Chapter 14 Flashcards
Psychological disorder
A significant dysfunction in a person’s thoughts, feelings, or behaviors
Medical model
The concept that diseases, in this case psychological disorders, have physical causes that can be diagnosed, treated, and in most cases, cured, often through treatment in a hospital
DSM-IV-TR
The American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth edition, with an updated text revision; a widely used system for classifying psychological disorders
Are psychological disorders universal, or are they culture specific? Explain with examples
Some psychological disorders are cultural specific. For example, anorexia nervosa occurs mostly in Western cultures, and taijin-kyofusho appears largely in Japan. Other disorders, such as schizophrenia, occur in all cultures.
What is the biopsychosocial perspective, & why is it important in our understanding of psychological disorders?
Biological, psychological, and social-cultural influences combine to produce psychological disorders. This broad perspective helps us understand that our well-being is affected by our genes, brain functioning, inner thoughts and feelings, and the influences of our social & cultural environment
What is the value, and what are the dangers, of labeling individuals with disorders?
Therapists & others use disorder labels to communicate with one another in a common language, & to share concepts during research. Insurance companies require a diagnosis (a label) before they will pay for therapy. The danger of labeling people is that they will begin to act as they have been labeled, and also that labels can create expectations that will change our behavior toward the people we label.
Anxiety disorders
Psychological disorders characterized by distressing, persistent anxiety or maladaptive behaviors that reduce anxiety
Generalized anxiety disorder
An anxiety disorder in which a person is continually tense, apprehensive, and in a state of autonomic nervous system arousal
Panic disorder
An anxiety disorder marked by unpredictable, minutes-long episodes of intense dread in which a person experiences terror and accompanying chest pain, choking, or other frightening sensations
Phobia
An anxiety disorder marked by a persistent, irrational fear and avoidance of a specific object, activity, or situation
Obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD)
An anxiety disorder characterized by unwanted repetitive thoughts (obsessions), actions (compulsions), or both
Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
An anxiety disorder characterized by haunting memories, nightmares and social withdrawal, jumpy anxiety, and/or insomnia that lingers for four weeks or more after a traumatic experience
Unfocused tension, apprehension, and arousal is called _____ _____ disorder. If a person is focusing anxiety on specific feared objects or situations, that person may have an _______. Those who express anxiety through unwanted repetitive thoughts or actions may have a _____-______ disorder. Anxiety accompanied by recurring memories and nightmares, social withdrawal, & insomnia for weeks after a traumatic event may be diagnosed with _____-_____ _____ disorder. Those who experience unpredictable periods of terror and intense dread, accompanied by frightening physical sensations, may be diagnosed with an _______ disorder.
Generalized anxiety; phobia; obsessive-compulsive; post-traumatic stress; panic
Researchers believe that anxiety disorders are influenced by conditioning, observational learning, and cognition. What biological factors contribute to these disorder?
Biological factors include inherited temperament differences; trauma-altered fear pathways in the brain, and outdated, inherited responses that had survival value for our distant ancestors
Mood disorders
Psychological disorders characterized by emotional extremes
Major depressive disorder
A mood disorder in which a person experiences, in the absence of drugs or another medical condition, two or more weeks of significantly depressed moods or diminished interest or pleasure in most activities, along with at least four other symptoms
Bipolar disorder
A mood disorder in which a person alternates between the hopelessness and lethargy of depression and the overexcited state of mania. (Formerly called manic-depressive disorder)
Mania
A hyperactive, wildly optimistic state in which dangerously poor judgment is common
What does it mean to say that “depression is a whole body disorder?”
Many factors contribute to depression, including the biological influences of genetics & brain function. Social cognitive factors also matter, including the interaction of explanatory style, mood, our responses to stressful experiences, & changes in our patterns of thinking and behaving. The whole body is involved
Schizophrenia
A group of severe disorders characterized by disorganized and delusional thinking, disturbed perceptions, & inappropriate emotions and behaviors
Psychosis
A psychological disorder in which a person loses contact with reality, experiencing irrational ideas and distorted peceptions
Delusions
False beliefs, often of persecution or grandeur, that may accompany psychotic disorders
A person with schizophrenia who has ______ symptoms may have an expressionless face and toneless voice. These symptoms are most common with ______ schizophrenia and are not likely to respond to drug therapy. Those with ______ symptoms are likely to experience delusions and to be diagnosed with ______ schizophrenia, which is much more likely to respond to drug therapy.
Negative; chronic; positive; acute
What factors contribute to the onset an development of schizophrenia?
Biological factors include abnormalities in brain structure & function, prenatal exposure to a maternal virus, & genetic factors. However, schizophrenia is more likely to develop given a high-risk environment