1a intro to psych P1 Flashcards
what proportion of people will have a mental health condition in their lifetime?
1/3
what are the main differences between mental and physical illness?
1.People often do not perceive themselves to be ill (No “therapeutic contract”+ Reluctance to accept treatment)
2. No scientific basis to form diagnosis
3. diagnose by symptom cluster rather than pathology (looking at cells etc)
how do mental illnesses tend to be diagnosed?
- via symptom clusters. then you can form a hypothesis and work backwards
- ## there is some uncertainty about diagnosis
what are ruminations?
when you think deeply about something
what is psychic anxiety?
feeling of dread/fear
what are some of the physical symptoms of psychic anxiety?
palpitations
sweating
dry mouth
Splanchnic vasoconstriction (butterflies)
Tremor
Paraesthesia (pins & needles)
Depersonalisation
Syncope
what is the term for butterflies in stomach and when do you get this?
splanchnic vasoconstriction + when your anxious
What does paraesthesia mean?
pins and needles
what is meant by syncope
fainting/passing out
what are some of the key symptoms of obsessive compulsive disorder
get obsessions and compulsions
what is important to remember about the obsessions in OCD?
- whilst the obsessions themselves may be bizarre, the px still has insight.
- they have ego dystonic thoughts, meaning they are trying to fight their obsessions
- they are unbidden and resisted
- this resistance leads to anxiety
what are compulsions seen in OCD?
- motor response to obsessional thoughts
- often ritualisitc,stereotyped + precise
- will start again if interrupted
what are ego-dystonic thoughts?
when you try and fight your thoughts as you feel repulsed by them
what are the 7 classifications of anxiety?
Generalised anxiety disorder
Panic disorder
Agoraphobia
Simple phobia
Social phobia
Obsessive Compulsive disorder (OCD)
Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
what is agoraphobia
intense fear when in a place that may be difficult to escape from
when is anxiety considered to be a disorder?
if it is excessive, impacts on life or out of context
what is the most common mental health disorder?
anxiety
what are some treatment options for anxiety disorder?
CBT
anti-depressants
whcih anti-depressant is particularly good for OCD?
clomipramine
what are some worring symptoms of depression?
- feel guility about trivial events
- delusions of poverty
- meticulous plans for suicide
what are the 3 core features of depression?
Pervasive low mood/sadness
Loss of energy (anergia)
Loss of enjoyment (anhedonia)
what does anergia mean?
loss of energy
what does anhedonia mean?
loss of enjoyment
how many of the core features of depression do you need for diagnosis?
2/3
what are some of the physical symptoms of depression?
Loss of appetite
Weight loss
Diurnal variation of mood
Poor sleep
Loss of libido
Constipation
Psychomotor slowing or agitation
what are the some psychological symptoms of depression?
Poor concentration
Feelings of guilt
Feelings of hopelessness
Low self-esteem
Indecisive
Suicidal ideation
Delusions
what is the most common cause of death in young men?
suicide
what is suicide commonly assosciated with?
- drug/alcohol use disorders
- depression
what sort of approcah should all physicians have when forming a treatment plan for mental illnesses?
a biopsychosocial approach
what are the treatment options for depression?
antidepressants
Psychological therapies (CBT)
Social prescribing
which antidepressant can be given to people with depression?
venlafaxine
what proportion of people make a full recovery from depression?
90%
what are some symptoms of mania?
Elated mood
Irritability
Over-energized
Grandiose
Little need for sleep
Poor concentration
Poor judgement
Over-spending
Rapid speech
what are some of the key symptoms of schizophrenia?
hallucinations
delusions
abnormal behaviour
disorganised speech
disturbances of emotions
what are hallucinations?
hearing, seeing or feeling things that are not there.
what are somatic hallucinations? in which conditon can you ge this?
hallucinations where you can feel things. seen in schizophrenia
what are delusions?
fixed false beliefs not shared by others in the person’s culture and that are firmly held even when there is evidence to the contrary.
what are 2 features of delusions seen in schizophrenia and what do they mean?
passivity - the idea that someone else is controlling your thoughts
thought alienation - there’s an external agency messing with your thoughts
what are some examples of abnormal behaviour seen in schizophrenia?
disorganised behavior such as wandering aimlessly, mumbling or laughing to self, strange appearance, self-neglect or appearing unkempt
what is a key feature of schizophrenia?
formal thought disorder - this is when you say words but none of what you say makes any logical sense
define formal thought disorder?
Failing to follow the semantic and syntactic rules of language
what are some treatment options for schizophrenia?
Antipsychotics
Psychological therapies
Family therapy
Arts therapies
what are the negative symptoms of schizophrenia?
apathy
social withdrawal
poor self-care
what is meant by syncope
fainting/passing out
what are the 4 major features of schizophrenia?
- delusions
- disorganised speech
- hallucinations
- negative symptoms
what are delusions seen in schizophrenia often described as?
persecutory (feel that someone is gonna harm them)
and bizarre
what are 2 examples of disorganised speech?
- neologisms
- formal thought disorder
what is meant by neologisms
when you make new words/phrases
what are the 2 major categories of hallucinations you can get in schizophrenia?
- 2nd person hallucinations
- 3rd person hallucinations
what is meant by 2nd person hallucinations?
hear a voice that speaks directly to you
what is 3rd person hallucinations?
when you hear voices talking about yourself e.g shes a bad person
