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CSS Psychology Clinical and Health Psychology Syllabus

The Clinical and Health Psychology syllabus for CSS Psychology in full: 2 chapters and 10 topics, every one listed below, plus 51 Clinical and Health Psychology flashcards with answers.

2Chapters
10Topics
51Flashcards

Clinical and Health Psychology syllabus: all 2 chapters

Expand any chapter to see its topics and sub-topics.

  1. Abnormal and Clinical Psychology

     4 topics
    • Concept and Causes of Abnormality
    • Clinical Assessment and Intervention
    • Psychological Disorders
    • Psychological Treatment and Therapeutic Interventions

  2. Health Psychology

     6 topics
    • Beliefs and Behaviour
    • Models of Health Psychology
    • Assessment and Intervention
    • Models of Stress
    • Chronic and Terminal Illness
    • Role of Social Support

CSS Psychology Clinical and Health Psychology flashcards — 51 questions with answers

  1. Define 'abnormality' in clinical psychology using the four-D model.

    Behaviour/mental functioning that is statistically Deviant, causes Distress, is Dysfunctional (impairs daily life), and is Dangerous to self or others — the 'Four Ds'.

  2. What are the main approaches used to define abnormal behaviour?

    Statistical deviation from the norm, deviation from social/cultural norms, maladaptiveness/dysfunction, and personal distress (subjective discomfort).

  3. Name the major categories of causes of abnormality in the biopsychosocial model.

    Biological (genetics, brain chemistry, neurotransmitters), psychological (trauma, learning, cognition, conflicts), and social/sociocultural (stress, poverty, family, culture) factors.

  4. According to the psychoanalytic view, what causes abnormal behaviour?

    Unresolved unconscious conflicts, usually rooted in early childhood, and the use of defence mechanisms by the ego to manage anxiety from id-superego conflict.

  5. What is the diathesis-stress model of abnormality?

    Disorders arise from the interaction of a predisposing vulnerability (diathesis, e.g. genetic) and environmental stress that triggers the latent disorder.

  6. Which neurotransmitter imbalances are linked to depression and schizophrenia?

    Depression: low serotonin and norepinephrine. Schizophrenia: excess/overactivity of dopamine (dopamine hypothesis).

  7. What is clinical assessment in psychology?

    The systematic process of gathering information to evaluate, describe, and reach a diagnosis about a client's psychological functioning, using interviews, tests, and observation.

  8. Name the main methods of clinical assessment.

    Clinical interviews, psychological testing (intelligence, personality, neuropsychological), behavioural observation, and physiological/biological measures.

  9. Differentiate between projective and objective personality tests, with examples.

    Projective tests use ambiguous stimuli to reveal unconscious content (e.g. Rorschach Inkblot, TAT). Objective tests use structured items with fixed responses (e.g. MMPI, 16PF).

  10. What does reliability and validity mean for a psychological test?

    Reliability is consistency of results over time/raters; validity is whether the test measures what it claims to measure.

  11. What is the difference between DSM and ICD?

    DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, APA, USA) classifies mental disorders; ICD (International Classification of Diseases, WHO) covers all diseases including mental disorders and is used internationally.

  12. What is a Mental Status Examination (MSE)?

    A structured assessment of a patient's current mental functioning, covering appearance, behaviour, mood/affect, speech, thought, perception, cognition, and insight/judgment.

  13. List the major categories of psychological disorders.

    Anxiety disorders, mood (depressive/bipolar) disorders, schizophrenia/psychotic disorders, personality disorders, somatoform, dissociative, and neurodevelopmental disorders.

  14. What are the core symptoms of Major Depressive Disorder?

    Persistent low mood and/or loss of interest (anhedonia) for ≥2 weeks, plus changes in sleep, appetite, energy, concentration, worthlessness/guilt, and suicidal thoughts.

