Unit 11 Assignment 2
In this assignment I will be examining how psychological perspectives are applied to in health and
social care.
C.PS: Compare the application of psychological perspectives in local health and social care settings.
Setting comparison:
Mark attends a Mental Health Clinic called ICope weakly based in Camden where he receives CBT
(cognitive-behavioural therapy), group therapy (social learning), and counselling (humanistic).
Debbie on the other hand, is staying in an impatient ward at National OCD and BDD service offered
by the Southwest London and St George’s Mental Health NHS Trust Nightingale Hospital in
Southwest London where she receives behavioural therapy (Behaviour medication), CBT, and
counselling (humanistic).
When comparing the settings I will explain, who the service is for, where they are located, what are
the aims of this service, what type of clients they have, what is the referral process. Mark attends
ICope, this service is for adults with common mental health problems like anxiety, depression, OCD,
specific phobias, panic attacks and insomnia. This service can also be for adults who are registered
with Camden or Islington GP or who live in their boroughs. ICope is located in Camden and Islington
and Kingston. The aim of this service is that it offers assessment and treatment for a range of
psychological problems, so people can get help and get over these psychological problems. Support
and treatment for individuals experiencing various mental health concerns is provided by the
service. The clinic serves clients of all ages, with diverse backgrounds and mental health needs, and
caters to clients of all ages. The type of clients that Icope has are someone who has died or left a
person, or someone that has become depressed and/or isolated. As well as adults over 18 with
depression, anxiety or a common mental health problem. The referral process for ICope is a self-
referral online or by calling, as well as individuals are able to ask for a GP referral.
However, Debbie’s service is quite different from Mark. The National OCD and BDD service is a
service for adult patient over the age of 18 as well as for people who are struggling with OCD, and
body dysmorphic disorder. The service is specifically designed to address the complex needs of
individuals struggling with OCD and BDD, offering a multidisciplinary approach that includes
behavioural therapy (including medication management), cognitive-behavioural therapy (CBT), and
counselling (humanistic). The aim of the service is to provide comprehensive assessment, treatment,
and support to individuals with OCD and BDD, with the goal of reducing symptoms, improving
functioning, and enhancing quality of life. This service is located in Springfield university hospital in
England. The aims of this service are that they provide local trust wide treatment to sufferers of OCD
and BDD. The treatment offered is person-centred care and they offer assessments, consultations,
intensive inpatient, and outpatient treatment. The type of clients that the National OCD and BDD
services have are people who live in the UK ad suffer with OCD and BDD, which are resistant to
treatment, and over the age of 18. The type of referral process that the OCD and BDD service is that
they only accept referral from community mental health teams and for patients who have an
allocated coordinator. Referrals to the National OCD and BDD Service are typically made through
primary care physicians, mental health professionals, or specialist services. Upon referral, individuals
undergo a thorough assessment to determine the nature and severity of their symptoms, after
which they are offered tailored treatment plans based on their specific needs and goals.
Perspectives used:
The perspectives used with Mark in ICope are as follows. Group therapy, cognitive behavioural
therapy (CBT), and counselling are the various managements/treatments for phobias. Through
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cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT), people can confront and alter harmful thought patterns and
actions connected to their fear. A type of CBT called exposure treatment might be helpful in this
situation. Mark receives exposure treatment, which entails exposing him to spiders progressively in a
safe setting to help him face and handle his fear. Since the behavioural approach focuses on
changing visible behaviours by systematic exposure, this is in line with it. Through cognitive
restructuring and exposure therapy, CBT helps Mark confront and overcome his irrational fear of
spiders by gradually exposing him to a feared stimuli in a controlled environment. This treatment
aligns with the cognitive perspective, which emphasizes the influence of cognitive processes on
behaviour. By targeting Mark's irrational beliefs about spiders, CBT aims to reduce and try to weaken
his phobia and improve his functioning. In group therapy, also known as social learning, people with
related problems can share their experiences and gain knowledge from one another in a caring
setting. Seeing others face and conquer their concerns can help Mark, as it can provide motivation
and encouragement. This approach aligns with the social learning perspective, as it emphasizes the
role of social interactions in shaping behaviour. Group therapy provides a supportive environment
where individuals facing similar challenges can share experiences, offer mutual support, and learn
from one another. In these sessions, Mark engages in exposure exercises alongside peers, observing
their reactions and learning adaptive coping strategies through modelling and reinforcement. This
approach aligns with the social learning perspective, which emphasizes the role of observation and
social interaction in shaping behaviour. By participating in group therapy, Mark gains valuable
insights and support from his peers, enhancing his ability to manage his phobia.
