Chapter 13 Flashcards
medical model
The conceptualization of psychological abnormalities as diseases that, like physical diseases, have biological causes, defined symptoms, and possible cures.
DSM-IV-TR
DSM-IV-TR: (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders [Fourth Edition, Text Revision].) A classification system that describes the features used to diagnose each recognized mental disorder and indicates how the disorder can be distinguished from other, similar problems.
comorbidity
The co-occurrence of two or more disorders in a single individual.
diathesis-stress model
A model suggesting that a person may be predisposed for a mental disorder that remains unexpressed until triggered by stress.
anxiety disorders
Mental disorders in which anxiety is the predominant feature.
generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)
A disorder characterized by chronic excessive worry accompanied by three or more of the following symptoms: restlessness, fatigue, concentration problems, irritability, muscle tension, and sleep disturbance.
phobic disorders
Disorders characterized by marked, persistent, and excessive fear and avoidance of specific objects, activities, or situations.
specific phobia
A disorder that involves an irrational fear of a particular object or situation that markedly interferes with an individual’s ability to function.
social phobia
A disorder that involves an irrational fear of being publicly humiliated or embarrassed.
preparedness theory
The idea that people are instinctively predisposed toward certain fears.
panic disorder
A disorder characterized by the sudden occurrence of multiple psychological and physiological symptoms that contribute to a feeling of stark terror.
agoraphobia
An extreme fear of venturing into public places.
obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)
A disorder in which repetitive, intrusive thoughts (obsessions) and ritualistic behaviors (compulsions) designed to fend off those thoughts interfere significantly with an individual’s functioning.
mood disorders
Mental disorders that have mood disturbance as their predominant feature.
major depressive disorder
A disorder characterized by a severely depressed mood that lasts 2 weeks or more and is accompanied by feelings of worthlessness and lack of pleasure, lethargy, and sleep and appetite disturbances.