Discuss the use of one or more psychological treatments for one psychological disorder.

Refer to the paper 2 assessment criteria when awarding marks. These can be found under the “Your tests” tab > supplemental materials.

The command term “discuss” requires candidates to offer a considered review of the use of one or more psychological treatments in relation to one psychological disorder. Psychological treatments employ psychological theory to improve or eliminate symptoms of psychological disorders.

The disorder chosen is likely to come from those presented in the guide:

• anxiety disorders
• depressive disorders
• obsessive compulsive disorders
• trauma and stress-related disorders
• eating disorders.

Psychological treatments chosen may include, but are not limited to:

• Interpersonal Therapy (IPT)
• Cognitive Behavioural Therapy (CBT)
• Exposure and Systematic desensitization
• Virtual Reality Therapy (VRT)
• Mindfulness-based Cognitive Therapy (MBCT)
• Group CBT.

Descriptions of biological treatments can only be credited if they form part of the critical discussion of psychological ones.

Relevant research may include, but is not limited to:

• Mason and Hargreaves’ (2011) qualitative investigation into the effectiveness of MBCT
• Butler et al.’s (2006) review of meta-analysis related to CBT efficacy
• Hodges and Oei’s (2007) discussion of the applicability of CBT to Chinese culture
• McLay et al.’s (2011) assessment of the effectiveness of VRT for post-traumatic stress disorder.

Critical discussion in relation to the use of the chosen treatment may include, but is not limited to:

• assumptions and biases
• areas of uncertainty
• comparison with alternative treatments
• link to etiological considerations
• advantages and disadvantages of its use
• effectiveness based on empirical research
• ethical considerations in its use.

If a candidate discusses treatment for more than one psychological disorder, credit should be given only to the part of the response related to the first psychological disorder.

Question 3 was also popular. Generally candidates stuck to addressing disorders from the guide. CBT tended to be the most discussed treatment. Research was relevant in most cases, and candidates generally discussed the effectiveness of psychological treatment versus more biological treatments.

Only a few candidates made the mistake of confusing biological treatments with psychological ones.