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disorders Flashcards

1
Q

Historical explanations for abnormal behaviour:

A

Supernatural forces/demonic possession
Somatogenic hypothesis- general paresis
Freudian psychoanalysis (early 1900s) marked the beginning of psychological interpretations of disordered behaviour

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2
Q

Trephination

A

ancient treatment that involved chiseling a hole in the skull to allow evil spirits to escape

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3
Q

Medical perspective

A

General paresis (Somatogenic perspective)
Suggests that when an individual displays symptoms of abnormal behavior, the root cause will be found in a physical examination of the individual
Hormonal imbalance
Chemical deficiency
Brain injury
The neurological bases of abnormal behavior. (MD, Schiz.)

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4
Q

Psychoanalytic perspective

A

Abnormal behavior stems from childhood conflicts over opposing wishes regarding sex and aggression

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5
Q

Behavioral perspective

A

Looks at the rewards and punishments in the environment that determine abnormal behavior

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6
Q

Cognitive perspective

A

People’s thoughts and beliefs are a central component of abnormal behavior
The individual’s perception of reality is not what matters most. Instead, realist model of reality states that accuracy and usefulness of these appraisals should be pursued.

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7
Q

Humanistic perspective

A

Emphasizes the responsibility people have for their own behavior, even when such behavior is abnormal
Work of Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow

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8
Q

Sociocultural perspective

A

People’s behavior, both normal and abnormal, is shaped by the society and culture in which they live

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9
Q

Vulnerability-Stress Mode

A

modern theory stating that each of us has some degree of vulnerability for developing a psychological disorder, given sufficient stress
Vulnerability (predisposition) can be biological, environmental, or cultural
Disorder is created when a stressor is combined with a vulnerability

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10
Q

Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder

A

Characterized by temperamental outbursts grossly out of proportion to the situation - Both verbally and physically
Occurs in children between the ages of 6 and 18
Criticism: this defines a child having a temper tantrum, not adisorder

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11
Q

Binge eating disorder

A

Someone overeating 3 times in three months can be diagnosed with this disorder
Critics find new classification to be overly inclusive

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12
Q

Classifying Abnormal Behavior benefits

A

Provides a descriptive system.
Allows communication between mental health professionals of diverse backgrounds and theoretical approaches.
Enables researchers to explore the causes of a problem.
Provides a shorthand through which professionals can describe the behaviors that tend to occur together in an individual.

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13
Q

Classifying Abnormal Behavior -

A

After an initial diagnosis, mental health professionals may overlook other diagnostic possibilities.

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14
Q

Classifying Abnormal Behavior -

A

After an initial diagnosis, mental health professionals may overlook other diagnostic possibilities.

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15
Q

David Rosenhan (1970s

A

based on statement that he or she was hearing voices
Pseudo-patients acted in a normal way after that and the hospitals still diagnosed them as severely abnormal
After an initial diagnosis, mental health professionals overlook other diagnostic possibilities

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16
Q

The Stigma of Labeling

A

Placing labels on individuals powerfully influences the way mental health workers perceive and interpret their actions.

Critics of the D S M argue that labeling an individual as abnormal provides a dehumanizing, lifelong stigma.

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17
Q

Anxiety Disorders (1

A

Occurrence of anxiety without an obvious external cause that affects daily functioning
The individual may or may not be aware of the irrationality of the fear and anxiety
Major types
Phobic disorder
Panic disorder
Generalized anxiety disorder
Post-traumatic stress Disorder

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18
Q

Anxiety Disorders phobias

A

Phobias: strong and irrational fears of certain objects or situations
Agoraphobia: fear of open or public places from which escape would be difficult
Social Phobias: excessive fear of situations in which the person might be evaluated and possibly embarrassed
Specific Phobias: such as a fear of dogs, snakes, spiders, heights, etc

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19
Q

Social Phobia

A

Feeling intense anxiety about being watched and evaluated. Negatively influenced by positive and negative evaluations
High comorbidity with depression and other anxiety disorders
May be specific or generalized
Avoidance and safety behaviour- problem of substance abuse

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20
Q

Panic disorder

A

Takes the form of panic attacks lasting from a few seconds to several hours
Panic attacks
Anxiety suddenly rises to a peak
One feels a sense of impending and unavoidable doom
Agoraphobia
Fear of being in a situation in which escape is difficult and help unavailable

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21
Q

Fear of fear

A

a consequence of recurrent attacks

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22
Q

Generalized anxiety disorder:

A

Experience of long-term, persistent anxiety and worry
Free-floating anxiety
Can markedly interfere with daily functioning
Difficult to concentrate, make decisions, and remember commitments
Often accompanied by physiological symptoms such as:
Muscle tension
Headaches
Dizziness
Heart palpitations
Insomnia

