Mood (affective) disorders: depressive disorder (unipolar) and bipolar: past paper questions
Real questions on mood (affective) disorders: depressive disorder (unipolar) and bipolar
The newest 20 of 117 written questions. Open one to see it on the real paper.
- 9990/31 · May/June 2026 · Q3a[4]
Suggest how Jade’s doctor would diagnose whether she has generalised anxiety disorder.
See it on the paper → - 9990/31 · May/June 2026 · Q3b[2]
Jade’s doctor diagnoses her with generalised anxiety disorder. Explain one reason why the diagnosis given by Jade’s doctor is valid.
See it on the paper → - 9990/32 · May/June 2026 · Q1[4]
One explanation of depression is Beck’s cognitive theory. Tara received a diagnosis of depressive disorder (unipolar) from her doctor after she described her feelings and beliefs about her life. Using Beck’s cognitive theory of depression: Suggest what Tara could have described about her life to her doctor.
See it on the paper → - 9990/33 · May/June 2026 · Q3a[4]
Suggest how Jade’s doctor would diagnose whether she has generalised anxiety disorder.
See it on the paper → - 9990/33 · May/June 2026 · Q3b[2]
Jade’s doctor diagnoses her with generalised anxiety disorder. Explain one reason why the diagnosis given by Jade’s doctor is valid.
See it on the paper → - 9990/41 · May/June 2026 · Q1a[4]
Describe the procedure of this study.
See it on the paper → - 9990/32 · February/March 2026 · Q4a[6]
Describe the following: • • the diagnostic criteria (ICD‑11) of depressive disorder (unipolar) and bipolar disorders the Beck depression inventory.
See it on the paper → - 9990/32 · February/March 2026 · Q4b[10]
Evaluate the following, including a discussion about quantitative and qualitative data: • • the diagnostic criteria (ICD‑11) of depressive disorder (unipolar) and bipolar disorders the Beck depression inventory. Evaluation in your answer can include strengths, weaknesses and a discussion of issues and debates. Section...
See it on the paper → - 9990/31 · October/November 2025 · Q4a[6]
Describe what psychologists investigating the treatment and management of mood (affective) disorders have discovered about: • MAOI anti‑depressants, and • Ellis’s rational emotive behaviour therapy (REBT).
See it on the paper → - 9990/31 · October/November 2025 · Q4b[10]
Evaluate what psychologists investigating the treatment and management of mood (affective) disorders have discovered about: • MAOI anti‑depressants, and • Ellis’s rational emotive behaviour therapy (REBT), including a discussion of reductionism versus holism. Evaluation in your answer can include strengths, weaknesses...
See it on the paper → - 9990/32 · October/November 2025 · Q1[4]
Halema has been having depressed moods. Her psychiatrist thinks Halema has either depressive disorder (unipolar) or bipolar disorder. Suggest two differences that may be seen in Halema’s behaviour that would help distinguish between depressive disorder (unipolar) and bipolar disorder.
See it on the paper → - 9990/32 · October/November 2025 · Q2a[2]
Outline learned helplessness as an explanation of depressive disorder.
See it on the paper → - 9990/32 · October/November 2025 · Q2b[2]
Explain how the learned helplessness explanation of depressive disorder is an individual explanation.
See it on the paper → - 9990/33 · October/November 2025 · Q4a[6]
Describe what psychologists investigating the treatment and management of mood (affective) disorders have discovered about: • MAOI anti‑depressants, and • Ellis’s rational emotive behaviour therapy (REBT).
See it on the paper → - 9990/33 · October/November 2025 · Q4b[10]
Evaluate what psychologists investigating the treatment and management of mood (affective) disorders have discovered about: • MAOI anti‑depressants, and • Ellis’s rational emotive behaviour therapy (REBT), including a discussion of reductionism versus holism. Evaluation in your answer can include strengths, weaknesses...
See it on the paper → - 9990/33 · October/November 2025 · Q12b[10]
Evaluate what psychologists investigating practitioner diagnosis have discovered about: • making a diagnosis (disclosure of information, false positive and false negative diagnosis), and • presenting a diagnosis, including a discussion of validity. Evaluation in your answer can include strengths, weaknesses and a discu...
See it on the paper → - 9990/32 · May/June 2025 · Q4a[6]
Describe the following psychological explanations of depression: • Beck’s cognitive theory of depression, and • learned helplessness.
See it on the paper → - 9990/32 · May/June 2025 · Q4b[10]
Evaluate the following psychological explanations of depression: • Beck’s cognitive theory of depression, and • learned helplessness, including a discussion about determinism versus free‑will. Evaluation in your answer can include strengths, weaknesses and a discussion of issues and debates. Section B: Consumer Psychol...
See it on the paper → - 9990/41 · May/June 2025 · Q9b(i)[4]
Describe this psychological knowledge.
See it on the paper → - 9990/41 · May/June 2025 · Q9b(ii)[4]
Explain how you used two features of this psychological knowledge to plan your study.
See it on the paper →
What examiners said
Comprehensive responses • These types of responses were able to describe both the diagnostic criteria (ICD-11) and the Beck depression inventory (BDI) in detail. • The use of psychological terminology was accurate and appropriate and excellent understanding of the material was demonstrated. • These responses outlined both unipolar and bipolar disorder with symptoms and a description of the differe...
— Examiner report, February/March 2026, 9990/32 Q4(a) (Cambridge)
Comprehensive responses • The named issue of quantitative and qualitative data was addressed in some detail and comprehensive responses gave details of strengths and weaknesses of this data with clear examples from the BDI as well as diagnostic criteria with a brief outline of how doctors/therapists would be likely to interview patients and collect qualitative data. • Cultural differences and nomo...
— Examiner report, February/March 2026, 9990/32 Q4(b) (Cambridge)
Many candidates decided to conduct an experiment and wasted time writing about IV, DV and other aspects of experiments which were not required because the question asked for a questionnaire and so time should have been spent planning the details of the questionnaire. Many candidates stated nothing more than ‘I would post my questionnaire online’ without further elaboration. Often the questions ask...
— Examiner report, February/March 2025, 9990/42 Q9(a) (Cambridge)
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