Ch 15: Psychological Disorders

Question 1

What are asylums + how were patients treated in these facilities

Answer 1

residential facilities for the mentally ill

Patients were given data cards for tracking mental illness
= submerged in bath
= heavily restrained

Question 2

What is the medical model? How did this model affect how patients were treated?

Answer 2

sees psychological conditions through the same lens as Western medicine tends to see physical conditions—as sets of symptoms, causes, and outcomes, with treatments aimed at changing physiological processes in order to alleviate symptoms.

Depression, anxiety disorders, autism can be treated with same medication / approached in same manner

Question 3

___ means that a psychological disorder causes distress to oneself or others. Impairs day to day functioning and and increases risk of injury or harm to oneself or others

Answer 3

Maladaptive

Question 4

What is the name of the standardized manual that was developed to help clinicians diagnose psychological disorders?

Answer 4

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM )

= describes symptoms

Question 5

3 weaknesses of DSM

Answer 5

1. Reflected cultural biases (homosexuality was listed as psychological disorder)
2. Oversimplifies human behavior.
3. Increases risk of misdiagnosis or over-diagnosis.
4. displays each symptom and whether it is severe enough to be considered a symptom or just normal experience is a challenge
5. Diff disorders share many common symptoms thus diff mental health might make diff diagnoses
6. Theres a line whether a person is considered to have a disorder or not
   = diagnosis a person receives, and even whether a person receives any diagnosis at all, can depend on a single symptom. Not surprisingly, this reduces the reliability of diagnoses.

Question 6

2 dangers associated w/ labelling mental disorders

Answer 6

Determining if their behavior harm others or themselves

1. Heavy drug users may not think they have a problem
2. Mourning the loss of loved one affect daily activities

= restriction of independence
= increase distress

Question 7

What is ADHD

Answer 7

Attention deficit hyperactivity disorder

children show inappropriate levels of hyperactivity and impulsivity while also having problems maintaining their attention to people or activities.

Question 8

What are culture bound syndromes and give 2 example

Answer 8

native country’s culture is a trigger for a certain social behaviour or trend

1. Ataque de nervios (Latin American)
   = trembling, uncontrollable shouting, fainting, aggressive
2. Neurasthenia / shenjing shuairuo (Chinese)
   = extreme fatigue, physical weakness, pain w/ relaxation after period of mental effort

Question 9

What is the mental disorder defense? Think of one example in which this defense was used successfully.

Answer 9

Does not deny that person committed the offence
But claims that defendant was in extreme abnormal state of mind when committing the crime that they were not aware their actions were legally or morally wrong

Ex: cause car accident/ murder during hallucination (schizophrenia)

Question 10

Personality disorder meaning

Answer 10

unusual patterns of behaviour (relative to one’s cultural context) that are maladaptive, distressing to oneself or others, and resistant to change.

Question 11

What are the three types (or “clusters”) of personality disorders

Answer 11

A = odd/ eccentric behavior
B = indicated by dramatic, emotional and erratic behavior
C = disorders are characterized by anxious, fearful, and inhibited behaviour.

Question 12

What is the difference between a paranoid personality disorder and a schizoid personality disorder?

Answer 12

part of group A ; odd behavior

Paranoid = sees threats where others dont; difficulty trusting others
Schizoid = difficulty forming close relationships w/ other people; desire to be left alone

Question 13

Someone who frequently gets lost in their own thoughts would be diagnosed with which Cluster A personality disorder?

Answer 13

Schizotypal Personality Disorder

Question 14

What are three symptoms of borderline personality disorder?

Answer 14

BPD -
intense extremes b/w positive and negative emotions,
- unstable sense of self
- impulsivity
- difficult social relationships

Question 15

What is the difference between narcissistic personality and histrionic personality disorder?

Answer 15

NPD (self centered + sensitive to criticism)
- sense of self important and excessive need for attention and admiration
- intense self doubt + abandonment

HPD
- excessive attention seeking and dramatic behavior
- root word: like an actor or theatrical performance

Question 16

A person who lacks empathy and tends to impose his or her own desires onto others regardless of the consequences for those other people most likely has ____________ personality disorder.