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23
Q

Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD

A

): a severe anxiety disorder that can occur in people who have been exposed to traumatic life events
Severe symptoms of anxiety and distress that were not present before the trauma
Reliving the trauma recurrently in flashbacks, dreams, and fantasies
Becoming numb to the world; avoiding all reminders
Experiences intense survivor guilt in instances where others were killed and the individual was somehow spared

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24
Q

The traumatic event:

A

Traumas caused by human actions (war, rape, and torture) are five times more likely than natural disasters to cause PTSD

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25
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
Obsessions: repetitive and unwelcome thoughts, images, or impulses that invade consciousness, are often abhorrent to the person, and are very difficult to dismiss or control Compulsions: repetitive behavioural responses that can be resisted only with great difficulty Compulsions reduce the anxiety associated with the intrusive thoughts
26
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder causes
Genetic factors Overactive autonomic nervous system Locus coruleus orverstimulated limbic system PD Biological causes Differences in specific brain regions Cortical thickness-OCD
27
Psychological factors:
Freudian perspective-Little Hans displacement Obsessional neurosis Compulsions as “undoing” Weak defenses are the causes of anxiety and phobias
28
Neurotic Anxiety
occurs when unacceptable impulses threaten to overwhelm the ego’s defenses and explode into consciousness
29
The Role of Learning
Classically conditioned fear responses after a traumatic experience Most phobic individuals do not report traumatic experiences Observational learning Operant conditioning Motivation to reduce or escape anxiety Negative reinforcement Phobic avoidance.. (extinction becomes impossible)
30
Anxiety Disorders cognitive disorders
Maladaptive thought patterns and beliefs (the way we deal with threat) Intrusive thoughts Catastrophizing and looming cognitive style (Riskind et al., 2000)**. Exaggerated misinterpretations of stimuli The way outside world is perceived Avoidance and safety behaviors
31
Sociocultural factors:
Culture-Bound Disorders: disorders that occur only in certain locales Ataque de nervois, hikiko mori, koro, Example: anorexia nervosa is found almost exclusively in developed countries, where being thin is a cultural obsession
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Dissociative Disorders:
psychological dysfunctions characterized by the separation of different facets of a person’s personality that are normally integrated. involve a breakdown of normal personality integration, resulting in significant alterations in memory or identity Three forms: Psychogenic amnesia Psychogenic fugue Dissociative identity disorder
33
Dissociative amnesia
a disorder in which significant, selective memory loss occurs. Forgotten material is still present in memory but is repressed. The term repressed memories is sometimes used.
34
Dissociative fugue:
a form of amnesia in which the individual leaves home suddenly and assumes a new identity. After a period of time, they suddenly realize that they are in a strange place and forget the time spent wandering.
35
Dissociative Identity (Multiple Personality) Disorder
two or more separate personalities coexist in the same person A primary (host) personality appears more often than the other (alter) personalities May or may not know about the existence of the others Can differ in age, gender, behaviours, etc. Can also differ physiologically
36
Assessing Sanity
Assessing sanity: mental and criminal hx; structured interview and testing. Beware of malingering Kenneth Bianchi “Hillside Strangler” Four experts diagnosed him with DID
37
Depression:
Most feel temporary depression at some point Typically due to a traumatic or sad event Typically fade after the event has passed
38
Major depressive disorder
Severe form of depression that interferes with concentration, decision making, and sociabil
39
Dysthymia
a less intense form of depression that has less dramatic effects on personal and occupational functioning More chronic and longer-lasting
40
Symptoms of Mania:
Person is often euphoric Sees no limits to what he or she can accomplish (grandiosity) Failure to consider negative consequences Hyperactive, frantic behaviour, spending too much, mind highly active High energy/ libido Irritable and aggressive when questioned Rapid speech; lessened need for sleep
41
Bipolar disorder
a disorder in which a person alternates between periods of euphoric feelings of mania and periods of depression. Formerly known as manic-depressive disorder. May occur over a few days or over a period of years. Periods of depression are usually longer than manic periods.
42
Mood Disorders
Initial episode typically lasts 5-10 months without treatment 40% will not experience another episode 50% will experience a recurrence about 3 years after the initial episode Interval between episodes tends to become shorter over the years 10% will remain chronically depressed Manic episodes are less common but far more likely to recur
43
Causes of Mood Disorders
Genetic and biological factors Psychological causes Psychodynamic approach-Result of feelings of loss or of anger directed at oneself- depressed women study Environmental factors Stresses of life produce a reduction in positive reinforcers Cognitive and emotional factors Response to learned helplessness (Seligman) Faulty cognitions (Aaron Beck)
