BEC characteristics

Question 1

What are the BEC characteristics of Phobias?

Answer 1

Behavioural
- Panic
- Avoidance
- Endurance

Emotional
- Anxiety
- Fear
- Unreasonable emotional responses

Cognitive
- Selective attention on phobic stimulus
- Irrational beliefs
- Cognitive distortions

Question 2

What are the BEC characteristics of OCD?

Answer 2

Behavioural
- Repetitive behaviours
- Compulsions to reduce anxiety
- Avoidance

Emotional
- Anxiety and distress
- Guilt and disgust
- Accompanying depression

Cognitive
- Obsessive thoughts
- Cognitive coping strategies
- Awareness of irrational behaviour

Question 3

What are the BEC characteristics of depression?

Answer 3

Behavioural
- Low activity levels
- Disruption to sleep and eating
- Aggression and self-harm

Emotional
- Low mood
- Low self-esteem
- Anger

Cognitive
- Poor concentration
- Negative schemas
- Absolutist thinking

Question 4

Outline panic as a behavioural characteristic of phobias

Answer 4

Responses like screaming, crying, running away, freezing etc when in the presence of a phobic stimulus

Question 5

Outline avoidance as a behavioural characteristic of phobias

Answer 5

The sufferer puts a lot of effort into preventing coming into contact with the phobic stimulus, to the point that it may interfere with their daily life

Question 6

Outline endurance as a behavioural characteristic of phobias

Answer 6

When the sufferer chooses to remain in the presence of the phobic stimulus and keep a wary eye on it instead

Question 7

Outline low activity levels as a behavioural characteristic of depression

Answer 7

Reduced energy levels and interest or pleasure in activities most of the time, causing sufferers to withdraw from daily life

Question 8

Outline disruption to sleep and eating as a behavioural characteristic of depression

Answer 8

• Insomnia/hypersomnia (reduced/increased need for sleep)
• Appetite/eating may increase/decrease, leading to weight gain or loss

Question 9

Outline aggression/self-harm as a behavioural characteristic for depression

Answer 9

Sufferer is often irritable or verbally/physically aggressive and may direct physical aggression against themselves (self-harm), could lead to suicide attempts

Question 10

Outline repetitive behaviour as a behavioural characteristic of OCD

Answer 10

Sufferers feel compelled to repeat a behaviour e.g. hand-washing or tidying objects

Question 11

Outline compulsions that reduce anxiety as a behavioural characteristic of OCD

Answer 11

An attempt to manage the anxiety produced by obsessions

Question 12

Outline avoidance as a behavioural characteristic of OCD

Answer 12

Sufferers may attempt to reduce anxiety by keeping away from situations that trigger it, leading them to avoid very ordinary situations

This interferes with leading a normal life.

Question 13

Outline anxiety as an emotional characteristic of phobias

Answer 13

An unpleasant state of high arousal which prevents the sufferer from relaxing or experiencing positive emotions. It can be long-term.

Question 14

Outline fear as an emotional response to phobias

Answer 14

The immediate and extremely unpleasant response when encountering or thinking about the phobic stimulus. More intense than anxiety but usually short-term.

Question 15

Outline unreasonable emotional responses as a behavioural characteristic of phobias

Answer 15

The anxiety or fear is disproportionate to the actual threat posed by the phobic stimulus

Question 16

Outline low mood as an emotional characteristic of depression

Answer 16

More pronounced than regular sadness;
Occurs for most of the day, nearly every day

Question 17

Outline low self-esteem as an emotional characteristic of depression

Answer 17

Feelings of worthlessness, guilt, and self-loathing that occur nearly every day

Question 18

Outline anger as an emotional characteristic of depression

Answer 18

Extreme anger that is directed at self or others, may lead to aggressive/self-harming behaviour

Question 19

Outline anxiety and distress as an emotional characteristic of OCD

Answer 19

Unpleasant and intrusive obsessive thoughts and the urge to repeat a behaviour which cause overwhelming anxiety

Question 20

Outline accompanying depression as an emotional characteristic of OCD

Answer 20

Anxiety can be accompanied by low mood and lack of enjoyment in activities.
Compulsive behaviour may bring some temporary relief.

Question 21

Outline guilt and disgust as an emotional characteristic of OCD

Answer 21

Negative and irrational emotions e.g. irrational guilt / disgust, which may be directed at something external

Question 22

Outline selective attention as a cognitive characteristic of phobias

Answer 22

Finding it hard to look away from the phobic stimulus, causing the sufferer to struggle to concentrate

Question 23

Outline irrational beliefs as a cognitive characteristic of phobias

Answer 23

Holding unfounded thoughts about the phobic stimulus, which cannot be easily explained and have no basis in reality

Question 24

Outline cognitive distortions as a cognitive characteristic of phobias

Answer 24

Having inaccurate and unrealistic perceptions about the phobic stimulus

Question 25

Outline poor concentration as a cognitive characteristic of depression

Answer 25

**Unable to focus** and being **indecisive** nearly every day, which interferes with work

Question 26

Outline negative schemas as a cognitive characteristic of depression

Answer 26

Paying **more attention to the negative aspects** of a situation and **ignoring the positives**; A **bias** towards **recalling unhappy events** rather than happy ones

Question 27

Outline absolutist thinking as a cognitive characteristic of depression

Answer 27

Tending to see a situation as an **absolute disaster** when it is **unfortunate**

Question 28

Outline obsessive thoughts as a cognitive characteristic of OCD

Answer 28

**Recurrent thoughts** that are **always unpleasant** (e.g. impulse to hurt someone)

Question 29

Outline cognitive coping strategies as a cognitive characteristic of OCD

Answer 29

**Responding to obsessions** by adopting **coping strategies**. These may help **manage anxiety** but can make the person **appear abnormal to others** and can **distract them from everyday tasks**.

Question 30

Outline insight of irrational behaviour as a cognitive characteristic of OCD

Answer 30

Sufferers can have **fair to good awareness** that their **behaviour is irrational**, but may also have **poor to absent awareness**. This is necessary for a diagnosis of OCD.