Psychotherapies Practice Questions

Q: Expression and consequent release of previously repressed emotion is called as:-

Abreaction. ***Abreaction*** - **Abreaction** is the process of reliving a past traumatic experience and expressing the emotions associated with it, which were previously repressed. - This emotional release is considered a **cathartic experience** and is often therapeutic, helping to alleviate psychological symptoms. *Regression* - **Regression** is a defense mechanism characterized by returning to an earlier stage of development or a more primitive mode of functioning in response to stress. - It does not specifically involve the release of **repressed emotions**, but rather a retreat to earlier behavioral patterns. *Dissociation* - **Dissociation** involves a disruption of the normal integration of consciousness, memory, identity, emotion, perception, and behavior. - While it can involve detachment from trauma, it is not primarily about the **expression and release** of previously repressed emotions. *All of the options* - This option is incorrect because while dissociation and regression are psychological phenomena, only **abreaction** specifically describes the expression and release of previously repressed emotions.

Q: All of the following are done in behavior therapy to increase a behavior except:

Punishment. ***Punishment*** - **Punishment** is designed to **decrease** an unwanted behavior by adding an aversive stimulus (positive punishment) or removing a desirable one (negative punishment). - Unlike reinforcement, which aims to strengthen a behavior, punishment attempts to **suppress** or eliminate a behavior. - This is the only technique listed that does NOT increase behavior. *Negative reinforcement* - **Negative reinforcement** involves the **removal** of an aversive stimulus to **increase** a desired behavior. - For example, if a child cleans their room to stop their parent's nagging, cleaning is increased by the removal of the unpleasant nagging. - Despite the word "negative," this technique **increases** behavior frequency. *Positive reinforcement* - **Positive reinforcement** involves **adding** a desirable stimulus after a behavior to **increase** its future occurrence. - This is one of the most effective techniques in behavior therapy for strengthening desired behaviors. - Examples include praise, privileges, or tangible rewards following appropriate behavior. *Reward* - A **reward** is essentially a type of **positive reinforcement**, where a desirable stimulus is added after a behavior to **increase** its occurrence. - This directly incentivizes the repetition of the behavior. - The terms "reward" and "positive reinforcement" are often used interchangeably in clinical practice.

Q: Best therapy suited to teach daily life skill to a mentally challenged child:

Contingency management. ***Contingency management*** - This therapy involves consistently **rewarding desired behaviors** and withholding rewards for undesirable ones, which is highly effective for teaching new skills to individuals with intellectual disabilities. - It uses principles of **operant conditioning** to shape behavior through positive reinforcement, making it suitable for acquiring daily living skills. *Cognitive reconstruction* - This technique focuses on identifying and changing **maladaptive thought patterns**, which typically requires a higher level of cognitive function. - It is generally not the primary or most effective approach for teaching concrete daily life skills to individuals with significant **cognitive limitations**. *Self instruction* - This involves teaching individuals to guide their own behavior using **internal verbal cues** or self-talk. - While beneficial for some, it often requires a certain degree of **abstract thinking** and memory, making it less suitable as a standalone method for those with profound cognitive challenges in acquiring basic skills. *CBT (Cognitive behavior therapy)* - CBT integrates cognitive and behavioral strategies to address emotional and behavioral problems by modifying **thoughts, feelings, and behaviors**. - While beneficial for a range of psychological issues, its emphasis on **cognitive restructuring** makes it less directly applicable or the most effective first-line therapy for teaching concrete, functional daily living skills to mentally challenged children.

Q: Which of the following is the core component of Beck's cognitive theory of depression?

C. Dysfunctional belief. ***Dysfunctional belief*** - **Dysfunctional beliefs**, or **core beliefs**, are the central component of Beck's cognitive theory, acting as underlying assumptions that shape an individual's interpretation of events. - These deep-seated beliefs are often rigid, extreme, and influence the development of maladaptive thoughts and behaviors in depression. *Cognitive distortions* - **Cognitive distortions** are systematic errors in thinking that arise from dysfunctional beliefs but are not the fundamental cause themselves. - They are the *patterned ways* in which individuals misconstrue reality, such as **catastrophizing** or **all-or-nothing thinking**. *Automated thoughts* - **Automatic thoughts** are spontaneous, fleeting thoughts that occur in response to specific situations. - While they are a key symptom and target of therapy in Beck's model, they stem from underlying dysfunctional beliefs and cognitive distortions, rather than being the core component. *Introjection* - **Introjection** is a psychoanalytic concept referring to the unconscious absorption of attitudes, ideas, and behaviors from external sources into one's own personality. - This concept is primarily associated with **psychodynamic theories** and is not part of Beck's cognitive model of depression.