= disregard others rights

Answer 16

Antisocial personality disorder (APD)
= difficulty learning tasks that require following complex rules and decision making

Question 17

How do the physiological responses to emotional pictures differ between psychopaths and non- psychopaths?

Answer 17

Non psychopath
= flash of light, loud sound or sudden appearance will startle people

Psychopath
= show weak startle response when exposed to unpleasant stimuli
= show little amygdala activity

Question 18

How does brain activity differ in psychopaths and non-psychopaths?

Answer 18

Amygdala: (response to feat + aversive stimuli)
Psychopath shows very little activity of this

Frontal lobes: allow people to reduce activity of amygdala and other emotion related regions
= psychopath have less gre matter in frontal
= also have less white matter pathways
= thus struggle regulation emotional responses
= when people are empathizing criminals psychopaths are planning (max throwing ball to lena goal)

Question 19

What are three types of Cluster C personality disorders?

Answer 19

Cluster C = anxious and fearful behaviors

1. Avoidant
   - avoid social interactions in fear of rejections\
2. Dependent
   - excessive need to be taken care of. Requires assurance and help with decision making
3. Obsessive-Compulsive
   - perfectionist
   - avoid spending money / throwing out old, worthless objects

Question 20

personality disorders are influenced by psychological, sociocultural, and _________ factors.

Answer 20

Environmental

Question 21

What is dissociative identity disorder? Why should we be cautious about assuming that this disorder exists?

Answer 21

Also called multiple personality disorder

in which a person experiences a split in identity such that they feel different aspects of themselves as though they were separated from each other.

Ex: Amnesia
- forgetting about certain events
- forgetting personal info and where you are

Question 22

____ disorders are a category of disorders involving fear or nervousness that is excessive, irrational, and maladaptive

Answer 22

Anxiety disorders

Question 23

What is the differences between generalized anxiety disorder and a panic attack?

Answer 23

GAD
= involves frequently elevated levels of anxiety, generally from the normal challenges and stresses of everyday life.
= breathing / sleeping difficulty
= a condition of excessive worry about everyday issues and situations.

PANIC (severe, sudden, short segments)
= an anxiety disorder marked by occasional episodes of sudden, very intense fear.

Panic attacks
- frightening thoughts
- brief moments of extreme anxiety

Question 24

Agoraphobia meaning

Answer 24

Intense fear of panic attack in public thus avoid public settings nd isolate

Question 25

What types of objects or activities are most often associated with specific phobias?

Answer 25

Specific phobia = intense fear of specific object, activity, organism

the person may be afraid of specific animals, heights, thunder, blood, or injections or other medical procedures. Social phobias,

Environment, situational, animal, blood, injection

Question 26

__ a very strong fear of being judged by others or being embarrassed or humiliated in public.

Answer 26

Social anxiety disorder

Question 27

Explain how exposure is used to treat anxiety disorders.

Answer 27

You can get used to it and adapt
The more you face your fears the more you can reduce fear and decrease avoidance

Question 28

What is obsessive-compulsive disorder? How does the “OCD loop” relate to this disorder?

Answer 28

plagued by unwanted, inappropriate, and persistent thoughts (obsessions), and engage in repetitive, often quite ritualistic behaviours (compulsions).

Obsession of unwanted thoughts repeatedly goes in ur mind and cause you to feel anxiety, disgust or unease

OCD loop: reoccurring thought loop is a fixation on fears, motives, or how we feel we should have acted or not acted.

Question 29

Major depressive disorder and bipolar difference

Answer 29

Major depression
= long period of sadness, hopelessness, worthless and sluggish
= negative thinking

Bipolar
= extreme high and lows in mood, motivation and energy
= can experience extremely energized and positive mood

Question 30

What evidence is there to suggest that the neurotransmitter serotonin is related to depression?

