QCE Psychology: Psychological Disorders & Mental Health — Flashcards & Quiz

Q1: What is the difference between adaptive and maladaptive behaviour, and what are the six approaches to judging normality?

Adaptive behaviour helps a person cope with the demands of their environment and daily life; maladaptive behaviour interferes with the person’s ability to function or harms them or others. Normality can be judged in six ways. Sociocultural: whether behaviour fits the norms of a particular society or culture. Functional: whether the person can carry out everyday tasks such as work, study, relationships and self-care. Historical: whether behaviour fits the norms of a particular time — what counts as normal changes over time. Situational: whether behaviour suits the context in which it occurs. Medical: whether the person shows the symptoms of a diagnosable disorder. Statistical: whether the behaviour is typical of most people or falls far from the average.

Q2: What is the DSM-5 and how is it used in clinical psychology?

The DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition, APA 2013) is the standard classification system used to diagnose mental disorders. It organises disorders into categories based on shared symptoms, specifies diagnostic criteria (number of symptoms, duration, severity), and uses a dimensional approach alongside categorical diagnosis. Benefits: provides a common language for clinicians, improves diagnostic reliability, guides treatment selection. Limitations: cultural bias, labelling effects (stigma), comorbidity challenges, and the categorical approach may oversimplify the spectrum of mental health. A text revision, the DSM-5-TR, was published in 2022 and is the current edition.

Q3: Describe the symptoms and characteristics of generalised anxiety disorder (GAD).

Generalised anxiety disorder is characterised by excessive, uncontrollable worry about multiple events or activities for at least 6 months. Symptoms include: restlessness or feeling on edge, easily fatigued, difficulty concentrating, irritability, muscle tension and sleep disturbance. The anxiety is disproportionate to the actual likelihood of the feared events and causes significant distress or impairment in social, occupational or other areas of functioning. GAD differs from specific phobias in that the anxiety is generalised rather than focused on a specific stimulus.

Q4: Explain the psychological contributing factors to major depressive disorder.

Cognitive factors: Beck’s cognitive triad — negative automatic thoughts about the self ("I am worthless"), the world ("the world is hostile") and the future ("things will never improve"). Cognitive distortions include catastrophising, black-and-white thinking and overgeneralisation. Learned helplessness (Seligman, 1975): the belief that one has no control over negative events, leading to passivity and depression. Rumination: repetitive, passive dwelling on negative thoughts and feelings, which maintains and worsens depressive symptoms.

Q5: Apply the biopsychosocial model to explain the development of anxiety disorders.

Biological: genetic predisposition (family and twin studies show heritability of 30–40%), neurotransmitter dysregulation (low GABA activity, altered serotonin function), overactive amygdala (heightened threat processing). Psychological: classical conditioning (learned fear associations), cognitive biases (catastrophising, overestimation of threat), low self-efficacy, maladaptive coping strategies. Social: stressful life events (trauma, abuse), dysfunctional family environment, lack of social support, cultural factors (varying norms for anxiety expression), socioeconomic disadvantage. The model emphasises that no single factor is sufficient — the interaction between all three domains produces the disorder.

Q6: Describe how cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) treats anxiety disorders.

CBT for anxiety combines cognitive and behavioural techniques: Cognitive component: identifying and challenging anxious automatic thoughts (e.g. "I will definitely fail"), cognitive restructuring (developing evidence-based alternative thoughts), psychoeducation about anxiety. Behavioural component: graded exposure (gradually facing feared stimuli in a hierarchy from least to most anxiety-provoking), systematic desensitisation (pairing exposure with relaxation), behavioural experiments (testing predictions), activity scheduling. CBT is typically 12–20 sessions, structured, and collaborative. It has strong research support as a first-line treatment for anxiety disorders.

Q7: How do SSRIs and benzodiazepines differ as pharmacological treatments for mental disorders?

SSRIs (selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors): block serotonin reuptake in the synapse, increasing serotonin availability. Used for depression and anxiety. Take 2–6 weeks for full effect. Side effects include nausea, insomnia and sexual dysfunction. Low addiction risk. Examples: fluoxetine (Prozac), sertraline (Zoloft). Benzodiazepines: enhance GABA activity (the brain’s inhibitory neurotransmitter), reducing neural excitability. Fast-acting (within 30 minutes). Used for short-term anxiety relief. Risk of tolerance and physical dependence with long-term use. Examples: diazepam (Valium), alprazolam (Xanax).

Q8: How are risk factors for psychological disorder classified in the biopsychosocial approach?

