CLINICAL PSYCHOLOGY
Introduction
The 4 characteristics of stigma
1. A label is applied to a group of people that distinguishes them from others
2. The label is linked to deviant or undesirable attributes by society
3. People with the label are seen as essentially different from those without the label,
contributing to an us versus them mentality
4. People with the label are discriminated against unfairly
Clinical/abnormal psychology: the study of psychopathology, the field concerned with the
nature, development and treatment of psychological disorders.
What constitutes a disorder distress, disability + dysfunction, violation social norms
Paradigms and treatment approaches:
Multiple kinds of treatment
, Client centered therapy
o If the therapist provides a relationship characterized by
Authenticity
unconditional positive regard
empathy
o The client can self-actualize
Gestalt Therapy
o Process oriented: experience the here and now
o Integration of experiences and material
o techniques: empty chair technique
Defence mechanisms
Projection = attributing to someone else one’s own unacceptable thoughts or feeligns
Reaction formation = converting an unacceptable feeling into its opposite
Repression = Keeping unacceptable impulses or wishes from conscious awareness
Denial = not accepting a painful reality into conscious awareness
Rationalisation = Offering acceptable reasons for an unacceptable action or attitude
Displacement = redirecting emotional responses from their real target to someone
else
Regression = retreating to the behavioural patterns of an earlier stage of
development
Sublimation = converting unacceptable aggressive or sexual impulses into socially
valued behaviours
Anxiety
Emotions are mostly adaptive in healthy individuals: the primary function of emotion is to
mobilise the organism to deal quickly with important interpersonal encounters
Fear
, Immediate danger: fear
basic emotion
physiology
o Increased heart rate/blood pressure
o Muscle tone
o breathing
Behaviour
o freeze, flight, fight or fright
Anxiety
threat in the future
complex emotion
avoidance
preparation
What is an anxiety disorder
Irrational
o Stimulus does not justify the fear
o Excessively intense fear
o Excessively long duration of fear
Distress/impairment
o Fear is aversive
o Avoidance
Major DSM-5 anxiety disorders
Specific phobia → fear of objects or situations that is out of proportion to any real
danger
Social anxiety disorder → fear of unfamiliar people or social scrutiny
panic disorder → anxiety about recurrent panic attacks
agoraphobia → anxiety about being in place where escaping or getting help would be
difficult is anxiety symptoms occurred
generalised anxiety disorder → uncontrollable worry
For each anxiety disorder, several criteria must be met for a DSM-5 diagnosis to be made.
Symptoms interfere with important areas of functioning or cause marked distress
Symptoms are not caused by a drug or medical condition
Symptoms persist for at least 6 months or at least 1 month for panic disorder
The fears of anxieties are distinct from the symptoms of another anxiety disorder
DSM-5 criteria for specific phobia
marked and disproportionate fear consistently triggered by a specific object or
situations
The object or situation is avoided or else endured with intense anxiety
DSM-5 criteria for social anxiety disorder
marked and disproportionate fear consistently triggered by exposure to potential
social scrutiny
Exposure to the trigger leads to intense anxiety about being evaluated negatively
Trigger situations are avoided or else endured with intense anxiety
Panic disorder
Panic disorder is characterized by recurrent panix attacks that are unrelated to specific
situations and by worry about having more panix attacks.
A panic attack is a sudden attack of intense apprehension, terror and feelings of impending
doom. + 4 other symptoms
Introduction
The 4 characteristics of stigma
1. A label is applied to a group of people that distinguishes them from others
2. The label is linked to deviant or undesirable attributes by society
3. People with the label are seen as essentially different from those without the label,
contributing to an us versus them mentality
4. People with the label are discriminated against unfairly
Clinical/abnormal psychology: the study of psychopathology, the field concerned with the
nature, development and treatment of psychological disorders.
What constitutes a disorder distress, disability + dysfunction, violation social norms
Paradigms and treatment approaches:
Multiple kinds of treatment
, Client centered therapy
o If the therapist provides a relationship characterized by
Authenticity
unconditional positive regard
empathy
o The client can self-actualize
Gestalt Therapy
o Process oriented: experience the here and now
o Integration of experiences and material
o techniques: empty chair technique
Defence mechanisms
Projection = attributing to someone else one’s own unacceptable thoughts or feeligns
Reaction formation = converting an unacceptable feeling into its opposite
Repression = Keeping unacceptable impulses or wishes from conscious awareness
Denial = not accepting a painful reality into conscious awareness
Rationalisation = Offering acceptable reasons for an unacceptable action or attitude
Displacement = redirecting emotional responses from their real target to someone
else
Regression = retreating to the behavioural patterns of an earlier stage of
development
Sublimation = converting unacceptable aggressive or sexual impulses into socially
valued behaviours
Anxiety
Emotions are mostly adaptive in healthy individuals: the primary function of emotion is to
mobilise the organism to deal quickly with important interpersonal encounters
Fear
, Immediate danger: fear
basic emotion
physiology
o Increased heart rate/blood pressure
o Muscle tone
o breathing
Behaviour
o freeze, flight, fight or fright
Anxiety
threat in the future
complex emotion
avoidance
preparation
What is an anxiety disorder
Irrational
o Stimulus does not justify the fear
o Excessively intense fear
o Excessively long duration of fear
Distress/impairment
o Fear is aversive
o Avoidance
Major DSM-5 anxiety disorders
Specific phobia → fear of objects or situations that is out of proportion to any real
danger
Social anxiety disorder → fear of unfamiliar people or social scrutiny
panic disorder → anxiety about recurrent panic attacks
agoraphobia → anxiety about being in place where escaping or getting help would be
difficult is anxiety symptoms occurred
generalised anxiety disorder → uncontrollable worry
For each anxiety disorder, several criteria must be met for a DSM-5 diagnosis to be made.
Symptoms interfere with important areas of functioning or cause marked distress
Symptoms are not caused by a drug or medical condition
Symptoms persist for at least 6 months or at least 1 month for panic disorder
The fears of anxieties are distinct from the symptoms of another anxiety disorder
DSM-5 criteria for specific phobia
marked and disproportionate fear consistently triggered by a specific object or
situations
The object or situation is avoided or else endured with intense anxiety
DSM-5 criteria for social anxiety disorder
marked and disproportionate fear consistently triggered by exposure to potential
social scrutiny
Exposure to the trigger leads to intense anxiety about being evaluated negatively
Trigger situations are avoided or else endured with intense anxiety
Panic disorder
Panic disorder is characterized by recurrent panix attacks that are unrelated to specific
situations and by worry about having more panix attacks.
A panic attack is a sudden attack of intense apprehension, terror and feelings of impending
doom. + 4 other symptoms
