Chapter 14 Flashcards
what is the study of psychological disorders called
abnormal psychology
what does abnormal mean
away from the rule
what is comorbid disorders
more than one disorder occurs at the same time
what is the diathesis stress model
theory that attempts to simplify the complexity of what disorders are a result of
by presence of vulnerability or predisposition to the disorder (childhood trauma, stress inducing life)
how are psychological disorders diagnosed
they use disgnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (DSM)
- some normal behaviour are categorized as abnormal by the system
What are neurodevelopmental disorders
disorders that are diagnosed typically in childhood and continue throughout the life span
- ASD
- ADHD
- conduct disorder
What is autism spectrum disorder
deficits in social relatedness and communication skills that are often accompanied by repetitive ritualistic behaviour
how do you diagnose ASD
people who have issues with social
- making eye contact
- failure to develop a theory of mind by the time they are 3- 4 years old
- no language abilities or delayed acquisition
- increased or decreases sensitivity to stimuli
- insensitive to pain or cold but distressed by normal sound levels
what are the causes of asd
genetics
- if one twin has asd it is likely the other identical twin has it as well
- abnormalities in amygdala, hippocampus and cerebellum
- environmental factors
- age of mom
what is abhd
attention deficit hyperactivity disorder
- hyperactivity and inattention
- difficulty following instructions, organization, completing work and avoiding careless mistakes - noisy
causes of adhd
genetics
environmental factors - lead contamination, low birth weight, prenatal exposure to tobacco, alcohol, and drugs
- Interactivity in the frontal lobes leads to hyperactivity and impulsiveness
- Disruptions in the corpus callosum
- prefrontal cortex and basal ganglia = dopamine activity (lower than usual)
myths: sugar is the cause of hyperactive behaviour
what is conduct disorder
a repetitive and persistent pattern of behaviour in which the basic rights of others or major age-appropriate societal norms or rules are violated
- tendency toward aggressive and antisocial behaviour
- disregard social norms and rules
= antisocial personality disorder
how do you diagnose conduct disorder
when anti-social behaviour is accompanied by a lack of remorse, empathy or concern or in the absence of any sincere emotion
- children who come from physical abuse, harsh and inconsistent parenting practices and lack of adult support
- prenatal alcohol abuse and maternal smoking during pregnancy
what is schizophrenia
a disorder characterized by hallucinations, delusinos, disorganizaed thought and speech
disorders of movement
asociality
influences and disoirts perception, cognition, movement and emotion
What are the symptoms of schizophrenia
delusions
hallucinations
state of psychosis
does not show typical outward signs of emotion such as facial expressions and tone of voice when an emotional response is expected
- when a word can be used in different context, they can have difficulty
what are delusions
They are defined as unrealistic beliefs
- that take in many different forms
- feeling like u have unrealistic power or importance or beliefs that other people are controlling you
what are hallucinations
false perceptions
most hallucinations in schizo are auditory
the auditory hallucinations are not imaginary, they are related with increased activity in the primary auditory cortex
what is catontonia
the maintaince of awkward or unusual body positions for hours at a time
- sit still in a position for hours without shifting
what are the causes of schizophrenia
genetics
Living with someone who has it or a family member is more likely to be diagnosed themselves
- having a parent with schizo
- they have enlarged ventricles - fluid-filled spaces in the brain that not responsible for any particular behaviour - loss of neural tissue
- neural degeneration
- lower level of frontal lobe activity (behaviour and emotional disturbances)
- extreme stress triggering
- pregnant women experiencing illness
- medications that block dopamine activity are usually effective but not all the time
what is bipolar disorder
bridges between schizophrnia and depressive disorders with respect to symptoms, family histories and genetics
- periods of mania (elevated mood) with periods of depression
what are the causes of bipolar disorder
genetics
environment factors - fatty acids in fish = protection from bipolar disorder
what is major depressive disorder
MDD is the severe or chronic feeling of depression
- loss of pleasure
anhedonia = a person who is disinterested in activities that give pleasure
1. depressed mood or anhedonia
2. high levels of stress
3. appetite and sleep may be disturbed
4. fatigue or restlessness
5. hopelessness, suicide
t/f women get mdd more than men
true
What is learned helplessness
application of operant conditioning
a state in which experiencing random or uncontrolled consequences leads to feelings of helplessness and possibly depression
What are the causes for MDD
negative thoughts about themselves or the world, or the future
- rumination - interferes with problem solving
- severe stress
- leads to suicide
What is anxiety disorder
unrealistic and counterproductive levels of anxiety
- strong negative emotions and physical tension for danger
exaggeration of what is normally happening
- stimuli = highly reactive
- doesn’t impair a person’s ability to think
what are specific phobias
fear of objects or situations other than those associated with agoraphobia and social anxiety disorder
- animals, water, blood, heights, etc
- people think it might be a useful sense of caution
cognition influences specific phobias
what is social anxiety disorder
the fear of being criticized by others in public speaking, meeting new people
- usually being during adolescence
- cultural variables appear to be particularly significant in the development of social anxiety - with their emphasis on shame and opinions of other people
what is a panic attack
the expereince of intense fear and autonomic arousal in the absence of real threat
What is panic disorder
Repeated panic attacks and fear of future attacks
- last about 10 mins
- feeling intense fear or discomfort
- pounding heart, sweating, chest pain, dizziness, shortness of breath
what is the biological explanation for panic disorders
Orexins which are released by cells in the hypothalamus
ppl with panic disorder have larger quantities of orexins than do people without the disorder
- Disturbances involving the orexins might lead to panic attacks
social explanation for panic disorder
- culture plays an important role in how panic attacks are interpreted
panic disorder is more common in children who have experienced parental loss of separation
what is agoraphobia
the fear of open spaces, being outside the home or in a crowd
what is GAD
generalized anxiety disorder
a disorder characterized by excessive anxiety and worry that is not correlated with particular objects or situations
- the worry is focused on life in general, can be associated with headaches, stomach, muscle tension
what is the biological explaination for GAD
genetics
brain structure and function in the fear circuit = amygdala
- drugs reduce the anxiety
- EX: if you see an angry drivers face behind you it triggers your amygdala as a sense of threat and allows u to pull over and let him go
integrating all the perspectives we assume that someone has GAD if they are in a high reactive, genetic background that develops schemas an other cognitive patterns to maintain high levels of worry
what is obsessive compulsive disorder
instrusive thoughts (obsessions) the need to engage in ritualistic behaviours and compulsions
contamination, repeated doubts, ordering, inappropriate impulses
causes of ocd
genetics, environmental factors
Post-traumatic to the head
brain
the orbitofrontal cortex, prefrontal cortex, basal ganglia = more active
lower than normal amounts of serotonin
- many cultures may influence by having special colours, stereotypes actions, rigid rules
what is a body dysmorphic disorder
unrealistic perception of physical flaws
trying to perfect their bodies
