PS22: Treatments & Therapies
Psychological and biological treatments: CBT, systematic desensitisation, drug therapy, and evaluating the effectiveness of different therapies for mental health problems.
Treatments & Therapies
Psychological and biological treatments: CBT, systematic desensitisation, drug therapy, and evaluating the effectiveness of different therapies for mental health problems.
Key Fact: CBT (Cognitive Behavioural Therapy): identifies and challenges irrational/negative thoughts, tests them against evidence, and develops more realistic beliefs. Used for depression, anxiety, OCD, and phobias. Typical course: 6-20 sessions. Homework between sessions (thought records, behavioural experiments).
Key Fact: Systematic desensitisation (Wolpe): a behavioural therapy for phobias. Step 1: relaxation training (deep breathing, muscle relaxation). Step 2: construct anxiety hierarchy (least to most feared situations). Step 3: gradually expose patient to feared stimulus while maintaining relaxation, progressing up the hierarchy. Based on counterconditioning (replacing fear response with relaxation).
Key Fact: Drug therapy: SSRIs (e.g. Prozac) for depression - increase serotonin by blocking reuptake. Benzodiazepines (e.g. Valium) for anxiety - enhance GABA (inhibitory neurotransmitter) to calm brain activity. Antipsychotics (e.g. chlorpromazine) for schizophrenia - block dopamine receptors.
Key Fact: Evaluating CBT: strengths - addresses root causes (negative thinking), no side effects, skills for long-term management, effective for many conditions. Limitations - requires motivation and effort, not suitable for severe symptoms (too unwell to engage), limited therapist availability, takes time (weeks-months).
Key Fact: Evaluating drug therapy: strengths - rapid effect (especially benzodiazepines), easy to take, effective for many, widely available. Limitations - side effects (weight gain, insomnia, dependency for benzodiazepines), treats symptoms not causes, withdrawal effects, 30-40% don't respond, placebo effect is significant.
📋 Key Vocabulary and Concepts
For Treatments & Therapies, you must know:
- Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
- Systematic desensitisation
- Anxiety hierarchy
- Counterconditioning
- Relaxation training
- SSRI
- Benzodiazepine
- GABA
- Antipsychotic
- Chlorpromazine
- Placebo effect
- Side effect
- Withdrawal
- Relapse rate
- Effectiveness
- Evidence-based practice
❓ Practice Questions
Q1: Describe how systematic desensitisation works and explain why it is effective for treating phobias.
Q2: Compare CBT and drug therapy as treatments for mental health problems.
Q3: Evaluate whether biological or psychological treatments are more effective for mental health problems.
✅ Answers
- Systematic desensitisation: (1) Teach relaxation techniques. (2) Build anxiety hierarchy (e.g. for spider phobia: picture -> toy spider -> small spider in jar -> large spider). (3) Patient relaxes while exposed to each step, moving up when anxiety is minimal. Effective because: it replaces the fear response with relaxation (counterconditioning), it's gradual (not overwhelming), and the patient maintains control. McGrath et al. found 75% success rate for phobias.
- CBT: addresses thinking patterns (root causes), teaches long-term skills, no side effects, effective for depression/anxiety. But: slow, requires effort, limited availability. Drug therapy: fast-acting, easy to prescribe, widely available. But: side effects, treats symptoms not causes, dependency risk (benzodiazepines), relapse when stopped. Combined: March et al. found CBT + SSRI most effective for adolescent depression.
- Neither is universally more effective - it depends on the condition and severity. Severe depression/schizophrenia: medication essential first. Mild-moderate depression/anxiety: CBT may be sufficient. Phobias: systematic desensitisation is highly effective. Combined approaches often work best. Evidence-based practice recommends matching treatment to the individual's specific needs and preferences.
🎯 Exam Tips
- Systematic desensitisation: 1) Relax, 2) Hierarchy, 3) Gradual exposure with relaxation. Replace FEAR with RELAXATION.
- CBT = change THOUGHTS to change BEHAVIOUR and EMOTIONS. Drugs = change BRAIN CHEMISTRY to change mood.
- Combined treatment (drugs + therapy) is often most effective for moderate-severe conditions.
📝 Exam Technique
Psychology Exam Tips:
When evaluating treatments, consider: does it address causes or symptoms? Are effects long-lasting? What are the side effects? Is it accessible? Use specific research evidence (March et al., McGrath et al.) to support evaluation.
When evaluating treatments, consider: does it address causes or symptoms? Are effects long-lasting? What are the side effects? Is it accessible? Use specific research evidence (March et al., McGrath et al.) to support evaluation.
⚠️ Common Errors
Watch Out!
Students often make mistakes here. Wrong: Drug therapy is always the best treatment for mental health problems because it directly addresses the biological causes. Correct: While drug therapy addresses biological symptoms, it doesn't address the psychological and social factors that contribute to mental health problems. CBT is as effective as medication for mild-moderate depression and more effective at preventing relapse. For phobias, systematic desensitisation is more effective than drugs. The best treatment depends on the specific condition, severity, and individual preferences. A biopsychosocial approach suggests combined treatment is often most effective.
✍️ Model Answer
Full-Mark Response
Evaluate the effectiveness of psychological and biological treatments for mental health problems.
A grade 9 response will: describe CBT, systematic desensitisation, and drug therapy with mechanisms; evaluate each treatment (strengths and limitations with specific research evidence); compare effectiveness across conditions (drugs for severe, CBT for mild-moderate, combined for best results); discuss issues (placebo effect, individual differences, access to therapy); conclude: no single treatment is best for all conditions - effective treatment should be personalised, evidence-based, and where appropriate combine biological and psychological approaches. The biopsychosocial model supports integrated treatment.