  15. Distinguish positive from negative symptoms of schizophrenia.

    Positive symptoms are excesses: hallucinations, delusions, disorganized speech/behaviour. Negative symptoms are deficits: flat affect, avolition, alogia, anhedonia, social withdrawal.

  16. What characterizes Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)?

    Excessive, uncontrollable worry about multiple events most days for ≥6 months, with restlessness, fatigue, irritability, muscle tension, and concentration/sleep problems.

  17. What is the difference between obsessions and compulsions in OCD?

    Obsessions are intrusive, unwanted thoughts/urges causing anxiety; compulsions are repetitive behaviours or mental acts performed to reduce that anxiety.

  18. Define bipolar disorder and its two poles.

    A mood disorder alternating between mania (elevated/irritable mood, high energy, grandiosity, reduced sleep) and depression (low mood, anhedonia, fatigue).

  19. What distinguishes a phobia from normal fear?

    A phobia is a persistent, excessive, irrational fear of a specific object/situation that is out of proportion to actual danger and leads to avoidance and impairment.

  20. What are the key features of Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)?

    Following trauma: intrusive re-experiencing (flashbacks/nightmares), avoidance of reminders, negative mood/cognition changes, and hyperarousal — lasting over a month.

Show the other 31 Clinical and Health Psychology flashcards

  1. Define a personality disorder and name the three DSM clusters.

    An enduring, inflexible, maladaptive pattern of inner experience and behaviour. Cluster A (odd/eccentric), Cluster B (dramatic/erratic), Cluster C (anxious/fearful).

  2. What is the goal of psychoanalytic (psychodynamic) therapy?

    To bring unconscious conflicts into conscious awareness, achieving insight, using free association, dream analysis, transference, and interpretation.

  3. What is the core principle of Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)?

    Thoughts, feelings, and behaviours are interconnected; changing distorted/maladaptive thoughts and behaviours improves emotional states. It is structured and present-focused.

  4. What is systematic desensitization and who developed it?

    A behaviour therapy by Joseph Wolpe that treats phobias by pairing gradual exposure to a fear hierarchy with relaxation (reciprocal inhibition).

  5. What is Rational Emotive Behaviour Therapy (REBT) and its ABC model?

    Albert Ellis's therapy challenging irrational beliefs. A = Activating event, B = Belief, C = emotional/behavioural Consequence; disputing irrational B changes C.

  6. What are the core conditions of Carl Rogers' client-centred therapy?

    Unconditional positive regard, empathy (empathic understanding), and genuineness/congruence by the therapist.

  7. Name common biomedical treatments for psychological disorders.

    Psychopharmacology (antidepressants, antipsychotics, anxiolytics, mood stabilizers), electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), and psychosurgery.

  8. What is token economy and on which principle is it based?

    A behaviour modification system giving tokens (secondary reinforcers) for desired behaviours, exchangeable for rewards; based on operant conditioning/positive reinforcement.

  9. What is health psychology?

    The branch of psychology studying how biological, psychological, and social factors influence health, illness, healthcare, and how to promote wellbeing and prevent disease.

  10. How do 'illness' and 'disease' differ in health psychology?

    Disease is the objective biological pathology; illness is the subjective experience and meaning of being unwell as perceived by the patient.

  11. What is the Health Belief Model (HBM) and its components?

    A model predicting health behaviour based on perceived susceptibility, perceived severity, perceived benefits, perceived barriers, cues to action, and self-efficacy.

  12. What is the Theory of Planned Behaviour (TPB)?

    Ajzen's model: behaviour is predicted by intention, which is shaped by attitudes toward the behaviour, subjective norms, and perceived behavioural control.

  13. Describe the Transtheoretical (Stages of Change) Model.

    Prochaska & DiClemente's model of behaviour change stages: precontemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, maintenance, and (sometimes) relapse/termination.

  14. What is the biomedical model of health and its main limitation?

    It views health as the absence of disease caused by biological/physical factors only; limitation: it ignores psychological, social, and behavioural contributions to health.

