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Behavioral MCAT > 7: Psychological Disorders > Flashcards

7: Psychological Disorders Flashcards

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1
Q

Biopsychosocial approach

A

This method assumes that there are biological, psychological, and social components to an individual’s disorder
- Examples = genetic factors making someone more or less susceptible, stress levels a person experiences, and stress/support from family and friends (social aspect)

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2
Q

Direct therapy (biopsychosocial model)

A

Treatment such as medication that acts directly on the individual

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3
Q

Indirect therapy (biopsychosocial model)

A
  • this model wants to provide both direct and indirect therapy (aims to increase social support by educating family and friends of affected individual)
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4
Q

Schizophrenia

A

Psychotic disorder containing positive and negative symptoms

- Contains one or more of: hallucinations, disorganized thought or behavior, catatonia, and negative symptoms

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5
Q

Positive symptoms of schizophrenia

A

Behaviors, thoughts, or feelings added to normal behavior
- Examples: delusions (false beliefs discordant with reality)/hallucinations (perceptions not due to external stimuli but have compelling sense of reality), disorganized thought, and disorganized or catatonic behavior

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6
Q

Negative symptoms of schizophrenia

A

Those that involve the absence of normal or desired behavior, such as disturbance of affect (mood) and avolition (decrease in the motivation to initiate/perform self-directed purposeful activities)

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7
Q

Delusions of reference

A
  • Positive symptoms of schizo
  • Involve the belief that common elements in the environment are directed toward the individual (think person on TV talking to affected individual directly)
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8
Q

Delusions of persecution

A
  • Positive symptom of schizo
  • Involve the belief that the person is being deliberately interfered with, discriminated against, plotted against, or threatened.
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9
Q

Delusions of grandeur

A
  • Positive symptom of schizo (also common in bipolar I disorder)
  • Involve the belief that the person is remarkable in some significant way, such as being an inventor, historical figure, or religious icon
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10
Q

Thought broadcasting

A
  • Positive symptom of schizo

- Belief that one’s thoughts are broadcast directly from one’s head to the external world

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11
Q

Thought insertion

A
  • Positive symptom of schizo

- Belief that thoughts are being placed in one’s head

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12
Q

Disorganized thought

A
  • Positive symptom of schizo

- Characterized by loosening of associations (Ex: word salad, neoglisms (invention of new words))

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13
Q

Disorganized behavior

A
  • Positive symptom of schizo

- Inability to carry out activities of daily living such as maintaining hygiene, paying bills, etc.

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14
Q

Catatonia

A
  • Positive symptom of schizo

- Certain motor behaviors characteristic of people with schizophrenia

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15
Q

Echolalia

A

Repeating another’s words

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16
Q

Echopraxia

A

Imitating another’s actions

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17
Q

Disturbance of affect and avolition

A
  • Negative symptom of schizo
  • Expression of emotion (ex: blunting (severe reduction in the intensity of affect expression), flat affect (virtually no signs of emotional expression), of inappropriate affect (affect is discordant with the content of the individual’s speech; laugh when describing death)
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18
Q

Downward drift hypothesis

A

States that schizophrenia causes a decline in socioeconomic status, leading to worsening symptoms, which sets up a negative spiral for the patient toward poverty and psychosis

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19
Q

Prodromal phase

A

Before being diagnosed with schizo, patients often go through a phase characterized by poor judgment

  • Exemplified by evidence of deterioration, social withdrawal, role functioning impairment, inappropriate affect, and unusual experiences
  • Followed by the active phase of symptomatic behavior
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20
Q

Major depressive disorder (SIG E. CAPS mnemonic)

A

Mood disorder characterized by at least one major depressive episode (period of at least two weeks with five of the following symptoms: prominent and relatively persistent depressed mood, loss of interest in all or almost all formerly enjoyable activities (anhedonia), appetite disturbances, weight changes, sleep disturbances, decreased energy, feelings of worthlessness, etc
- at least ONE must be depressed mood or anhedonia

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21
Q

Persistent depressive disorder

A

Given to individuals who suffer from dysthymia (a depressed mood that isn’t severe enough to meet the criteria of a major depressive episode) most of the time for at least two years

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22
Q

Seasonal affective disorder

A

Major depressive disorder with seasonal onset (depressive symptoms only present during winter months)
- Tx with bright light therapy

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23
Q

Bipolar disorder (formerly manic depression)

A

Characterized by both depression and mania

24
Q

Manic episodes

A

Characterized by abnormal and persistently elevated mood lasting at least one week with at least three of the following: decreased need for sleep, increased distractibility, inflated self-esteem or grandiosity, racing thoughts, involvement in high-risk behavior.

25
Q

Bipolar I disorder

A
  • Has manic episodes with or without major depressive episode
26
Q

Hypomania

A

Typically doesn’t significantly impair functioning, nor are there psychotic features, although the individual may be more energetic and optimistic

27
Q

Bipolar II disorder

A

Hypomania with at least one depressive episode

28
Q

Cyclothymic disorder

A

Consists of a combination of hypomanic episodes with periods of dysthymia that are not severe enough to qualify as major depressive episodes

29
Q

Monoamine or catecholamine theory of depression

A

This theory holds that too much norepinephrine and serotonin in the synapse leads to mania, while too little leads to depression

30
Q

Generalized anxiety disorder

A

Common

  • disproportionate and persistent worry about many different things
  • often have physical symptoms such as sleep problems, muscle tension, fatigue
31
Q