Q: A patient with OCD washes their hands excessively. What is the best cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) technique for this condition?

Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP). ***ERP*** - **Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP)** is the gold standard CBT technique for OCD. It involves **gradually exposing** the individual to situations or objects that trigger their obsessions while preventing them from engaging in their compulsive rituals. - For excessive hand washing, this would mean touching a perceived "contaminated" object (exposure) and then **refraining from washing their hands** (response prevention) for increasing periods. *Flooding* - **Flooding** is a form of exposure therapy where the individual is **immediately exposed to their most feared stimulus** at maximum intensity without the option of avoidance. - While it involves exposure, it **lacks the gradual approach** and response prevention specifically tailored for OCD in the same structured way as ERP, making it less preferred as a first-line CBT technique for OCD. *Systematic desensitization* - **Systematic desensitization** primarily focuses on pairing relaxation techniques with a **hierarchy of feared stimuli**, commonly used for phobias. - While it involves gradual exposure, it emphasizes **relaxation as the primary coping mechanism**, which is less effective for directly addressing the compulsive behaviors in OCD. *Cognitive restructuring* - **Cognitive restructuring** is a CBT technique that focuses on **identifying and challenging maladaptive thoughts** and beliefs. - While it can be a component of OCD treatment to address distorted thoughts related to obsessions, it does not directly target the **behavioral compulsions** as effectively as ERP.

Q: A 32-year-old mother has severe, ego-dystonic thoughts of harming her child with no prior treatment. After ensuring immediate safety, what is the most appropriate therapeutic intervention for ongoing management?

Exposure and Response Prevention. ***Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP)*** - **ERP is the gold-standard psychotherapy** for OCD, which these ego-dystonic intrusive thoughts strongly suggest - Specifically designed to address **obsessive intrusive thoughts** by gradually exposing patients to feared thoughts while preventing compulsive responses - **Most evidence-based treatment** for intrusive aggressive obsessions, including postpartum OCD with thoughts of harming one's child - Superior efficacy compared to general CBT for OCD symptoms with **70-80% response rates** *Cognitive Behavioral Therapy* - While CBT is effective for many anxiety disorders, **ERP is a specialized form of CBT** specifically designed for OCD - When both options are available, **ERP is preferred** as it directly targets the obsessive-compulsive cycle - General CBT may be used if ERP is not available or as an adjunct, but is **not first-line** for OCD with intrusive thoughts *Emergency psychiatric evaluation and crisis intervention* - The question specifically states **"after ensuring immediate safety"** - this indicates acute safety measures have already been addressed - Emergency evaluation focuses on **immediate risk assessment**, not ongoing therapeutic management - While important initially, this does not address the long-term treatment of ego-dystonic obsessive thoughts *Antipsychotic medication* - Reserved for **psychotic disorders** where patients have delusions or believe their thoughts are true - These are **ego-dystonic** thoughts (recognized as inconsistent with self), not psychotic symptoms - Not first-line treatment for OCD; SSRIs would be the medication class of choice if pharmacotherapy is indicated

Q: A 35-year-old woman with borderline personality disorder presents with recurrent suicidal behavior and self-harm. What is the most effective psychotherapeutic approach?

