chapter 7: psychological disorders Flashcards
biomedical approach
therapy includes intervention focused on symptom reduction, assumes that any disorder is result of biomedical disturbance and so should be treated with biomedical means; fails to account for other sources of disorder such as lifestyle and socioeconomic status; ex. wouldnt account for diet as factor leading to heart disease
biopsychosocial approach
broader classification system; biological, psychological, and social components to disorder; ex. genetics can predisposition someone to depression but stress can contribute to severity of depression and social environment (career, family, friends) might also be stressors
Treatment from biopsychosocial approach
provides direct therapy (medication or meetings with psychologist) and indirect therapy (increase social support of family and friends)
Schizophrenia
psychotic disorder; positive symptoms:behaviors that are addition to normal behavior-hallucinations, delusions, disorganized thought; negative symptoms: absence of desired behavior-disturbance of affect and avolition
Delusions of reference
belief that common elements in environment are directed towards them; ex. belief that TV characters are talking to them
Delusions of persecution
belief that the person is being deliberately interfered with/discriminated against/threatened
Delusions of grandeur
belief that they are remarkable in some significant way
Hallucinations
perceptions that are not due to external stimuli but are in one’s head and have sense of reality; ex. hearing voices in your head
Disturbance of affect
blunting: severe reduction in emotion expression, flat affect: no signs of emotional experience; inappropriate affect: emotion doesnt match context (laughing at a funeral)
Avolition
decreased engagement in purposeful, goal-directed actions
Major Depressive Disorder
requires at least one major depressive episode (period of at least 2 weeks with at least 5 depressive symptoms); symptoms must cause significant distress or impairment in functioning
Persistent depressive disorder
individuals who suffer from dysthymia; not severe enough to meet criteria of major depressive episode, but lasting for at least two years; also can diagnose people with MDD who have had it at least 2 years
Seasonal affective disorder (SAD)
major depressive disorder with seasonal onset, in winter months, related to abnormal melatonin metabolism, treated with bright light therapy
bipolar disorders
characterized by depression and mania; manic episodes: abnormal and persistently elevated mood lasting at least a week with increased distractibility, decreased need for sleep, inflated self-esteem
Bipolar I disorder
manic episodes with or without major depressive episodes
Bipolar II
hypomania (does not significantly impair functioning, just more energetic and optimistic) with at least one major depressive episode
Cyclothymic disorder
combination of hypomanic episodes and periods of dysthemia (not severe enough for MDD)
Monoamine/catecholamine theory of depression
too much norepinephrine and serotonin in synapse leads to mania, too little leads to depression
Generalized anxiety disorder
persistent worry about many different things; symptoms such as fatigue, muscle tension, sleep difficulties
Specific phobia
irrational fear that results in compelling desire to avoid it; anxiety produced by specific object or situation
Social anxiety disorder
anxiety in social situations
agoraphobia
fear of being in places/situations where it might be difficult to escape; ex. fear of leaving home for fear of panic attack
Panic disorder
repeated panic attacks-symptoms: fear and apprehension, trembling, sweating, hyperventilation
Obsessive-Compulsive disorder
includes obsessions (persistent, intrusive thoughts and impulses; produces tension) and compulsions (repetitive tasks) which relieve the tension; obsessions raise stress level and compulsions relieve the stress