Answer 30

People who inherit 2 copies of short gene (serotonin) are at an increased risk for becoming depressed

2 long copies are buffered from becoming depress

Identical (monozygotic) are more likely to be depressed than fraternal (dizygotic)

Question 31

How is the 5-HTT gene related to depression?

Answer 31

people who inherit two copies of the short version of the 5-HTT gene are at greater risk for developing depression,
= whereas those who inherit two long copies are at a far lower risk

Serotonin transporter protein

Question 32

What are two social/environmental factors that influence depression rates?

Answer 32

1. Home neighbourhood qualiity
   - increase crime rates
   - facilities
   - unemployment => lack of social connections
2. Social media
   - comparison + envy

Question 33

What are five warning signs that someone is suicidal?

Answer 33

1. Talks about dying by suicide
2. Trouble eating / sleeping
3. Withdraws from friends or social activities
4. Loses interest in almost everything
5. Prepares death (final arrangments + writing a will)
   Loses physical appearance effort
   Increase drug and alcohol use

Question 34

What is schizophrenia?

Answer 34

Mind is split from reality
Ex: split from ones own thoughts (hallucination)

Question 35

3 phases of schizophrenia

Answer 35

1. Prodromal phase = easily confused and difficulty organizing thoughts
   = withdraw from friends and family (lose interest)
   = spend time alone
2. Active phase
   = delusional, hallucinations
   = disorganized patters of thoughts, emotions and behavior
3. Residual phase (negative emotions)
   = trouble concentrating
   = lack motivation
   = low energy
   = no more hallucinations and delusional

Question 36

Positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia

Answer 36

Positive = confused,paranoid thinking and inappropriate emotional rxns (maladaptive behavior)

Negative = absence of adaptive behavior
= flat emotional rxn
= low social interactions and motivation

Question 37

List three common positive symptoms of schizophrenia.

Answer 37

1. Hallucinations (seeing, feeling, hearing, tasting things that dont exist)
2. Delusions (believing in significant hidden msgs or believe they can control wind)
3. Disorganized behavior
   = difficulty in cooking, hygiene, socializing
   = always distracted

Question 38

What is catatonia in schizophrenia

Answer 38

Negative movement disorder in which person doesnt move and remain a pose in a lengthy period of time

Question 39

What are the five common subtypes of schizophrenia?

Answer 39

1. Paranoid = delusional beliefs that one is being followed or watched
2. Disorganized = thoughts and speech disorganization (unmannered)
3. Catatonic = remains mute or immobile
4. Undifferentiated = the “junk drawer” dont fit in other 4
5. Residual = recovery phase when symptom begin to fade

Question 40

What is the evidence that schizophrenia is influenced by genetics?

Answer 40

one identical twin has schizophrenia, the other twin has a 25% to 50% chance of developing it

= some genes are related to neurodevelopmental impairments in general while others may be related to specific disorders

Question 41

What are two neurotransmitters associated with schizophrenia?

Answer 41

1. Dopamine (pleasure and satisfaction)
   Increased rate of firing in dopamine releasing cells with schizophrenia
   = lead to delusions and hallucinations
2. Glutamate (excitatory neurot)
   = negative symptoms with reduced glutamate
   = flat emotion
   = lack motivation

Question 42

What is the neurodevelopmental hypothesis of schizophrenia?

Answer 42

the adult manifestation of what we call “schizophrenia” is the outgrowth of disrupted neurological development early in the person’s life

= disruption of brain development during early life comes later on
= schizophrenia may be set in fetus such as exposure to flu virus
= environmental factors can cause stress to mother and affect baby

Question 43

What effect does a family’s emotional expressiveness have on schizophrenia?

Answer 43

1. Mother experienced malnutrition during pregnancy means child more likely to develop schizophrenia
2. difficult births in which the umbilical cord limits oxygen to the baby

People with schizophrenia are three to four times more likely to experience a relapse of their symptoms within a nine-month period if they live in high-EE families (emotional expressive; controlling and critical)

Low EE (accepting, non judging supportive)