Chapter 17 - Psychological Disorders Flashcards
study of disorders of mind, mood, and behavior
abnormal psychology, pathopsychology
characteristic thought or behavior that indicates a potential mental disorder
symptom
combination of interrelated symptoms observed in an individual
syndrome
condition in which a person suffers from two or more mental disorders
comorbidity
comorbid existence of a mental disorder and substance abuse
dual diagnosis
prediction of the typical course of a disease and the likelihood of recovery
prognosis
label for a person’s mental disorder assigned by identifying and classifying patterns of behavior
psychological diagnosis
refers to the need to consider the individual characteristics of a culture in which a person with a disorder was raised in order to diagnose and treat the disorder
cultural relativity
any disorder that is limited to a particular cultural group
culture-bound syndrome
refers to the concept that psychological abnormalities are diseases that, like biological diseases, have symptoms, causes, and cures
medical model
method of analyzing a psychological disorder in which physical problems are looked for as the root cause
biological approach
method of analyzing a psychological disorder in which unconscious conflicts and other possible underlying psychological factors are examined
psychoanalytic approach
approach to psychology that concentrates on observable behavior that can be directly measured and recorded
behavioral approach
method of analyzing a psychological disorder that focuses on through processes that contribute to psychological distress
cognitive approach
method of analyzing a psychological disorder that recognizes that it is not possible to separate body and mind; negative emotions can contribute to physical illness, while physical abnormalities may increase the likelihood of psychological disorders
biopsychosocial approach
an existing underlying factor that makes an individual particularly susceptible to a certain disorder
predisposing cause
event in a person’s day-to-day life that brings on a particular disorder
precipitating cause
consequence of a disorder that helps keep it going once it has manifested
perpetuating cause
mental disorder in which a person feels anxious all the time without any identifiable reason
anxiety disorder
type of anxiety disorder in which a person feel inexplicable and continually tense and uneasy
generalized anxiety disorder
a persistent, irrational fear of a specific object, activity, or situation
phobia
an irrational fear of being publicly humiliated or embarrassed
social phobia
condition in which sufferers come to fear the possibility of another panic attack following an initial attack
panic disorder
intense fear of being in a situation from which there is no escape
agoraphobia
an anxiety disorder in which a person feels driven to think disturbing thoughts or to perform senseless rituals
obsessive-compulsive disorder
anxiety disorder caused by experiencing or witnessing out-of-control events with feelings of helplessness and fear
posttraumatic stress disorder
mental disorder in which a person regularly experiences emotional extremes
mood disorder
mood disorder characterized by prolonged or extreme periods of depression
depressive disorder
mood disorder characterized by alternating episodes of depression and mania
bipolar disorder
mood disorder characterized by signs of severe depression that last for more than two weeks with no apparent cause
major depressive disorder (MDD)
chronic, but less severe form of depression that lasts for two years or more
dysthymia
condition in which bouts of major depression are superimposed over a state of dysthymia
double depression
a mood disorder in which a person gets depressed only at certain times of the year
seasonal affective disorder (SAD)
period of euphoria characterized by elevated self-esteem, increased talkativeness, enhanced energy ,and a decreased need for sleep
mania
milder form of mania that causes less severe mood elevations and does not interfere with normal daily functioning to the same extent as mania
hypomania
occurs when a person with a bipolar disorder experiences more than four episodes of either mania or depression a year
rapid cycling
describes a pattern of pessimistic or negative thoughts
negative cognitive style
type of questionnaire that seeks to assess how people view the events that happen in their lives based on three criteria: stability, globality, and locus
attributional-style questionnaire
describes a feeling of hopelessness and passivity caused by being unable to avoid or control traumatic events
learned helplessness
mental disorder that causes a person to experience distorted perceptions, inappropriate emotions or reactions, and confusion
schizophrenia
a persistent false belief
delusion
false sensory perception that a person believes to be real
hallucination
symptom that reflects an excess or distortion of normal functions, such delusions and hallucinations
positive symptom
symptom that indicates a decrease in normal functions such as attention or emotion
negative symptom
suggests that people are genetically predisposed to a particular mental disorder but will develop the disorder only if exposed to environmental or emotional stress during critical developmental periods
diathesis-stress hypothesis
rigid, maladaptive pattern of behavior that makes it difficult for individuals to have normal social relations
personality disorder
characterized by peculiar or eccentric mannerisms and difficulty forming social relationships
schizotypal personality disorder
characterized by extreme suspicion and distrust of others
paranoid personality disorder
causes people to show very little interest in others and have few personal relationships
schizoid personality disorder
characterized by unstable moods, intense and stormy relationships, and manipulation and distrust of others
borderline personality disorder
characterized by a complete lack of conscience
antisocial personality disorder
characterized by a tendency to overreact to situations, excessive emotionality, and the use of manipulation to gain the attention of others
histrionic personality disorder
characterized by an inflated sense of self-importance and a deep need for admiration
narcissistic personality disorder
characterized by high levels of social anxiety and feelings of inadequacy
avoidant personality disorder
characterized by clingy, needy behavior
dependent personality disorder
characterized by obsessive neatness, difficulty delegating tasks because of a fear the tasks will be completed in a substandard manner, and a preoccupation with rules, schedules, and order
obsessive-compulsive personality disorder
condition in which the normal cognitive processes are fragmented, causing a sudden loss of memory or change in personality
dissociative disorder
disorder that causes a sudden memory loss
dissociative amnesia
disorder characterized by a sudden loss of memory accompanied by an abrupt departure from home
dissociative fugue
disorder in which a person seems to experience two or more personalities in one body
dissociative identity disorder
disorder characterized by physical symptoms that do not have an identifiable cause
somatoform disorder
somatoform disorder characterized by vague, unverifiable symptoms, such as dizziness and nausea
somatization disorder
somatoform disorder characterized by sudden, temporary loss of sensory function
conversion disorder
disorder in which a person finds it difficult to focus his attention and is easily distracted
attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
developmental disorder that impedes social development and communication skills
autism
syndrome in which a person has normal levels of intelligence and cognitive abilities but displays autistic-like social behaviors
asperger syndrome