Lastly, Humanistic counselling focuses on personal growth and self-actualization, emphasizing
empathy, authenticity, and unconditional positive regard. For Mark, humanistic counselling can help
him explore the underlying emotions and beliefs contributing to his phobia, fostering self-awareness
and acceptance. This approach aligns with the humanistic perspective, as it prioritizes individual
experiences and subjective meaning-making. These counselling sessions focus on fostering a
therapeutic relationship characterized by empathy, unconditional positive regard, and authenticity.
Through these sessions, Mark has the opportunity to explore underlying emotions and concerns
related to his phobia in a safe and non-judgmental space. This approach aligns with the humanistic
perspective, which prioritizes the individual's subjective experience and personal growth. By offering
Mark a supportive therapeutic environment, counselling helps him develop insights and coping
strategies to navigate his phobia and improve his overall well-being.
The perspectives used with Debbie in the National OCD and BDD service are as follows. Cognitive
behavioural therapy (CBT), humanistic counselling, and behavioural therapy (behaviour medication)
are the possible treatments/managements. Exposure and Response Prevention, or ERP, is a type of
behavioural therapy that was created especially for treating OCD. It entails exposing Debbie to
situations—like handling "dirty" objects—that set off her obsessions while keeping her from
indulging in obsessive behaviours—like dipping her hands in disinfectant. As Debbie is exposed to
these circumstances over time, she gradually comes to realise that her concerns are unjustified,
which helps her stop engaging in obsessive behaviours. Since the goal of this treatment is to change
observable behaviours by exposure to stimuli, it is consistent with the behavioural approach.
Through repeated exposure to anxiety-provoking stimuli and the practice of resisting compulsions,
ERP helps individuals like Debbie gradually reduce the intensity of their obsessions and compulsions.
This treatment aligns with the behavioural perspective, which focuses on observable behaviours and
their environmental factor. By targeting specific behaviours associated with OCD, ERP aims to modify
these behaviours and reduce symptoms.
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CBT for OCD incorporates cognitive restructuring techniques to challenge and modify Debbie's
obsessive thoughts about cleanliness. By identifying and challenging irrational beliefs related to
cleanliness and germs, Debbie can develop healthier coping strategies. This aligns with the cognitive
perspective, which emphasizes the role of cognition in shaping behaviour. CBT is a structured
psychotherapy approach that focuses on identifying and challenging negative thought patterns and
behaviours. In the context of OCD, CBT aims to help individuals recognize and challenge their
irrational beliefs and fears, develop more adaptive coping strategies, and gradually reduce the
frequency and intensity of their obsessions and compulsions. This treatment aligns with the
cognitive perspective, which emphasizes the role of cognitive processes (such as thoughts and
beliefs) in influencing behaviour. By addressing Debbie's cognitive distortions and providing her with
coping skills, CBT will aim to weaken her symptoms and improve her overall functioning.
Lastly, Humanistic counselling can provide Debbie with a supportive and empathetic environment to
explore the underlying emotions and beliefs driving her OCD symptoms. Through unconditional
positive regard and genuine empathy, Debbie can gain insight into her condition and work towards
self-acceptance and personal growth. This approach aligns with the humanistic perspective, which
emphasizes individual experiences and self-actualization. Counselling sessions focus on fostering a
therapeutic relationship characterized by empathy, unconditional positive regard, and authenticity.
Through these sessions, Debbie has the opportunity to explore underlying emotions and concerns
related to her OCD in a safe and non-judgmental space. This approach aligns with the humanistic
perspective, which prioritizes the person’s experiences and personal growth. By offering Debbie a
supportive therapeutic environment, counselling helps her develop insights and coping strategies to
navigate her OCD and improve her overall well-being.
Perspective comparisons:
Mark receives humanistic counselling as part of his treatment for arachnophobia. This counselling
aims to provide him with a supportive and empathetic environment to explore his underlying
emotions and beliefs regarding spiders. The therapist will foster a therapeutic relationship
characterized by empathy, unconditional positive regard, and allowing Mark to explore underlying
emotions and concerns related to his phobia in a safe and non-judgmental space. Debbie also
receives humanistic counselling as part of her treatment for OCD. Similar to Mark, Debbie's
counselling aims to provide her with a supportive and empathetic environment to explore her
underlying emotions and beliefs related to cleanliness and germs. Debbie's counsellor also offers
unconditional positive regard and genuine empathy, fostering self-awareness and self-acceptance.
