Question 1

Alice has received the diagnosis of obsessive-compulsive disorder. She believes that this diagnosis means she is psychotic. What can her psychologist tell her concerning her belief that people with this disorder may be psychotic?

Accepted Answer

People with obsessive-compulsive disorder are not typically psychotic, meaning they do not experience delusions or hallucinations. They are aware that their thoughts and behaviors are irrational and do not necessarily pose a threat to others.

Question 2

When symptoms of one disorder overlap with symptoms of other disorders, a decision is made as to which of several diagnoses is appropriate. This is called a:

Accepted Answer

A differential diagnosis involves considering and evaluating all possible diagnoses that could explain a patient's symptoms, and then deciding which one is most likely based on the information available. It is often used when symptoms overlap with those of other disorders, and helps clinicians to make an accurate diagnosis and plan appropriate treatment. A clinical diagnosis is the final diagnosis given to a patient after all aspects of their clinical presentation are considered. A consult is a request for specialized advice or guidance from another medical professional, and a working diagnosis is a temporary or preliminary diagnosis that may change as more information becomes available.

Question 3

A patient at the mental health center has an anxiety disorder and is being treated with a drug that affects serotonin levels. Which of the following disorders is most likely one that will respond to this treatment?

Accepted Answer

The answer of A patient at the mental health center...

Question 4

Under which condition is recovery from posttraumatic stress disorder likely to be most complete?

Accepted Answer

Research suggests that the earlier the symptoms of PTSD appear after the trauma, the more likely recovery is to be complete. This is because early intervention can prevent symptoms from becoming entrenched and chronic. Forgetting the incident or being distracted by another stressor is not a viable or effective coping mechanism, and being in psychiatric treatment may or may not contribute to complete recovery, depending on the quality and timing of the treatment.

Question 5

A United Nations Peacekeeper witnesses extensive shelling and the abuse of prisoners. When he returns to France, he has difficulty concentrating, has recurring nightmares about the war, and cries easily. What is the most likely diagnosis of the symptoms of his distress?

Accepted Answer

The UN Peacekeeper has witnessed traumatic events that are capable of resulting in mental or emotional strain. The symptoms of difficulty concentrating, recurring nightmares, and crying easily are all signs of PTSD which is common among military personnel and war survivors.

Question 6

Which of these is a typical feature of posttraumatic stress disorder?

Accepted Answer

Increased arousal is a typical feature of posttraumatic stress disorder. This includes symptoms such as hypervigilance, irritability, and difficulty sleeping.

Question 7

Which of the following is not an essential characteristic of posttraumatic stress disorder?

Accepted Answer

While extreme anxiety is a common symptom of PTSD, it is not an essential characteristic. The essential characteristics of PTSD are reexperiencing the traumatic event through intrusive thoughts or flashbacks, avoidance of reminders of the event, and hyperarousal, such as being easily startled or having difficulty sleeping.

Question 8

What are the two major types of posttraumatic stress disorder listed in DSM-IV-TR?

Accepted Answer

The DSM-IV-TR lists two major types of PTSD: acute and delayed. Acute PTSD refers to symptoms that last less than three months after a traumatic event, while delayed PTSD refers to symptoms that don't appear until at least six months after the trauma.

Question 9

Which diagnosis describes symptoms that appear in the first few weeks after a trauma?

Accepted Answer

Acute stress disorder is a diagnosis that describes symptoms that appear in the first few weeks after a trauma. Adjustment disorder is a diagnosis that describes emotional and behavioral symptoms that occur in response to a stressor, but these symptoms are not as severe or long-lasting as those of acute stress disorder or PTSD. Dissociative disorder is a diagnosis that involves disruptions or changes in a person's sense of identity, memory, or consciousness, and may be related to trauma or stress, but is not specific to the first few weeks after a trauma. PTSD is a diagnosis that involves symptoms that persist for more than one month after a traumatic event.

Question 10

Which disorders have been found to occur at elevated rates among people who develop posttraumatic stress disorder?

