Abnormal Psychology Flashcards

1
Q

ADD/ADHD

A

Atypical inattention and/or impulsivity-hyperactivity; may have short attention span & difficulty staying on task/organizing tasks
Unable to follow instructions or stick to activities for extended period of time
Group situations are difficult
Fidgeting/restlessness (hyperactivity)
Inability to delay gratification, frequently interrupt (impulsivity)
Occurs by age 3, however, often not diagnosed until school-age
More prevalent in males; symptoms usually attenuate during adolescence

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2
Q

ASD

A

lack of responsiveness to others (low social functioning); low communication skills, repetitive behaviors
Often inflexibly routined; may display aversion to eye contact and physical contact
Language skills may be impaired; oversensitivity to sensory stimuli

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3
Q

Tourette’s disorder

A

characterized by motor and verbal tics; tics are sudden, recurrent, and stereotyped
Periods of remission may occur

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4
Q

Schizophrenia history

A

term coined by Bleuler in 1911; was previously called dementia praecox

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5
Q

Schizophrenia

A

“split mind”; meaning mind is split from reality
Symptoms include:
delusions, hallucination, disorganized thought, inappropriate affect, catatonic behavior

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6
Q

Positive symptoms (Schizophrenia)

A
behaviors, thoughts, or affects in addition to normal behavior 
Psychotic dimension (delusions/hallucinations) and disorganized dimension (disorganized speech and behavior)
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7
Q

Negative symptoms (Schizophrenia)

A

absence of normal behavior (ex. flat affect)

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8
Q

Delusions

A

Beliefs discordant with reality
Delusions of reference: others talking about him/her; elements of environment are directed at him/her
Persecution: person is being directly, deliberately interfered with, discriminated against, plotted against, or threatened
Grandeur: belief that he/she is a remarkable person
Thought broadcasting and thought inserting

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9
Q

Hallucination

A

Perceptions not due to sensation of real stimuli

Usually auditory

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10
Q

Disorganized thought

A

Loosened associations; may result in word salad or neologisms (invented words)

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11
Q

Disturbance of affect

A
Blunted affect (expression is reduced)
Flat affect (no apparent expression)
Inappropriate affect (discordant with their speech/ideation)
Antipsychotics typically affect affect making it difficult to assess this symptom of patients under treatment
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12
Q

Catatonic motor behavior

A

Rigidity OR bizarre useless movements

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13
Q

Prodromal phase

A

Clear evidence of deterioration, social withdrawal, impaired role functioning, peculiar behavior, and inappropriate affect preceding diagnosis of schizophrenia
Followed by “active phase” of symptomatic behavior

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14
Q

Process v. Reactive Schizophrenia

A

Process: slow development of schizophrenia, poor recovery
Reactive: intense, sudden onset of symptoms, better prognosis for recovery

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15
Q

Schizophrenia subtypes (DSM-IV)

A

Catatonic, paranoid, disorganized (disorganized thought and flat or inappropriate affect), undifferentiated (no primary symptom), residual (positive symptoms have faded, neg symptoms may remain)
No longer divided into subtypes

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16
Q

Multiaxial assessment

A
DSM-IV system
Axis 1: clinical disorders
Axis 2: PDs and ID
Axis 3: medical conditions
Axis 4: environmental stressors
Axis 5: GAF (global assessment of functioning, out of 100
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17
Q

DSM & “neurosis”

A

Not listed as category of mental disorders since neurosis is a theoretical term derived only from psychoanalytic theory

18
Q

Dopamine hypothesis of schizophrenia

A

Suggests that pos symptoms arise due to excess DA activity

Supported by effectiveness of antipsychotic drugs (which reduce DA activity)

19
Q

Double-blind hypothesis of schizophrenia

A

Child is given conflicting messages by pcg
Child becomes disorganized and perceptions are unreliable
Not widely supported but research does suggest that strength of family communication is related to some forms of schizophrenia

20
Q

Bipolar disorder

A

Manic episodes: elevated mood, insomnia, impaired judgement, risky behavior; alternates with depressive periods in Bipolar I
In bipolar II, manic periods replaced with hypomania (no psychotic features, but still elevated mood)

21
Q

Dysthymic disorder (DSM-IV)

A

Longer period of time than depression and fewer symptoms necessary to diagnose. No longer a diagnosis

22
Q

Cyclothymic disorder

A

Less extreme poles and longer lasting for diagnosis (as compared to bipolar)

23
Q

Monoamine theory of depression

A

Or catacholamine theory of depression
Under-activity of MAs (NE & serotonin)
Not really that simple

24
Q

Somatoform disorders

A

Presence of physical symptoms that are not explained by a medical condition; not faking

25
Q

Conversion disorder

A

Somatoform disorder; unexplained symptoms affecting voluntary motor or sensory functions (ex. Blindness with no damage to visual system)
used to be called “hysteria”

26
Q

Hypochondriasis

A

Somatoform disorder; person fears they have a serious disease

27
Q

Dissociative amnesia

A

Inability to recall past experience; amnesia not due to neurological disorder but to dissociation to avoid stressors

28
Q

Dissociative fugue

A

Sudden, unexpected move away from home/life

May even assume new identity

29
Q

Dissociative identity disorder

A

Two or more alters directing behavior; therapy focuses on integrating alters into one personality

30
Q

Depersonalization disorder

A

Person feels detached from their cognitions and/or behaviors; person is an outside observer but has intact sense of reality

31
Q

Anorexia nervousa

A

Distorted body image; usually accompanied by amenorrhea

32
Q

Bulimia nervosa

A

Binge eating and purging (or excessive exercise/fasting)

Not necessarily underweight

33
Q

PDs

A

Impaired functioning of at least two: cognition, emotion, interpersonal functioning, impulse control
Causing distress

34
Q

Schizoid PD

A

pervasive pattern of detachment from social relationships and blunted affect

35
Q

narcissistic PD

A

Grandiose self-importance, preoccupation with fantasies of success, need for constant admiration/attention, entitlement; fragile self-esteem,
May result in rage, inferiority, shame, humiliation, emptiness when individual is not viewed favorably by another

36
Q

BPD

A

instability in mood, behavior, self-image; interpersonal relationships are intense/unstable, uncertainty of self-image, sexual identity, long-term goals, or value; fear of abandonment
Can result in suicide and self-mutilation

37
Q

ASPD

A

disregard for/violation of rights of others; illegal acts, deceitfulness, aggression, lack of remorse
Serial killers and other career criminals may have this disorder

38
Q

diathesis-stress model

A

framework used to examine cause of mental diagnoses
(diathesis: predisposition for a specific disorder)
Stressors may then lead to the development of the disorder

39
Q

primary prevention

A

efforts to identify and then eradicate conditions that foster mental illness

40
Q

Rosenhan (1973)

A

psychiatric hospital study, pseudopatients (“empty,” “hollow,” “thud”)

41
Q

Thomas Szasz

A

critic of labeling people “mentally ill”
Most disorders treated by clinicians are not illnesses but traits or behaviors that differ form cultural norm
Famous book: The Myth of Mental Illness