A risk factor increases the likelihood that a disorder will develop or persist; no single factor causes a disorder on its own. Biological risk factors include genes (a family history of the disorder), medication (side effects or withdrawal), sleep (ongoing poor or disrupted sleep) and substance use. Psychological risk factors include rumination (repetitively dwelling on negative thoughts), impaired reasoning and memory, and stress. Social risk factors include disorganised attachment in early childhood and the quality of significant relationships — for example, conflict, loss or lack of support. The biopsychosocial approach explains disorder as the interaction of factors across all three domains.

Q1: The statistical infrequency definition classifies all statistically rare behaviours as abnormal, including positive extremes like genius.

Answer: TRUE

A limitation of the statistical infrequency definition is that it classifies all statistically rare behaviours as abnormal, including desirable extremes such as exceptional intelligence or extraordinary talent, which most people would not consider "abnormal" in a negative sense.

Q2: The DSM-5 uses a purely dimensional approach, placing all mental health on a single continuum.

Answer: FALSE

The DSM-5 primarily uses a categorical approach (classifying disorders into distinct categories with specific diagnostic criteria) but has incorporated some dimensional elements. It does not use a purely dimensional approach.

Q3: Generalised anxiety disorder involves excessive worry focused on one specific object or situation.

Answer: FALSE

GAD involves excessive, uncontrollable worry about multiple events or activities (work, health, relationships, finances), not a single specific stimulus. Worry focused on one specific object or situation is more characteristic of a specific phobia.

Q4: Beck’s cognitive triad describes negative automatic thoughts about the self, the world and the future.

Answer: TRUE

Beck’s cognitive triad proposes that depression is maintained by three interconnected patterns of negative thinking: negative views of the self ("I am worthless"), the world ("the world is hostile") and the future ("things will never improve").

Q5: The biopsychosocial model proposes that mental disorders are caused exclusively by biological factors.

Answer: FALSE

The biopsychosocial model proposes that mental disorders result from the interaction of biological, psychological and social factors. No single domain is sufficient to explain mental disorders — it is the combined influence of all three that determines outcomes.

Concepts of Normality

The syllabus describes six approaches to judging normality — sociocultural, functional, historical, situational, medical and statistical — alongside the distinction between adaptive and maladaptive behaviour. Be able to apply several approaches to one case study and explain a limitation of each.

The Biopsychosocial Model

This model is the organising framework for understanding psychological disorder. Explanations of a disorder should address biological (genes, medication, sleep, substance use), psychological (rumination, impaired reasoning and memory, stress) and social (disorganised attachment, significant relationships) risk factors and explain their interaction.

Diagnosis and Anxiety Disorders

Know how the DSM-5-TR and ICD-11 classify disorders, the main categories of disorder, and the prevalence, symptoms and perceived causes of generalised anxiety disorder and specific phobias. Practise applying them to case studies: identify the condition, explain contributing factors and discuss the reliability and validity of the diagnosis.

Comparing Treatments

Be able to describe, compare and evaluate psychotherapies (such as CBT), pharmacotherapies (such as SSRIs and benzodiazepines), ECT and psychosurgery, explain the placebo effect, and explain why combined approaches are often recommended.

What does this QCE Psychology topic cover?

Psychological Disorders & Mental Health covers adaptive and maladaptive behaviour, the six approaches to normality (sociocultural, functional, historical, situational, medical and statistical), the DSM-5-TR and ICD-11 diagnostic manuals, the main categories of disorder, the reliability and validity of diagnosis, the biopsychosocial approach and risk factors, anxiety disorders (GAD and specific phobias), depression, stigma and help-seeking, and treatments (psychotherapies, pharmacotherapies, ECT and psychosurgery) including the placebo effect.

How does this relate to the QCAA Psychology syllabus?

This supplementary page maps to Unit 2: Individual behaviour in the QCAA Psychology 2025 General senior syllabus — Topic 2 Diagnosis and Topic 3 Psychological disorders and treatments. Units 1 and 2 are assessed by your school, and results are reported to the QCAA as satisfactory or unsatisfactory; the external examination covers Units 3 and 4, not this material.

How should I study psychological disorders in QCE Psychology?

Use the biopsychosocial approach as a framework for every response. Know how the DSM-5-TR and ICD-11 differ and who uses each, and learn the diagnostic features of key disorders. Practise evaluating the six approaches to normality, the reliability and validity of diagnosis, and the strengths and limitations of psychotherapies, pharmacotherapies, ECT and psychosurgery.