Clinical Psych Vocab Flashcards
psychological disorder
a syndrome marked by a clinically significant disturbance in an individual’s cognition, emotion regulation or behavior
medical model
the concept that diseases have physical causes that can be diagnosed, treated and in most cases, cured
epigenetics
the study of changes in organisms caused by modification of gene expression rather than alteration of the genetic code itself.
DSM-5
manual that psychologists used to describe psychological disorders
attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
symptoms include inattention, distractibility, hyperactivity and impulsivity
anxiety disorders
psychological disorders characterized by distressing, persistent anxiety or maladaptive behaviors that reduce anxiety
social anxiety disorder
intense fear and avoidance of social situations
generalized anxiety disorder
an anxiety disorders in which a person is continually tense, apprehensive and in a state of autonomic nervous system arousal
panic disorder
an anxiety disorders marked by unpredictable, minutes-long episodes of intense dread-panic attacks in which a person may experience terror and accompanying chest pain, choking or other frightening sensations
phobia
an anxiety disorders marked by a persistent, irrational fear and avoidance of a specific object, activity or situation
OCD
a disorder characterized by unwanted repetitive thoughts (obsessions) actions or both
PTSD
a disorder characterized by haunting memories, nightmares, hypervigilance, social withdrawal, jumpy anxiety, numbness of feeling, and insomnia that lingers for four weeks or more following a traumatic experience
major depressive disorder
a state of hopelessness and lethargy lasting several weeks or months
bipolar disorder
a disorder in which a person alternates between the hopelessness and lethargy of depression and the overexcited state of mania
mania
an euphoric, overly talkative, wildly energetic and extremely optimistic state
rumination
constantly overthinking things
schizophrenia
a disorder characterized by delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech and diminished, inappropriate emotional expression
psychotic disorders
hallucination
false sensory experiences, or perceptions, such as seeing something in the absence of an external visual stimulus
delusion
a false belief, often of persecution of grandeur, that may accompany psychotic disorders
chronic schizophrenia
form of schizophrenia in which symptoms usually appear by late adolescence or early adulthood
acute schizophrenia
form of schizophrenia that can begin at any age; frequently occurs in response to a traumatic event
somatic symptom disorder
a group of psychological disorders in which a patient experiences physical symptoms that are inconsistent with or can’t be explained by any underlying general medical or neurological condition
conversion disorder
a disorder in which a person experiences a very specific physical symptom that isn’t compatible with recognized medical or neurological conditions
illness anxiety disorder
a disorder in which a person interprets normal physical sensations as symptoms of a disease
dissociative disorders
rare disorders in which conscious awareness becomes separated(disassociation) from previous memories, thoughts and feelings
dissociative identity disorder (DID)
a rare dissociative disorders in which a person exhibits two or more distinct and alternating personalities
personality disorders
inflexible and enduring behavior patterns that impair social functioning
antisocial personality disorder
a personality disorder in which a person (usually a man) exhibits a lack of conscience for wrongdoing
anorexia nervosa
when you don’t eat at all
bulimia nervosa
eat too much and purge
binge-eating disorder
a feeding and eating disorder characterized by significant binge-eating episodes, followed by distress, disgust or guilt, but without the compensatory behavior that marks bulimia nervosa
psychotherapy
treatment involving psychological techniques. consists of interactions between a trained therapist and someone seeking to overcome psychological difficulties or achieve personal growth
biomedical therapy
prescribed medications or procedures that act directly on the person’s physiology
eclectic approach
an approach to psychotherapy that uses techniques from various forms of therapy
psychoanalysis
Freud believed the patient’s free associations, resistances, dreams and transference - and the therapist’s interpretations of them - released previously repressed feelings, allowing thee patient to gain self-insight
resistance
the blocking from consciousness of anxiety-laden material
interpretation
the analyst’s nothing supposed dream meanings, resistances, and other significant behaviors and events in order to promote insight
transference
the patient’s transfer to the analyst of emotions linked with other relationships
psychodynamic therapy
therapy deriving from the psychoanalytic tradition. views individuals as responding to unconscious forces and childhood experiences, and seeks to enhance self-insight
insight therapies
therapies that aim to improve psychological functioning by increasing a person’s awareness of underlying motives and defenses
client-centered therapy
a humanistic therapy, developed by Carl Rogers, in which the therapist uses techniques such as active listening within an accepting, genuine, empathetic environment to facilitate client’s growth
active listening
empathetic listening in which the listener echoes, restates and clarifies
unconditional positive regard
a caring, accepting nonjudgmental attitude, which Carl Rogers believed would help clients develop self-awareness and self-acceptance
behavior therapy
rather than delving deeply below the surface looking for inner causes like psychodynamic and humanistic therapists, behavior therapists assume that problem behaviors are the problem
counterconditioning
behavior therapy procedures that use classical conditioning to evoke new responses to stimuli that are triggering unwanted behaviors
exposure therapies
behavioral techniques, such as systematic desensitization and virtual reality exposure therapy, that treat anxieties by exposing people to the things they fear and avoid
systematic desensitization
a type of exposure therapy that associates a pleasant relaxed state with gradually increasing anxiety-triggering stimuli
virtual reality exposure therapy
a counterconditioning technique that treats anxiety through creative electronic simulations
aversion conditioning
a type of counterconditioning that associates an unpleasant state (such as nausea) with an unwanted behavior (such as drinking alcohol)
token economy
an operant conditioning procedure in which people earn a token (a chip, stamp) for exhibiting a desirable behavior and can later exchange tokens for privileges or treats
cognitive therapy
therapy that teachers people new, more adaptive ways of thinking
rational-emotive behavior therapy (REBT)
s confrontational cognitive therapy, developed by Albert Ellis, that vigorously challenges people’s illogical, self-defeating attitudes and assumptions
cognitive-behavioral therapy
a popular integrative therapy that combines cognitive therapy (changing self-defeating thinking) with behavior therapy (changing behavior)
group and family therapy
therapy conducted with groups, rather than individuals, providing benefits from group interaction
meta-analysis
a procedure for statistically combining the results of many different research studies
evidence-based practice
clinical decision making that integrates the best available research with clinical expertise and patient characteristics and preferences
therapeutic alliance
the relationship between a healthcare professional and their client
psychopharmacology
the study of the effects of drugs on the mind and behavior
antipsychotic drugs
drugs used to threat schizophrenia and other forms of severe thought disorders. act as an antagonist for dopamine
antianxiety drugs
drugs used to control anxiety and agitation
antidepressant drugs
drugs used to treat depression, anxiety disorders, OCD, and PTSD
electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)
a biomedical therapy for severely depressed patients in which a brief electric current is sent through the brain of an anesthetized patient
repetitive transcranial magnetic stimulation (rTMS)
the application of repeated pulses of magnetic energy to the brain
psychosurgery
surgery that removes or destroys brain tissue in an effort to change behavior
resilience
the personal strength that helps most people cope with stress and recover from adversity and even trauma
lobotomy
a psychological procedure once used to calm uncontrollably emotion or violent patients. cut the nerves connecting the frontal lobes with the emotion-controlling centers of the inner brain
posttraumatic growth
positive psychological changes as a result of struggling with extremely challenging circumstances and life crises