  15. What is the biopsychosocial model of health (Engel)?

    Health and illness result from the interaction of biological, psychological, and social factors, rather than biology alone.

  16. What is the locus of control and how does it affect health behaviour?

    Rotter's concept: internal locus (belief one controls own outcomes) is linked to better health behaviours; external locus (outcomes due to fate/others) to poorer ones.

  17. What is self-efficacy and who proposed it?

    Albert Bandura's concept: a person's belief in their ability to perform a behaviour successfully; high self-efficacy predicts adoption and maintenance of healthy behaviours.

  18. Define stress in psychological terms.

    A state of physical and psychological tension arising when environmental demands (stressors) are appraised as exceeding the individual's coping resources.

  19. What is Selye's General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS) and its three stages?

    Hans Selye's model of the body's stress response: (1) Alarm reaction, (2) Resistance, (3) Exhaustion.

  20. Describe the Transactional Model of Stress (Lazarus & Folkman).

    Stress depends on cognitive appraisal: primary appraisal evaluates threat, secondary appraisal evaluates coping ability; stress occurs when demands exceed resources.

  21. Differentiate problem-focused and emotion-focused coping.

    Problem-focused coping targets the stressor itself (action/planning); emotion-focused coping manages the emotional response to the stressor (e.g. reappraisal, support-seeking).

  22. What is the 'fight or flight' response and who described it?

    Walter Cannon's concept: an acute physiological reaction (sympathetic activation, adrenaline release) preparing the body to confront or flee a perceived threat.

  23. Distinguish eustress from distress.

    Eustress is positive, motivating stress that enhances performance; distress is negative, harmful stress that impairs functioning and wellbeing.

  24. What physiological systems are activated during the stress response?

    The sympathetic-adrenal-medullary (SAM) axis (adrenaline/noradrenaline) and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis (releasing cortisol).

  25. What is chronic illness and how does it differ from acute illness?

    Chronic illness is a long-lasting (often incurable) condition managed over time (e.g. diabetes, cancer, heart disease); acute illness is sudden, short-term, and usually resolves.

  26. What are Kübler-Ross's five stages of grief/dying?

    Denial, Anger, Bargaining, Depression, and Acceptance.

  27. What is terminal illness and the goal of palliative care?

    Terminal illness is an incurable, life-limiting condition; palliative care aims to relieve pain and improve quality of life rather than cure, addressing physical, emotional, and spiritual needs.

  28. What is social support and what are its main types?

    The perceived/actual assistance from one's social network. Types: emotional, instrumental (tangible/practical), informational, and appraisal (esteem) support.

  29. What is the buffering hypothesis of social support?

    Social support protects (buffers) people from the harmful effects of stress, weakening the stressor-illness link, especially during high stress.

  30. What is the direct (main) effect hypothesis of social support?

    Social support benefits health and wellbeing at all times, regardless of stress level, by promoting positive states and healthy behaviours.

  31. How does social support influence physical health outcomes?

    Strong social support is linked to lower mortality, better immune function, faster recovery, better treatment adherence, and reduced cardiovascular and stress-related risk.

CSS Psychology Clinical and Health Psychology FAQ

What is in the CSS Psychology Clinical and Health Psychology syllabus?

CSS Psychology Clinical and Health Psychology is split into 2 chapters: Abnormal and Clinical Psychology and Health Psychology. Together they contain 10 topics.

How many chapters are in CSS Psychology Clinical and Health Psychology?

2 chapters, containing 10 topics. The largest chapter is Health Psychology, with 6 topics.

Are there flashcards for CSS Psychology Clinical and Health Psychology?

Yes — a 51-card Clinical and Health Psychology deck, printed in full in the flashcards section of this page and available in the Examius app with spaced repetition. The free plan covers one exam of your choice, including its flashcards; Examius Pro, a one-time purchase, unlocks every other exam and deck.