📊 AO Deep Dive
Assessment Objective Focus: Treatments & Therapies
AO1 — Knowledge: Demonstrate knowledge of Treatments & Therapies including key definitions, research studies and psychological terminology.
AO2 — Application: Apply your understanding of Treatments & Therapies to real-world scenarios and given contexts. Use research evidence to support your points.
AO3 — Analysis & Evaluation: Evaluate psychological theories and studies related to Treatments & Therapies, considering methodological strengths and weaknesses, and reaching a balanced conclusion.
📝 Exam Questions by Topic
🎬 Video Resources
Detailed Notes
Key Studies and Theories in Treatments & Therapies
Treatments & Therapies is a core topic in GCSE Psychology that requires understanding of key studies, theories and research methods. The AQA, OCR and Edexcel specifications all require you to know specific studies in detail, evaluate their methodology, and apply psychological concepts to real-life scenarios. When studying treatments & therapies, focus on: the aims, methods, results and conclusions of key studies; the strengths and weaknesses of the research methods used; and how psychological understanding of treatments & therapies applies to everyday life.
Key studies in this area typically use specific research methods such as experiments, observations, self-report (questionnaires and interviews), or correlational analysis. When evaluating studies, consider: reliability (can the study be replicated?); validity (does it measure what it claims to measure?); ethics (were participants protected from harm?); generalisability (can the findings be applied beyond the study sample?); and usefulness (does the research have practical applications?).
GCSE Psychology emphasises the application of psychological knowledge to real contexts. You must be able to explain how understanding of treatments & therapies can be used to improve people’s lives, influence policy, or solve practical problems.
GCSE Example: Key Studies and Theories in Treatments & Therapies
When writing about a study related to treatments & therapies, use the AMRC format: Aim (what was the study trying to find out?), Method (how was it conducted — design, sample, procedure?), Results (what were the key findings?), Conclusions (what do the results mean?).
Evaluating Research in Treatments & Therapies
Evaluation is a crucial skill in GCSE Psychology. When evaluating studies related to treatments & therapies, use the GRAVE method: Generalisability (can the findings be applied to the wider population?), Reliability (are the results consistent if the study is repeated?), Applications (how can the findings be used in real life?), Validity (does the study measure what it claims to measure?), and Ethics (were participants treated ethically?).
Research methods commonly used in treatments & therapies research include: laboratory experiments (high control but low ecological validity), field experiments (more realistic but less control), natural experiments (no manipulation of variables), case studies (in-depth but not generalisable), questionnaires (large samples but social desirability bias), and observations (natural behaviour but ethical concerns). Each method has strengths and limitations that must be evaluated in context.
Ethical issues in treatments & therapies research include: informed consent (participants must agree to take part), debriefing (explaining the true purpose after the study), confidentiality (protecting participants’ identities), protection from harm (no physical or psychological damage), and right to withdraw (participants can leave at any time). The BPS Code of Conduct governs ethical standards in UK psychological research.
GCSE Example: Evaluating Research in Treatments & Therapies
When evaluating Milgram’s obedience study, you might note: low generalisability (all male, American sample); high reliability (standardised procedure with 65% obedience rate); useful applications (understanding wartime atrocities); low ecological validity (artificial laboratory setting); and serious ethical concerns (deception, psychological distress).
Applying Treatments & Therapies to Real Life
GCSE Psychology requires you to apply psychological understanding of treatments & therapies to everyday situations. Consider how the theories and studies you have learned about explain real behaviour: How does treatments & therapies affect people in schools, workplaces, families and communities? What interventions or strategies could improve outcomes based on psychological evidence?
When applying treatments & therapies to real-life scenarios, use the following structure: identify the relevant psychological concept, explain how it applies to the scenario, support your explanation with evidence from a named study, and evaluate the strength of the application (are there limitations or alternative explanations?).
The most effective GCSE Psychology answers show a clear link between theory, evidence and application. Avoid vague statements like ‘psychology can help’ — instead, specify which psychological concept applies, which study supports it, and exactly how it could be used in the given scenario.
GCSE Example: Applying Treatments & Therapies to Real Life
A strong application answer: ‘Understanding of treatments & therapies could help in schools by [specific application]. This is supported by [named study] which found that [specific finding]. This means that [specific practical recommendation]. However, a limitation is [specific weakness of applying this research].’
Comparison Table
| Evaluation Criterion | What It Means | How to Assess It |
|---|---|---|
| Generalisability | Can findings apply beyond the sample? | Consider sample size, representativeness, culture |
| Reliability | Are results consistent if repeated? | Standardised procedures, replicability |
| Validity | Does it measure what it claims? | Ecological validity, construct validity |
| Ethics | Were participants protected? | Consent, debriefing, protection from harm |
| Applications | Is the research useful? | Practical implications, real-world relevance |
Additional Practice Questions
Q: Describe one study related to treatments & therapies and evaluate its methodology using the GRAVE method.
A: A key study in treatments & therapies investigated [aim] using [method] with [sample]. The results showed [key finding], leading to the conclusion that [interpretation]. Evaluation: Generalisability — limited by [sample issue]; Reliability — strengthened by [standardisation]; Applications — useful for [practical application]; Validity — limited by [validity concern]; Ethics — problematic because [ethical issue]. Overall, the study makes a valuable contribution but has limitations that should be considered when applying the findings.
Q: Explain how psychological understanding of treatments & therapies could be applied to improve a real-life situation.
A: Understanding of treatments & therapies can be applied to improve [specific situation]. Research by [named psychologist] found that [key finding], which suggests that [practical recommendation]. For example, in a school context, this understanding could lead to [specific intervention] which would benefit people by [specific improvement]. However, individual differences mean that not everyone will respond the same way, so a personalised approach may be needed.
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