psychological disorder
a syndrome marked by clinically significant disturbance in an individual’s cognition, emotion regulation, or behavior
syndrome
a collection of symptoms
dysfunctional/maladaptive
interfere with normal day-to-day life (often accompanied by distress)
distressful
causes distress, emotional disturbance
deviant
change from the norm
Philippe Pinel
reformer in France who opposed brutal treatments and said curing the illness requires moral treatments
medical model
concept that diseases have physical causes that can be diagnosed, treated, and in most cases cured (often through treatment in a hospital)
organic disorder
mental disorders due to a medical condition
biopsychosocial approach (clinical psych)
emphasizes that the mind and body are inseparable - negative emotions can contribute to physical illness and physical abnormalities can contribute to negative emotions
stress vulnerability (diathesis-stress) model
individual characteristics combine with environmental stressors to increase/decrease the likelihood of developing a psychological disorder
epigenetics
study of environmental influences on gene expression that occur without a DNA change
classification
gives overview of symptoms, aims to predict a disorder’s future course, suggests appropriate treatment, prompts research into its causes
5 axes of diagnosis
clinical syndrome; personality/mental retardation; general medical condition; psychosocial/environmental problems; global assessment (0-100)
DSM-5
APA’s Diagnostic and Statistic Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition - widely used system for classifying psychological disorders
clinician agreement
likelihood that another mental health worker would independently give the same diagnosis as another clinician
RDoC (Research Domain Criteria)
aims to bring ‘power of modern research approaches in genetics, neuroscience, and behavioral science" to study psychological disorders
insanity (criminal law)
defendants cannot be held accountable for their actions, typically due to a mental disorder
immigrant paradox
recent immigrants are at less risk for mental disorders than people with the same ethnicity born in the country
ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder)
marked by extreme inattention and/or hyperactivity and impulsivity
Tourette’s disorder
marked by uncontrollable tics
ASD (autism spectrum disorder)
disorder marked by significant deficiencies in communication and social interaction and by rigidly fixed interests and repetitive behaviors
FAS (fetal alcohol syndrome)
physical and cognitive abnormalities in children caused by pregnant woman’s heavy drinking; alcohol has epigenetic effect (leaves chemical marks on DNA that switch genes abnormally on/off)
Down Syndrome
mild to severe intellectual disability and associated physical disorders - caused by an extra copy of chromosome 21
anxiety disorders
characterized by distressing, persistent anxiety or maladaptive behaviors that reduce anxiety
social anxiety disorder
intense fear and avoidance of social situations
generalized anxiety disorder
person is continually tense, apprehensive, and in a state of autonomic nervous system arousal
free-floating
not linked to specific stressor or threat
panic disorder
unpredictable, minutes-long episodes of intense dread in which a person may experience terror and accompanying chest pain, choking, or other frightening sensations; often followed by worry over a possible next attack
agoraphobia
fear or avoidance of situations, such as crowds or wide open places, where one has felt loss of control and panic
phobia
persistent, irrational fear and avoidance of a specific object, activity, or situation
OCD (obsessive-compulsive disorder)
characterized by unwanted repetitive thoughts (obsessions), actions (compulsions), or both
hoarding disorder
littering one’s space with acquired possessions one can’t let go
body dysmorphic disorder
preoccupation with perceived body defects
trichotillomania
hair pulling
excoriation disorder
excessive skin picking
TBI
traumatic brain injury
PTSD (posttraumatic stress disorder)
characterized by haunting memories, nightmares, hypervigilance, social withdrawal, jumpy anxiety, numbness of feeling, and/or insomnia that lingers for four weeks or more after a traumatic experience
survivor resiliency
recovering after a severe stress
modern perspectives on anxiety disorders
conditioning, cognition, biology
separation anxiety disorder
have dependency on another person, unable to do things when separated
depressive disorder
condition where a person experiences extreme or inappropriate emotions
MDD (major depressive disorder)
person experiences two or more weeks with five or more symptoms, at least one of which must be either depressed mood or loss of interest or pleasure
persistent depressive disorder (dysthymia)
mildly depressed mood more often than not for two years or more (less severe than MDD)
seasonal affective disorder
person experiences depression but only during certain times of the year (usually during winter - less sunlight)
bipolar 1
person alternates between a stable state and a longer manic state
bipolar 2
person alternates between a stable state, manic state, and depressive state
mania
hyperactive, wildly optimistic state in which dangerously poor judgement is common (excess norepinephrine)
social-cognitive perspective (clinical)
explores how people’s assumptions and expectations influence what they perceive (many depressed people’s intensely negative assumptions lead them to magnify bad experiences and minimize good ones; self-defeating beliefs and negative explanatory style feed depression)
explanatory style
who or what people blame for their failures
rumination
compulsive fretting, overthinking problems and their causes
NSSI (nonsuicidal self-injury)
harming oneself intentionally (may cut or burn skin, hit themselves, insert objects under their nails or skin, or self administer tattoos)
