10.2 Six Major Categories of Mental Disorders

Question 1

biopsychosocial approach

Answer 1

Explaining abnormality as the result of the interaction among biological, psychological (behavioral and cognitive), and sociocultural factors.

Question 2

anxiety disorders

Answer 2

Disorders that share features of excessive fear and anxiety and related behavioral disturbances, such as avoidance behaviors.

Question 3

specific phobia

Answer 3

An anxiety disorder indicated by a marked and persistent fear of specific objects or situations that is excessive and unreasonable.

Question 4

social anxiety disorder

Answer 4

An anxiety disorder indicated by a marked and persistent fear of one or more social performance situations in which embarrassment may occur and in which there is exposure to unfamiliar people or scrutiny by others.

Question 5

agoraphobia

Answer 5

An anxiety disorder indicated by a marked and persistent fear of being in places or situations from which escape may be difficult or embarrassing.

Question 6

panic disorder

Answer 6

An anxiety disorder in which a person experiences recurrent panic attacks.

Question 7

generalized anxiety disorder

Answer 7

An anxiety disorder in which a person has excessive, global anxiety and worries that he cannot control, occurring more days than not for at least a period of 6 months.

Question 8

obsessive-compulsive disorder

Answer 8

A disorder in which the person experiences recurrent obsessions or compulsions that are perceived by the person as excessive or unreasonable, but cause significant distress and disruption in the person’s daily life.

Question 9

obsession

Answer 9

A persistent intrusive thought, idea, impulse, or image that causes anxiety.

Question 10

compulsion

Answer 10

A repetitive and rigid behavior that a person feels compelled to perform in order to reduce anxiety.

Question 11

depressive disorders

Answer 11

Disorders that involve the presence of sad, empty, or irritable mood, accompanied by somatic and cognitive changes that significantly affect the individual’s capacity to function.

Question 12

major depressive disorder

Answer 12

A depressive disorder in which the person has experienced one or more major depressive episodes.

Question 13

major depressive episode

Answer 13

An episode characterized by symptoms such as feelings of intense hopelessness, low self-esteem, and worthlessness; extreme fatigue; dramatic changes in eating and sleeping behavior; inability to concentrate; and greatly diminished interest in family, friends, and activities for a period of 2 weeks or more.

Question 14

manic episode

Answer 14

An episode characterized by abnormally elevated mood in which the person experiences symptoms such as inflated self-esteem with grandiose delusions, a decreased need for sleep, constant talking, distractibility, restlessness, and poor judgment for a period of at least a week.

Question 15

bipolar disorder

Answer 15

A disorder in which recurrent cycles of depressive and manic episodes occur.

Question 16

psychotic disorder

Answer 16

A disorder characterized by a loss of contact with reality.

Question 17

hallucination

Answer 17

A false sensory perception.

Question 18

delusion

Answer 18

A false belief.

Question 19

schizophrenia

Answer 19

A psychotic disorder in which at least two of the following symptoms are present most of the time during a 1-month
period— hallucinations, delusions, disorganized speech, disorganized or catatonic behavior, or negative symptoms such as loss of emotion.

Question 20

vulnerability-stress model

Answer 20

A biopsychosocial explanation of schizophrenia that proposes that genetic, prenatal, and postnatal biological factors render a person vulnerable to schizophrenia, but environmental stress determines whether it develops or not.

Question 21

personality disorder

Answer 21

A disorder characterized by inflexible, long-standing personality traits that lead to behavior that impairs social functioning and deviates from cultural norms.