Clinical Psychology Flashcards
What manual provides criteria for diagnosing various mental disorders?
DSM
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
What are the two criteria for diagnosing clinical depression?
- persistent disturbance or dysfunction that causes significant distress and interrupts daily life
- number of symptoms and length of time
labeling
using a person-centered approach when using diagnostic labels
person with depression vs. depressed people
What are benefits of labeling?
- helps to communicate between practitioners
- allows for greater standardization of diagnoses
- can guide practitioners in selecting the “most effective” treatment option
What are drawbacks for labeling?
- can lead to stigma, lower self-esteem, feelings of helplessness
- can be problematic if just “below” cut-off for symptoms
- systematic diagnosis of mental illnesses can be difficult
What kind of approach does the DSM take?
medical approach
True or False:
The DSM changes its criteria based on advances in research and response to society.
True
ex: homosexuality and criteria for autism spectrum disorder
True or False:
The DSM changes its criteria based on advances in research and response to society.
True
ex: homosexuality and criteria for autism spectrum disorder
True or False:
Impulse-control and substance disorders are the most prevalent mental disorders.
False
Anxiety and mood disorders are the most prevalent.
What is a different approach to classifying mental disorders?
Research Domain Criteria Project
What does the Research Domain Criteria Project view psyhological disorders as?
the result of differences/dysfunction in normal psychological processes and the underlying causes of disorders
What does the Research Domain Criteria Project help explain?
comorbidity: the overlapping of symptoms and disorders
What are the three factors that overlap in mental health issues?
- biological
- psychological
- social
What does the Diathesis-Stress model show?
biology x stress = psychological disorder
anxiety
negative mood state accompanied by bodily symptoms such as:
* increased heart rate
* muscle tension
* a sense of unease
* worry about the future
True or False:
Everyone experiences anxiety, but not everyone has anxiety disorder.
True
What is the difference between anxiety and having an anxiety disorder?
when the anxiety interferes with everyday life
True or False:
Women are more likely to have anxiety than men.
True
Generalized Anxiety Disorder
excessive worry about everyday things that is out of proportion to the specific cause of wory
How long does the excessive worry have to last?
at least 6 months
True or False:
In generalized anxiety disorder, the source of the worry is always the same.
False
The source of the worry is constantly changing.
What are the four symptoms of Generalized Anxiety Disorder?
- difficulty concentrating
- muscle tension
- fatigue
- sleep problems
Panic Disorder
a disorder characterized by recurrent unexpected panic attacks
Generalized anxiety disorder occurs in a ____ period of time and is ____, while panic disorder occurs in ____ and is a very ____ and ____ fear.
long; constant
short bursts; sudden; intense
True or False:
People with panic disorder will have intense anxiety and avoidance related to the attack for at least 1 week.
False
They will experience intense anxiety related to the attack for at least 1 month.
agoraphobia
(in conjunction with panic disorder)
fear of having a panic attack in public places
What are some symptoms of a panic attack?
- sweating
- dizziness
- chest pain or discomfort
- rapid pulse or heart palpitations
- hot and cold
- fear of death
- shallow breathing
- shaking
- upset stomach and nausea
specific phobias
irrational fear of a specific object or situation that substantially interferes with the person’s ability to function in everyday life
True or False:
In order to be diagnosed with specific phobia, it MUST interfere with your daily life.
True
True or False:
Specific phobias are the most common anxiety disorder.
True
What are the 5 major subtypes of specific phobia?
- blood-injury-injection
- situational types (planes, elevators)
- natural environment (height, water, storms)
- animal type (spiders, snakes)
- other (choking, vomiting)
True or False:
The symptoms of specific phobias can vary.
True
True or False:
Phobias are so common because the targets of phobias can pose real threats.
True
preparedness theory
people are predisposed toward certain fears
i.e. easier to condition fear in humans for snakes and spiders
preparedness theory
people are predisposed toward certain fears
i.e. easier to condition fear in humans for snakes and spiders
True or False:
The Little Albert experiment is a good indicator of how fears are learned.
False
People with phobias aren’t necessarily more likely to recall negative experiences with the fear.
social anxiety disorder
fear of social situations which leads to worry and diminished day-to-day functioning
True or False:
To be diagnosed with social anxiety disorder, the fear must be out of proportion to the risk.
True
public speaking
True or False:
To be diagnosed with social anxiety disorder, the fear must be out of proportion to the risk.
True
public speaking
post-traumatic stress disorder
mental disorder that results from exposure to a traumatic event
What are the three criteria of PTSD?
- chronic psychological arousal
- recurrent unwanted thoughts or images of the trauma
- avoidance of things that call the traumatic event to mind
True or False:
The criteria of PTSD must be experienced for more than 1 month.
