Disorders Flashcards
What constitutes a psychological disorder?
-A psychological problem(cognition, emotions, behavior)
-Distress OR impairment
-Not culturally consistent
-Occurs often/lasts long enough to be problematic
Mental Illness Facts
-Prevalent: 1 in 5 will develop a MI at some point in their lives
-Disabling: 4 of the top 10 causes for long term disability in the US are severe mental illness(depression #1)
-No one is immune: 1/10 kids suffer from MI and require treatment, prevalence and severity figures are universal
Who defines abnormality? 7 professionals:
Psychiatrist
Clinical psychologist
Counseling psychologist
Pastoral counselor
Psychiatric social worker
Psychiatric nurse
General practitioner
What is the DSM-5?
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
Standard classification of mental disorders by US mental health professionals- provides standard language and criteria
It is not perfect, yet a valuable tool
What are the hallmark symptoms of Schizophrenia?
Delusions
-false beliefs
Hallucinations
-sensory experiences that occur in the absence of actual stimulation
What are Positive Symptoms?
Cognitive, emotional, and behavioral excesses
-hallucinations
-bizarre delusions
-incoherent speech
-inappropriate/disorganized behaviors
What are Negative Symptoms?
Cognitive, emotional, and behavioral deficits
-loss of motivation
-emotional flatness
-social withdraw
-slowed speech or no speech
Theories of Schizophrenia?
-genetic predispositions
-structural brain abnormalities
-neurotransmitter abnormalities
-prenatal abnormalities
Genetic vulnerability to schizophrenia?
risk of developing schizophrenia increased as the genetic relatedness with a diagnosed schizophrenic increases
What are the structural brain abnormalities with schizophrenia?
-decreased brain weight
-decreased volume in temporal love or hippocampus
-enlargement of ventricles
About 25% do not have observable brain deficiencies
What are the neurotransmitter abnormalities associated with schizophrenia?
High levels of brain activity in areas served by dopamine as well as greater numbers of particular dopamine receptors
dopamine hypothesis: too much dopamine in limbic system (causing positive symptoms) and too little in the frontal lobes (causing negative symptoms)
What are the prenatal problems or birth complications associated with schizophrenia?
Damage to fetal brain causes increased chances of schizophrenia and other mental disorders
-Maternal malnutrition
-Maternal illness
-Brain injury or oxygen deprivation occurs at birth
-Viral exposure: cat litter box data
Which parts of the brain show abnormal activity in schizophrenic patients?
frontal cortex, thalamus, amygdala
What is major depression
A mood disorder involving disturbances in emotion (excessive sadness), behavior (loss of interest in one’s usual activities), cognition (thoughts of hopelessness, concentration) and body function (fatigue and loss of appetite)
What are some theories of depression?
-Biological: brain chem and structure- serotonin and catecholamine (dopamine, norepinephrine). Left prefrontal cortex
-Social explanations emphasize problems with close relationships
-Cognitive explanations emphasize particular habits of thinking and ways of interpreting events: automatic thoughts, cognitive distortions, internal, stable, global attributions, cognitive triad: negative about self, world, and future
What is bipolar disorder?
A mood disorder in which episodes of depression and mania (excessive euphoria) occur
(formerly known as manic depressive disorder)
What are the characteristics of the bipolar brain?
-rapid mood swings, shown in brain activity
-manifested in delusional thoughts, excessive and risky activity, pressured speech
4 common anxiety disorders?
Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Panic Disorder
Phobia
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
What is the nature of anxiety disorders?
People with these disorders can be incapacitated with chronic and intense feelings of anxiety
What is Fear?
An innate alarm response to a dangerous or life-threatening situation
What is Anxiety?
state in which an individual is inordinately apprehensive, tense, and uneasy about the prospect of something terrible happening
What is a Phobia? What are some common ones?
An exaggerated, unrealistic fear of a specific situation, activity, or object
-bridges, heights, animals, claustrophobia, agoraphobia
Define and explain Generalized Anxiety Disorder
A continuous state of anxiety marked by feelings of worry and dread, apprehension, difficulties in concentration, and signs of motor tension
-often worried about future
-worry about EVERYTHING, is debilitating, even worry about worrying (meta worry)
Define and explain a Panic Disorder
An anxiety disorder in which a person experiences:
-recurring panic attacks
-periods of intense fear, feelings of impending doom or death
-physiological symptoms such as rapid heart rate and dizziness
-fear of future attack