common reasons for NSSI
find relief from intense negative thoughts through distraction of pain, attract attention and possibly get help, relieve guilt by punishing themselves, get others to change their negative behavior, fit in with a peer group
psychotic disorders
marked by irrational ideas, distorted perceptions, and a loss of contact with reality
schizophrenia
psychotic disorder characterized by delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech, and/or diminished, inappropriate emotional expression
dopamine hypothesis
high levels of dopamine seem to be associated with schizophrenia
tardive dyskinesia
muscle tremors and stiffness caused by extensive use of antipsychotic drugs
positive symptoms
inappropriate behaviors are present
negative symptoms
appropriate behaviors are absent
hallucinations
false sensory experiences in the absence of sensory input
delusion
false belief (often of persecution or grandeur) that may accompany psychotic disorders
flat affect
emotionless, no apparent feeling
impaired theory of mind
difficulty perceiving facial expressions and reading others’ states of mind
catatonia
motor behaviors ranging from physical stupor (remaining motionless for hours), to senseless, impulsive actions (continually rocking or rubbing an arm), to severe and dangerous agitation
chronic (process) schizophrenia
form of schizophrenia in which symptoms appear by late adolescence or early adulthood (as people age, psychotic episodes last longer and recovery periods shorten)
acute (reactive) schizophrenia
form of schizophrenia that can begin at any age; frequency occurs in response to a traumatic event
prenatal risk factors for psychological disorders
low birth weight, maternal diabetes, older parental age, oxygen deprivation during delivery, famine
somatic symptom disorders
symptoms take somatic (bodily) form without apparent physical cause
conversion disorder
person experiences very specific, physical symptoms that are not compatible with recognized medical or neurological conditions
illness anxiety disorder
person interprets normal physical sensations as symptoms of a disease (formerly called hypochondriasis)
dissociative disorders
controversial, rare disorders in which conscious awareness becomes separated (dissociated) from previous memories, thoughts, and feelings
fugue state/dissociative fugue
sudden loss of memory or change in identity, often in response to overwhelmingly stressful situation
psychogenic amnesia
person cannot remember things but no physiological basis for the disruption in memory can be identified
DID (dissociative identity disorder)
person exhibits two or more distinct and alternating personalities (formerly called Multiple Personality Disorder)
dissociation
sense of being unreal, of being separated from the body, of watching themselves as if in a movie
skepticisms of DID
DID is an extension of our normal capacity for personality shifts; DID has such a short and localized history (rare outside North America); may result from therapist suggestions
personality disorders
inflexible and enduring behavior patterns that impair social functioning - 3 clusters (A: eccentric/odd behaviors, B: dramatic/impulsive behaviors, C: anxiety)
cluster A personality disorders
eccentric/odd behaviors - paranoid, schizoid, schizotypal
cluster B personality disorders
dramatic/impulsive behaviors - antisocial, borderline, histrionic, narcissistic
cluster C personality disorders
anxiety - avoidant, dependent, obsessive-compulsive
antisocial personality disorder
person exhibits lack of conscience for wrongdoing, even towards friends and family members (antisocial means disruptive)
dependent personality disorder
rely too much on attention and help of others; cannot function without another person
paranoid personality disorder
feel constantly paranoid, persecuted
narcissistic personality disorder
see themselves as the center of the universe; excessive egocentrism and self-love/obsession
histrionic personality disorder
exhibit overly dramatic behaviors (histrionics)
obsessive-compulsive personality disorder
may be overly concerned with certain thoughts and performing certain behaviors, but will not be debilitated to the same extent that someone with OCD would
borderline personality disorder
inappropriate emotional reactions and perceptions of the world
avoidant personality disorder
does not want to put themselves in a situation of embarrassment, criticism, or critique
schizotypal personality disorder
eccentric thought, behavior, and speech
schizoid personality disorder
detachment from emotion and relationships
Rosenhan study
Rosenhan and others claimed they had been hearing voices (sole symptom); were admitted to institutions; when they ceased reporting/exhibiting symptoms, did not get discharged and normal behavior was interpreted as a sign of their disorder
anorexia nervosa
eating disorder in which people starve themselves to below 85% of their normal body weight and refuse to eat
bulimia nervosa
eating disorder in which people eat large amounts of food in a short period of time (binging) and then get rid of the food (purging) by vomiting, exercising excessively, or using laxatives
binge eating disorder
significant binge eating episodes, followed by distress, disgust, or guilt, but without compensatory behavior
substance use disorder
continued substance craving and use despite significant life disruption/physical risk
alcohol use disorder
alcohol use marked by tolerance, withdrawal, and drive to continue problematic use
insomnia
recurring problems in falling/staying asleep
narcolepsy
uncontrollable sleep attacks
sleep apnea
temporary cessations of breathing during sleep and repeated momentary awakenings
night terrors
high arousal and appearance of being terrified
sleep walking/talking
doing normal waking activities while asleep