True
obsessive compulsive disorder
characterized by obsessive thoughts and/or compulsions that seem irrational or nonsensical
What are the two criteria of obsessions/compulsions that warrant a diagnosis of OCD?
- takes up significant amount of time (at least 1 hour per day)
- causes significant distress or impairment in function
What is an example of OCD?
repeatedly checking if the door is locked or stove is on
obsessions
unwanted, inappropriate and persistent thoughts
worried about germs and hygiene
obsessions
unwanted, inappropriate and persistent thoughts
worried about germs and hygiene
compulsions
repetitive, often ritualistic behaviors
avoiding contact with others and objects touched by others
What is the cycle of OCD?
obsessions –> anxiety –> compulsions –> relief
unipolar mood disorders
a cluster of disorders related to depression
major depressive disorder
at least one or more major depressive episodes but no history of manic or hypomanic episodes
What are the 9 symptoms of major depressive disorder?
- depressed mood
- anhedonia: loss of pleasure in things one used to enjoy
- weight loss or increase in appetite
- insomnia/hypersomnia
- agitation/psychomotor retardation
- fatigue/loss of energy
- worthlessness, excessive or inappropriate guilt
- diminished ability to concentrate or indecisiveness
- recurrent thoughts of death, suicidal ideation, or attempt
How long do symptoms of Major Depressive Disorder have to occur to warrant a diagnosis?
at least 2 weeks
True or False:
When one identical twin has depression, it is unlikely the other has depression.
False
Because of biological factors, it is likely that both of them have depression.
True or False:
The type of serotonin transporter gene (5HTT) that one has (long or short) can affect the probability of depression by itself.
False
It only has an effect when interacting with environmental stressors.
True or False:
A person with the short verison of the gene is more likely to have depression than a person with the long version.
True
bipolar disorder
characterized by cycles of abnormal, persistent high mood (mania) and low mood (depression)
What are the symptoms of mania?
- decreased need for sleep
- talkativeness
- racing thoughts
- reckless behavior
True or False:
The cycles of bipolar disorder are instantaneous.
False
These cycles last for a very long time (at least 1 week)
True or False:
Mania feels good and depression feels sad.
False
Mania feels beyond reason and is distressing.
schizophrenia
characterized by delusions, hallucinations, and disorganized speech
Which two symptoms must a person have to be diagnosed with major depressive disorder?
- depressed mood
- anhedonia
delusions
false beliefs
What are the three types of delusions?
- persecutory (someone is harming you)
- grandiose (unrealistic)
- referential (everyone is talking about you)
hallucinations
perceptual experiences that occur when there is no stimulus in outside world generating those experiences
What is the main type of hallucination experienced by people with schizophrenia?
auditory
disorganized speech
speech that is difficult to follow because answers do not clearly follow questions or one sentence does not logically flow from another
How many symptoms have to be experienced to be diagnosed with Major Depressive Disorder?
5 or more of 9 symptoms
What are the symptoms of schizophrenia?
- delusions
- hallucinations
- disorganized speech
- disorganized or catatonic behavior
- negative symptoms
At least ____ schizophrenia symptoms have to present for at least ____ month(s).
2; 1
What are the positive symptoms (excess) of schizophrenia?
- hallucinations
- delusions
- disorganized speech
- disorganized behavior
What are the negative symptoms (reduction) of schizophrenia?
- flat affect (monotone)
- alogia: poverty of speech
- anhedonia
- social withdrawal
True or False:
The negative symptoms of schizophrenia are very similar to depression. If paired with one of the positive symptoms, it leads to a diagnosis of schizophrenia.
True
What are the cognitive symptoms of schizophrenia?
- difficulty in sustaining attention
- poor problem solving
- deficits in learning and memory
- poor abstract thinking
What are the biological symptoms of schizophrenia?
- larger ventricles
- reduced overall brain volume
What are the risk factors of developing schizophrenia?
- biology
- issues during pregnancy
What are the two kinds of psychotherapy?
- psychoanalytic/psychodynamic therapy
- cognitive behavioral therapy
psychoanalytic/psychodynamic therapy
reflection-based therapy that gives patients insight into their unconscious thoughts and feelings and reveals how childhood experiences shaped them
cognitive behavioral therapy
teaches people future-oriented, more constructive ways of thinking and acting
What is the cycle used in cognitive behavioral therapy?
thoughts/cognitive processes –> behaviors –> feelings/emotions
psychopharmacology
the study of the effect of drugs on the mind and behavior
antipsychotic medication
blocks dopamine receptor sites (antagonist)
What symptoms do antipsychotic medication treat?
postive symptoms
antidepressant medication
agonists for serotonin
What is the most effective combination of treatment for panic disorder?
CBT + medication