Accepted Answer

Research has found that individuals with PTSD often experience comorbid disorders such as depression and substance abuse disorders. On the other hand, while amnesia, psychosis, depersonalization, dissociative fugue, personality disorders, and somatoform disorders may occur after trauma, they are not consistently associated with PTSD.

Question 11

Some victims of the effects of PTSD exhibit maladaptive reactions to the trauma that may involve alterations between

Accepted Answer

Victims of PTSD may exhibit maladaptive reactions such as intrusive thinking and denial, which are opposite shifts in their behaviors. Intrusive thinking refers to constantly re-experiencing the traumatic event through memories or flashbacks, while denial involves ignoring or avoiding any reminders of the trauma.

Question 12

Al witnessed a mass murder spree involving 12 people. Hidden behind some boxes, he managed to keep out of the killer's line of sight. After several months of suffering with his symptoms, he seeks help. When he asked about possible treatments and their success, what is he likely to be told?

Accepted Answer

Research shows that psychological treatments such as cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR) are generally more successful in treating PTSD symptoms compared to drug treatments. While antidepressant and antianxiety drugs may be prescribed, they are often used in conjunction with psychotherapy. Hypnosis is not a widely accepted or evidence-based treatment for PTSD.

Question 13

How do psychodynamic theorists view clinical anxiety?

Accepted Answer

The answer of How do psychodynamic theorists view clinical anxiety?
...

Question 14

What happens in the defense mechanism of isolation?

Accepted Answer

Isolation is a defense mechanism where a person separates thought from feelings or actions. This can happen in individuals with OCD, who tend to detach themselves emotionally from their obsessions and compulsions. The other options refer to specific phobias or anxiety disorders, which are not related to the defense mechanism of isolation.

Question 15

Amy checks her children's rooms' dozens of times while they are asleep, yet she is quite resentful toward them. Psychologists would describe Amy as exhibiting the defense mechanism of

Accepted Answer

Amy is exhibiting reaction formation, which is a defense mechanism where a person expresses the opposite of their true feelings in order to cope with anxiety or guilt. In this case, Amy may feel guilty for being resentful towards her children, so she overcompensates by checking on them repeatedly.

Question 16

Compulsively behaving opposite to one's true thoughts and feelings is called

Accepted Answer

Compulsively behaving opposite to one's true thoughts and feelings is referred to as reaction formation in psychology. This defense mechanism is used to suppress or hide unacceptable impulses or emotions by behaving in the opposite way.

Question 17

For which of the anxiety disorders are exposure therapies particularly effective?

Accepted Answer

Exposure therapies are particularly effective for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) and phobias because they involve confronting the feared object or situation, which helps reduce the anxiety associated with these disorders.

Question 18

What is the most successful treatment for obsessive compulsive disorder?

Accepted Answer

Exposure and response prevention (ERP) is currently considered the most successful treatment for obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). It involves gradually exposing the individual to anxiety-provoking triggers while preventing them from performing compulsive behaviors. This process helps to desensitize the person to their obsessions and reduce the anxiety associated with them. While flooding, implosive therapy, and systematic desensitization have been used in the past for anxiety disorders, they are not as effective or appropriate for OCD.

Question 19

Zelda sees a psychologist for the treatment of anxiety. The psychologist teaches her to relax on a couch while imagining a series of situations that are more and more anxiety-provoking. What procedure is the psychologist using?

Accepted Answer

The psychologist is using systematic desensitization, a technique that involves gradually exposing the patient to feared stimuli in a relaxed state in order to extinguish the fear response.

Question 20

In which type of treatment might the psychologist ask the patient to imagine every detail of a feared situation, perhaps in the first session of therapy?

Accepted Answer

This type of treatment is called implosive therapy, where the patient is asked to vividly imagine the feared situation without any actual exposure to it. It is often used for treating phobias and anxiety disorders. Options A, B, and D involve exposure to the feared situation either in imagination or in reality and are different types of exposure therapies.

Quiz 8: Anxiety Disorders