Dialectical behavior therapy. ***Dialectical behavior therapy*** - **DBT** is specifically designed for individuals with **borderline personality disorder** to address emotional dysregulation, suicidal ideation, and self-harm behaviors. - It focuses on teaching skills in **mindfulness, distress tolerance, emotion regulation, and interpersonal effectiveness**. *Cognitive-behavioral therapy* - While generally effective for many mental health conditions, **CBT** alone is often less specialized for the complex symptom presentation of **borderline personality disorder** compared to DBT. - It primarily addresses maladaptive thought patterns and behaviors but may not fully encompass the severe emotional dysregulation and interpersonal challenges specific to BPD. *Psychodynamic therapy* - This approach explores unconscious conflicts and past experiences, which can be beneficial for insight, but it is not typically the first-line treatment for **acute suicidality** and **self-harm** in BPD. - Its longer-term, less structured nature may not provide the immediate skill-building and crisis management necessary for these high-risk behaviors. *Supportive therapy* - **Supportive therapy** aims to bolster coping mechanisms and provide empathy, but it lacks the structured skill-building components necessary to effectively manage the core symptoms of **borderline personality disorder**, such as chronic suicidality and self-harm. - It is often used as an adjunct or for less severe presentations, but not as the primary, standalone treatment for the complex issues presented.

Q: What is considered the fundamental principle of behavior therapy?

Learning. ***Learning*** - **Behavior therapy** is fundamentally based on the concept that behaviors, both adaptive and maladaptive, are **learned responses**. - Therapeutic interventions aim to **unlearn undesirable behaviors** and **learn new, more adaptive ones** through various techniques. *Modeling* - **Modeling** is a specific technique within behavior therapy where individuals learn by **observing and imitating** others' behaviors. - While an important component, it is a *method* of learning rather than the overarching foundational principle itself. *Conditioning* - **Conditioning** (both classical and operant) is a *mechanism* or a *process* by which learning occurs in behavior therapy. - It describes how associations between stimuli and responses are formed or how behaviors are strengthened or weakened by consequences, but learning is the broader principle. *Guidance* - **Guidance** refers to direct instruction or support provided to a patient during therapy to help them perform a desired behavior. - It is a therapeutic *technique* or form of support, not the fundamental theoretical basis for why behavior therapy works.

Question 1

Expression and consequent release of previously repressed emotion is called as:-

Accepted Answer

Abreaction

Answer

Regression

Answer

Dissociation

Answer

All of the options

Question 2

All of the following are done in behavior therapy to increase a behavior except:

Accepted Answer

Punishment

Answer

Negative reinforcement

Answer

Reward

Answer

Positive reinforcement

Question 3

Best therapy suited to teach daily life skill to a mentally challenged child:

Accepted Answer

Contingency management

Answer

Cognitive reconstruction

Answer

Self instruction

Answer

CBT (Cognitive behavior therapy)

Question 4

In which of the following patients would supportive therapy be most challenging to implement effectively?

Accepted Answer

Patient who is severely ill and uncooperative

Answer

Patient who is severely ill and has significant ego dysfunction

Answer

Person who is motivated and has good self-control

Answer

Person with good cognitive and functional abilities

Question 5

In which of the following scenarios is supportive therapy LEAST likely to be given?

Accepted Answer

Person who is motivated and has control over their emotions.

Answer

Patient who is severely ill and not cooperative.

Answer

Person with cognitive and functional abilities.

Answer

Patient who is severely ill and has significant psychological impairment.

Question 6

Which of the following is the core component of Beck's cognitive theory of depression?

Accepted Answer

C. Dysfunctional belief

Answer

A. Cognitive distortions

Answer

B. Automatic thoughts

Answer

D. Introjection

Question 7

A patient with OCD washes their hands excessively. What is the best cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) technique for this condition?

Accepted Answer

Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP)

Answer

Flooding

Answer

Systematic desensitization

Answer

Cognitive restructuring

Question 8

A 32-year-old mother has severe, ego-dystonic thoughts of harming her child with no prior treatment. After ensuring immediate safety, what is the most appropriate therapeutic intervention for ongoing management?

Accepted Answer

Exposure and Response Prevention

Answer

Emergency psychiatric evaluation and crisis intervention

Answer

Antipsychotic medication

Answer

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Question 9

A 35-year-old woman with borderline personality disorder presents with recurrent suicidal behavior and self-harm. What is the most effective psychotherapeutic approach?

Accepted Answer

Dialectical behavior therapy

Answer

Cognitive-behavioral therapy

Answer

Psychodynamic therapy

Answer

Supportive therapy

Question 10

What is considered the fundamental principle of behavior therapy?

Accepted Answer

Learning

Answer

Modeling

Answer

Conditioning

Answer

Guidance

Psychotherapies — MCQs

Psychotherapies — MCQs

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