Chapter 15: Psychological Disorders Flashcards
What is a psychological disorder?
A condition characterized by abnormal thoughts, feelings, and behaviors
What are psychopathology and etiology?
Psychopathology:
The study of psychological disorders, including their symptoms, etiology, and treatment
Etiology:
The study of causes of psychological disorders
What is harmful dysfunction?
- When an internal mechanism breaks down and can no longer perform its normal function
- This dysfunction must be harmful and lead to negative consequences
What are the four factors that make up a psychological disorder?
(4 Ds)
- Dysfunction
- Dangerous
- Deviant
- Distressful
What are the two references for diagnosing a disorder?
International Classification of Diseases (IDC)
* More used for clinical diagnosis
DSM-5
* More values for research
What are the three perspectives on mental illness?
Supernatural
Biological
* Links mental disorders to genetic issues, chemical imbalances, and brain abnormalities
Diathesis-stress model
* Suggests that mental disorders are caused by biological or psychological predispositions accompanied by stress
What are anxiety disorders?
characterized by excessive and persistent fear and anxiety, and by related disturbances in behavior
What are specific phobias and agoraphobia?
Specific phobia:
A person experiencing excessive, distressing, and persistent fear or anxiety about a specific object or situation
* Over 1000 named phobias
Agoraphobia:
characterized by intense fear, anxiety, and avoidance of situations in which it might be difficult to escape or receive help if someone is experiencing symptoms of a panic attack
* “Fear of the marketplace”
What are the three pathways in which phobias can be learned?
- Classical conditioning
- Vicarious learning
- Verbal transmission of information
What is social anxiety disorder?
(Includes safety behaviors and behavioral inhibition)
Social anxiety disorder:
extreme and persistent fear or anxiety and avoidance of social situations in which a person could be evaluated negatively by others
Safety behaviors:
mental or behavioral acts that reduce anxiety in social situations by reducing the chance of negative social outcomes
Behavioral inhibition:
an inherited trait characterized by a consistent tendency to show fear and restraint when presented with unfamiliar people or situations
What is panic disorder?
recurrent and unexpected panic attacks, along with at least one month of persistent concern about additional panic attacks, worry over the consequences of the attacks, or self-defeating changes in behaviors related to then attacks
Panic attack:
a period of extreme fear or discomfort that develops abruptly and reaches a peak within 10 minutes
- The locus coeruleus may play a role in panic disorder
What is generalized anxiety disorder?
a relatively continuous state of excessive, uncontrollable, and pointless worry and apprehension
* People with this disorder often worry about routine, everyday things even though their concerns are unjustified
Must be accompanied by 3 of these symptoms:
* Restlessness
* Difficulty concentrating
* Being easily fatigued
* Muscle tension
* Irritability
* Sleep difficulties
Women are 3x more at risk
May increase risk of heart attacks and strokes
What is Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)?
OCD
experiencing thoughts, mental images, fears, sensations, and/or urges that are intrusive and unwanted (obsessions) and/or the need to engage in repetitive behaviors or mental acts (compulsions)
Obsessions:
persistent, unintentional, and unwanted thoughts that are highly intrusive, unpleasant, and distressing
Compulsions:
repetitive and ritualistic acts that are typically carried out primarily to minimize the distress that obsessions trigger or to reduce the likelihood of a feared event
Obsessions = thoughts
Compulsions = actions
What are the causes of OCD?
- Orbitofrontal cortex: an area of the frontal lobe involved in learning and decision-making
- OCD circuit: includes the orbitofrontal cortex and several interconnected regions that influence the perceived emotional value of stimuli and the selection of both behavior and cognitive responses
- Abnormalities in this region may cause symptoms of OCD
What are body dysmorphic disorder and hoarding disorder?
Body dysmorphic disorder:
being preoccupied with a perceived flaw in physical appearance that is either nonexistent or barely noticeable to other people
* These defects may make people think they are unattractive, ugly, hideous, or deformed
Hoarding disorder:
people with this disorder cannot bear to part with personal possessions, regardless of how valueless or useless these possessions are
What is post traumatic stress disorder?
a person who must be exposed to, witness, or experience the details of a traumatic experience, one that involves actual or threatened death, serious injury, or sexual violence
Developed and maintained through classical conditioning, disturbances in memory, and negative appraisals (ex. thinking one deserved it)
What are mood disorders?
characterized by severe disturbances in mood and emotions—most often depression, but also mania and elation
What is major depressive disorder?
depressed mood most of the day, nearly every day, and loss of interest and pleasure in usual activity
* it’s episodic:, meaning symptoms are typically present at their full magnitude for a certain period and then abate
What the subtypes of depression?
Seasonal pattern:
applies to situation in which a person experiences the symptoms of major depressive disorder only during a particular time of the year
Peripartum onset (postpartum depression):
applies to child bearers who experience major depression during pregnancy or during the four weeks following the birth of their child
Persistent depressive disorder:
experience depressed moods most of the day nearly every day for at least two years
What is bipolar disorder?
Bipolar disorder:
experiencing mood states that fluctuate between depression and mania—from one extreme to the other
Manic episode:
characterized as a distinct period of abnormality and persistently elevated, expansive, or irritable mood and abnormally and persistently increased activity or energy lasting at least one week
Flight of ideas:
frantically switching from one topic to another
What is the biology behind a mood disorder?
- An inbalance in norepinephrine and serotonin
- Treatment involves medications: selective serotonin reuptake inhibiters (SSRIs)
What is the biology behind bipolar disorder medication?
Medication for bipolar blocks norepinephrine
What is the biology of depression?
Depression is linked to abnormal activity in the amygdala (elevated) and prefrontal cortex (less activation)
Depressed people also have abnormal levels of cortisol
What is the cognitive theory of depression?
Cognitive theories of depression:
* Depression is triggered by negative thoughts, interpretations, self-evaluations, and expectations
* Depression is triggered by cognitive vulnerability
Negative cognitive triad:
* Negative views about the world
* Negative views about the future
* Negative views about oneself