Specific phobias

A
  • Phobia in which anxiety is produced by a specific object or situation
    Ex: claustrophobia, arachnophobia
32
Q

Social anxiety disorder

A

Characterized by anxiety due to social situations

33
Q

Agoraphobia

A

Anxiety disorder characterized by fear of being in places or in situations where it might be hard for an individual to escape

34
Q

Panic disorder

A

This disorder consists of repeated panic attacks

- Symptoms include: fear, apprehension, trembling, sweating, hyperventilation, sense of unreality

35
Q

Obsessive compulsive disorder

A

Characterized by obsessions (persistent, intrusive thoughts and impulses), which produce tension, and compulsions (repetitive tasks) that relieve tension but cause significant impairment in someone’s life

36
Q

Body dysmorphic disorder

A

A person has unrealistic negative evaluation of his or her personal appearance and attractiveness, usually directed toward a certain body part
- Often extreme measures are taken, such as surgery, to correct the perceived imperfection

37
Q

PTSD

A

Occurs after experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event, such as war, a home invasion, rape, or natural disaster.

  • Consists of intrusion symptoms (recurrent reliving of the event/flashbacks/nightmares)
  • avoidance symptoms (deliberate attempts to avoid the memories, people, places, activities, and objects associated with the trauma)
  • negative cognitive symptoms (an inability to recall key features of the event, negative mood or emotions, feeling distracted from others, and persistent negative view of the world)
  • Arousal symptoms (increased startled response, irritability, anxiety, self-destructive or reckless behavior, sleep disturbances)
  • These symptoms must be present for at least one month.
38
Q

Dissociative disorders

A
  • Person avoids stress by escaping from his identity
39
Q

Dissociative amnesia

A

Characterized by inability to recall past experiences

  • Amnesia is not due to a neurological disorder
  • This disorder is often linked to trauma
40
Q

Dissociative fugue

A

A sudden, unexpected move or purposeless wandering away from one’s home or location of usual daily activities (associated with dissociative amnesia)

41
Q

Dissociative Identity Disorder

A
  • Formerly multiple personality disorder
  • There are two or more personalities that recurrently take control of a person’s behavior
  • This disorder results when the components of identity fail to integrate
42
Q

Depersonalization/derealization disorder

A

Individuals feel detached from their own mind and body (depersonalization; example: out of body experience) or from their surroundings (derealization; example: giving the world a dreamlike or insubstantial quality)

43
Q

Somatic Symptom Disorder

A
  • somatic = bodily
  • Have at least one somatic symptom, which may or may not be linked to an underlying medical condition, and that is accompanied by disproportionate concerns about its seriousness, devotion of an excessive amount of time and energy to it, and increased levels of anxiety
44
Q

Illness Anxiety disorder

A
  • Characterized by being consumed with thoughts about having or developing a serious medical condition.
  • Quick to become alarmed with their health, excessively check themselves for signs of illness or avoid medical appointments altogether
45
Q

Conversion disorder

A
  • Characterized by unexplained symptoms affecting voluntary or sensory functions.
  • Symptoms generally begin soon after high levels of stress or a traumatic event is experienced
46
Q

Personality disorder

A

Pattern of behavior that is inflexible and maladaptive; causes distress or impaired functioning in at least two of: cognition, emotions, interpersonal functioning, impulse control.
- Ego-syntonic: Individual perceives behavior as correct/normal

47
Q

Cluster A personality disorders (weird)

A
  • Paranoid, schizotypal, and schizoid personality disorders
48
Q

Cluster B personality disorders

A
  • Antisocial: 3x more common in males, disregard for and violations of the rights of others
  • Borderline: 2x more common in females; pervasive instability in interpersonal behavior, mood, self-image
  • Histrionic: Constant, attention-seeking behavior
  • Narcissistic: has grandiose sense of self-importance or uniqueness, need for constant admiration and attention, disturbances in interpersonal relationships such as feelings of entitlement
49
Q

Cluster C personality disorders

A
  • Avoidant: extreme shyness and fear of rejection; sees self as socially inept
  • Dependent: Continuous need for reassurance
  • Obsessive compulsive: Perfectionist, inflexible, likes rules and order; OCPD is ego-syntonic vs OCD is ego-dystonic
50
Q

Bio basis of schizo

A
  • Associated with genetic factors, birth trauma, adolescent drug use, family history
  • High levels of dopaminergic transmission
51
Q

Bio basis of depression

A
  • Accompanied by high levels of glucocorticoids and low levels of norepinephrine, serotonin, and dopamine
52
Q

Bio basis of bipolar disorders

A
  • Accompanied by high levels of norepinephrine and serotonin; also highly heritable
53
Q

Bio basis of Alzheimer’s disease

A
  • genetic factors, brain atrophy, decreases in Ach, senile plaques of beta-amyloid and neurofibrillary tangles of hyperphosphorylated tau protein
54
Q

Bio basis of Parkinson’s disease

A
  • Associated with bradykinesia, resting tremor, pill-rolling tremor (flexing/extending fingers while moving thumb back and forth), masklike facies (facial expression consisting of static/expressionless features such as staring eyes), cogwheel rigidity (muscle tension that intermittently halts movement as an examiner attempts to manipulate a limb), and a shuffling gait with stooped posture
  • Decreased dopamine production by cells in substantial nigra
55
Q

Biomedical approach to psychological disorders

A

Includes interventions that rally around symptom reduction of psychological disorders.
- Assumes any disorder has roots in biomedical disturbances therefore the solution should also be of biomedical nature.

Behavioral MCAT (12 decks)

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