44
Cognitive processes: Depressive Cognitive Triad:
Negative thoughts concerning: The world Oneself The future Information processing biases (memory, attention, interpretation) Rumination
45
Depression in Women
Reasons Greater stress for women than men at certain times in life Such as simultaneously earning a living and being the primary caregiver for her children They are at higher risk for physical and sexual abuse Typically earn lower wages than men Biological factors
46
Neurotic disorders
Neurosis refers to a class of functional mental disorder involving distress but not delusions or hallucinations, where behavior is not outside socially acceptable norms. It is also known as psychoneurosis or neurotic disorder
47
Psychotic Disorders
Psychotic disorders are severe mental disorders that cause abnormal thinking and perceptions. People with psychoses lose touch with reality. Two of the main symptoms are delusions and hallucinations.
48
Schizophrenia
Schizophrenia: includes severe disturbances in thinking, speech, perception, emotion, and behaviour Greek word for “split mind”. A group of severe mental disorders characterized by marked disturbance of thought, withdrawal, inappropriate or flat emotions, delusions and hallucinations Psychotic disorder - involves a loss of contact with reality, as well as bizarre behaviours and experiences
49
Schizophrenia (1) Characteristics
Decline from previous level of functioning Disturbances of thought and speech Loose associations, derailment Echolaila, echopraxia Formal thought disorder Delusions (False beliefs) Hallucinations and perceptual disorders (false sensory perceptions) Inappropriate emotional displays (flat or inappropriate affect) Withdrawal
50
Delusions
false beliefs that are sustained in the face of evidence that normally would be sufficient to destroy them Persecution or grandeur Erotomanic style somatic
51
Schizophrenia 2 types
Positive: bizarre behaviours such as delusions, hallucinations, and disordered speech and thinking Represent pathological extremes of normal processes Negative: absence of normal reactions, such as a lack of emotional expression, loss of motivation, and an absence of speech The distinction suggests two different kinds of triggers and has implications for predicting treatment outcomes.
52
schizophrenia time
Onset: early adulthood Process schizophrenia: symptoms develop slowly and subtly. Reactive schizophrenia: symptoms are sudden and conspicuous.
53
Schizophrenia
Negative symptoms are associated with a poorer prognosis than positive symptoms Schizophrenia affects 1-2% of the population, but many need hospitalization About 10% remain permanently impaired About 65% show intermittent periods of normal functioning About 25% recover from the disorder
54
schizop biologixal causes
More common in some families, suggesting genetic factors. Some researchers suggest epigenetic factors are involved. Epigenetics looks at the way in which genes are expressed and influenced by the environment. Biochemical imbalances may be involved. The dopamine hypothesis suggests it results form excess activity in areas of the brain that use dopamine. Medication: EPSE
55
schizop brain
Structural abnormalities have been found in the brains of people with schizophrenia. Reduced amounts of grey matter: Abnormal pruning process Abnormal brain function in certain brain regions during hallucinations.
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Is schizophrenia a neurodevelopmental disorder?
Mother’s exposure to an infectious disease during pregnancy (Flu epidemic). Season of birth (more chance if you are born in winter). Maternal malnutrition during pregnancy (Chinese major crop failure in 1960’s) Birth complications (diminished oxygen supply)
57
schizop Situational causes:
Freudian explanation: Schizophrenia occurs when people regress to earlier stages of life. Weak ego and no resources to deal with the impulses (oral) Emotional and communication patterns of the families of people with schizophrenia.
58
Expressed emotion
: an interaction style characterized by high levels of criticism, hostility, and emotional intrusiveness within a family.
59
Social Causation Hypothesis
attributes higher prevalence to increased levels of stress that low-income people experience
60
Social Drift Hypothesis
as schizophrenia develops, personal and occupational functioning deteriorates, so that people drift down the socioeconomic ladder
61
causes of schizophrenia
Predisposition model of schizophrenia – Individuals inherit a predisposition or an inborn sensitivity to schizophrenia If stressors are strong, and are coupled with a genetic predisposition, they result in the appearance of schizophrenia Diathesis-stress model
62
Antisocial personality disorder
Individuals show no regard for the moral and ethical rules of society or the rights of others Sometimes called a sociopathic personality Lack guilt or anxiety about their wrongdoing Impulsive Lack the ability to withstand frustration Manipulative Deceptive May have excellent social skills
63
Borderline personality disorder
Characterized by problems with Regulating emotions and thoughts Displaying impulsive and reckless behavior Having unstable relationships with others Difficulty developing a secure sense of who they are Tend to rely on relationships with others to define their identity Emotional volatility leads to impulsive and self-destructive behavior
64
Narcissistic personality disorder
Characterized by an exaggerated sense of self-importance Expect special treatment from others Inability to experience empathy for others

psyc100 (8 decks)

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