Psychological Problems | AQA GCSE Psychology (8182)
Psychological Problems
- 82 questions
- 6 subtopics
- Paper 2
- Paper 2
Psychological Problems is examined in Paper 2, Social context and behaviour.
It covers an introduction to mental health, effects of mental health problems, clinical depression, explaining and treating depression, addiction and treating addiction.
Sample questions from Psychological Problems
Answer each one closed book first, then open the answer.
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An introduction to mental health
How can culture affect whether a person seeks help for a mental health problem?
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In cultures where mental health problems carry shame, a person may hide symptoms rather than seek help. Some cultures express distress mainly through physical complaints, which can delay diagnosis. -
An introduction to mental health
Why is it difficult to know whether mental health problems are truly becoming more common?
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A rise in recorded cases may reflect better recognition and less stigma rather than more illness. The ways problems are defined and diagnosed have also changed over time. -
Effects of mental health problems
What are the social effects of significant mental health problems?
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Society needs to provide more social care, such as support workers and residential care. Mental health problems also have wider effects on crime and on the economy. -
Effects of mental health problems
How can a parent's mental health problem affect their family?
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Children may take on caring responsibilities or feel worried and confused. Other family members may also experience strain and stress. -
Clinical depression
How does unipolar depression differ from bipolar depression?
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Unipolar depression involves only low mood. Bipolar depression swings between depression and mania. -
Clinical depression
How can depression affect a person's appetite?
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Some people with depression lose interest in food and lose weight. Others eat more than usual and gain weight. -
Explaining and treating depression
Why is the psychological explanation described as the influence of nurture?
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Negative thinking is thought to be learned through experiences such as criticism or loss. Depression is seen as arising from the environment rather than biology. -
Explaining and treating depression
Why are antidepressants seen as a reductionist treatment?
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Antidepressants reduce depression to a chemical imbalance in the brain. The person's thoughts, relationships and circumstances are not directly addressed.
The 6 subtopics
One subtopic is one session. Work down the list.
| Subtopic | What it covers | Questions |
|---|---|---|
| An introduction to mental health | The characteristics of good mental health, cultural variation, the rising incidence of mental health problems, social stigma, isolation and the effects of social media. | 14 |
| Effects of mental health problems | How significant mental health problems affect relationships, day-to-day life, physical wellbeing and work, and their wider effects on social care, the economy and crime. | 13 |
| Clinical depression | Unipolar and bipolar depression, how the International Classification of Diseases is used to diagnose it, and its effects on sleep, appetite and energy. | 14 |
| Explaining and treating depression | The biological explanation and neurotransmitters, negative schemas and attributions, antidepressants and cognitive behaviour therapy, and Wiles' study of CBT. | 15 |
| Addiction | Addiction and substance misuse, dependence syndrome, genetic vulnerability and Kaij's twin study, and peer influence as a psychological explanation. | 13 |
| Treating addiction | Aversion therapy for alcohol addiction, self-management programmes, self-help groups and 12-step recovery, and the reductionist and holistic view of each treatment. | 13 |
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 GCSE Psychology Active Recall Guide
Every topic, not just this one. 619 questions with their answers.