The use of humanistic counselling is similar for both Mark and Debbie. In both cases, the goal is to
provide a supportive and empathetic environment where the individuals can explore their
underlying emotions and beliefs, fostering self-awareness and acceptance.
Mark receives Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT) for his arachnophobia. CBT helps Mark challenge
and modify negative thought patterns and behaviours related to spiders. Mark learns cognitive
restructuring techniques to challenge irrational beliefs about spiders and develop healthier coping
strategies. Through cognitive restructuring and exposure therapy, Mark learns to confront and
overcome his irrational fear of spiders by gradually exposing himself to feared stimuli in a controlled
environment and challenging his negative beliefs about spiders. Similarly, Debbie also undergoes
CBT, which can help her recognize and challenge her irrational beliefs and fears related to OCD. By
providing her with coping skills and strategies to manage her symptoms, CBT aims to alleviate
Debbie's distress and improve her overall functioning. Both Mark and Debbie benefit from CBT
tailored to their specific conditions, demonstrating the involvement of the cognitive perspective in
addressing a range of psychological issues. The use of CBT is similar for both Mark and Debbie. In
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both cases, the goal is to help the individuals challenge and modify negative thought patterns and
behaviours associated with their respective conditions.
Mark participates in group therapy for his arachnophobia, where he interacts with others who share
similar fears. Mark practices coping mechanisms in a safe setting, receives support, and gains
knowledge from the experiences of others in group therapy. In the information given, Debbie does
not specifically mention attending group therapy for her OCD. Nonetheless, group therapy—a
setting where others with comparable issues gather to exchange stories, offer support, and pick up
coping mechanisms—is frequently utilised in the treatment of OCD. For Mark and Debbie, group
therapy is used in a comparable way. Although Debbie's situation isn't specifically addressed, this is a
typical OCD therapy strategy, much as how it was used to treat Mark's arachnophobia. The group
setting provides a supportive environment where individuals facing similar challenges can share
experiences and offer mutual support, enhancing Mark's ability to manage his phobia. Similarly,
Debbie can also participate in group therapy sessions as part of her treatment for OCD. While the
specific content of the sessions may differ, both Mark and Debbie benefit from the social learning
perspective's emphasis on observation, imitation, and reinforcement in shaping behaviour within a
supportive group setting.
Debbie's OCD is being treated with behaviour modification therapy, namely Exposure and Response
Prevention (ERP). Response prevention (RP) in ERP entails keeping Debbie from indulging in
compulsive behaviours while exposing her to events that set off her obsessions (exposure). But
according to the information given, Mark does not get behaviour modification therapy. Mark and
Debbie utilise behaviour modification in various ways. In the information supplied, Mark does not
get behaviour modification therapy; nonetheless, Debbie's OCD treatment includes ERP. While Mark
may also benefit from exposure therapy as part of his treatment for arachnophobia, the focus on
behaviour modification in Debbie's treatment is more pronounced due to the nature of OCD
symptoms, which often involve repetitive rituals and compulsions. While both Mark and Debbie may
receive exposure-based interventions, the behaviourist perspective's emphasis on behaviour
modification is more prominent in Debbie's treatment.
Social functioning:
Social functioning is an individual's reactions to their environment and the ability to fulfil their role
within such environments as work, social activities, and relationships with partners and family. It is a
person’s ability to function adequately in society. Social functioning is a diagnostic function. It shows
various aspects of social behavior, including communication skills, interpersonal relationships, and
participation in social activities. Examples of social functioning include interactions with family and
friends, participating in social events or gatherings, and effectively resolving conflicts or
disagreements within relationships.
Mark experiences difficulties with social functioning due to his severe arachnophobia. These issues
could show themselves in a variety of ways, making it harder for him to establish and sustain
positive social contacts and relationships, like avoiding behaviour. Mark may resort to avoidance
techniques as a coping mechanism for his spider phobia. This can entail avoiding clear of social
settings or areas where he might come into contact with spiders, such outdoor gatherings, or
specific neighbourhoods. His capacity to interact with people and take part in social activities may be
hampered by this avoidance, which can result in isolation and retreat from social situations. One
possible explanation for Mark's difficulties with social functioning could be related to him having
communication difficulties. Mark's arachnophobia could make it difficult for him to interact with
people in social situations. He may become preoccupied with scanning his environment for potential
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