour and characteristics
e.g. homosexuality would not be seen are desirable rather than being undesirable.
under this definition as 'wrong' or e.g. being highly intelligent is statistically
'unacceptable', but merely as less frequent rare, but desirable.
than heterosexuality
3-Cultural factors
3-Useful in clinical contexts: - The definition doesn't consider cultural
AQA - Topic 4: Clinical Psychology and Mental Health 4
