Clinical Psychology and Mental Health | AQA A-Level Psychology (7182)
Clinical Psychology and Mental Health
- 149 questions
- 5 subtopics
- Paper 1: Introductory topics in psychology
- Paper 1
Clinical Psychology and Mental Health is the fourth topic of Paper 1.
It covers the ways abnormality is defined, the characteristics of phobias, depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder, and one explanation and treatment for each: behavioural for phobias, cognitive for depression and biological for OCD.
Sample questions from Clinical Psychology and Mental Health
Answer each one closed book first, then open the answer.
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Definitions in the field of mental health
Why does the deviation from ideal mental health definition risk classifying most people as abnormal?
Show the answer
Very few individuals meet all six criteria simultaneously, so according to these strict standards, the majority of people would be classified as abnormal. -
Definitions in the field of mental health
What is a key strength of the failure to function adequately definition of abnormality?
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It recognises the subjective experience of the individual and acknowledges personal distress as a key indicator of abnormality. -
Characteristics of phobias, depression and OCD
Describe the sleep disruption that characterises depression.
Show the answer
Disrupted sleep patterns, which may include insomnia (difficulty sleeping) or hypersomnia (sleeping excessively). -
Characteristics of phobias, depression and OCD
How can compulsions in OCD manifest as mental acts rather than physical behaviours?
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As covert mental rituals such as counting, praying, or silently repeating words. -
Behavioural approach to explaining and treating phobias
Name the three key components involved in systematic desensitisation.
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Relaxation training, construction of an anxiety hierarchy, and gradual exposure. -
Behavioural approach to explaining and treating phobias
What is flooding as a treatment for phobias?
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A behavioural therapy that involves immediate and prolonged exposure to the phobic stimulus at maximum intensity until the fear response is extinguished. -
Cognitive approach to explaining and treating depression
What does 'B' stand for in Ellis's ABC model?
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Beliefs — the rational or irrational interpretations a person holds about the activating event. -
Cognitive approach to explaining and treating depression
What role does generating alternative interpretations play in CBT?
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It helps the client consider other ways of viewing a situation rather than accepting the initial negative thought.
The 5 subtopics
One subtopic is one session. Work down the list.
| Subtopic | What it covers | Questions |
|---|---|---|
| Definitions in the field of mental health | How abnormality gets defined — straying from social norms, failing to cope day to day, falling short of ideal mental health against Jahoda's six criteria — and what is wrong with each approach. | 32 |
| Characteristics of phobias, depression and OCD | How phobias, depression and OCD show themselves in behaviour, feeling and thought, and what separates an obsession from a compulsion. | 32 |
| Behavioural approach to explaining and treating phobias | The two-process model of how phobias are acquired and maintained, why avoidance keeps them going, and systematic desensitisation and flooding as treatments. | 34 |
| Cognitive approach to explaining and treating depression | Beck's cognitive theory of depression, Ellis's ABC model and the rigid demands at its centre, and how cognitive behaviour therapy challenges depressive thinking. | 23 |
| Biological approach to explaining and treating OCD | Genetic and neural explanations for obsessive-compulsive disorder, how drug therapy reduces symptoms, and the evaluation of that treatment. | 28 |
How the guide is worked
Answering a question from memory stores it far better than reading the answer again. The guide runs that as a fixed procedure on one subtopic at a time, about twenty minutes a session.
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Step 1 · Closed book
Cover the answers. Work through one subtopic and write down what you can. Leave blanks where you have nothing.
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Step 2 · Open book
Go back to the top. Read each printed answer and write it out in full, including the ones you had right.
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Step 3 · Closed book again
Same questions, same order, from memory. The gap between pass one and pass three is the session result.
Read the full method, the return schedule and the research behind it.
Nearby topics
AQA A-Level Psychology Active Recall Guide
Every topic, not just this one. 2,999 questions with their answers.