Disorders Flashcards
What does the medical model propose about abnormal behavior?
It is useful to think of abnormal behavior as a disease.
What historical belief influenced the understanding of abnormal behavior in the 18th century?
Abnormal behavior was based on superstition, including beliefs in demons and witches.
What is the definition of ‘diagnosis’ in the context of mental illness?
Involves distinguishing one illness from another.
Define ‘etiology’ in the context of psychological disorders.
Apparent causation and developmental history of an illness.
What does ‘prognosis’ refer to?
A forecast about the probable course of an illness.
List the criteria clinicians rely on to diagnose psychological disorders.
- Deviance
- Maladaptive Behavior
- Personal Distress
What is DSM-5?
The official classification system for psychological disorders published by the APA.
What is a critique of the DSM-5 regarding the categorization of disorders?
It reduces a categorical approach and shows enormous overlap among various disorders’ symptoms.
What is Generalized Anxiety Disorder?
Marked by chronic, high-level anxiety that is not tied to any threat.
What are common physical symptoms of Generalized Anxiety Disorder?
- Trembling
- Muscle tension
- Diarrhea
- Dizziness
- Sweating
- Heart palpitations
How common is Generalized Anxiety Disorder among genders?
Seen twice as much in females as males.
Define ‘specific phobia’.
A persistent and irrational fear of an object or situation that presents no realistic danger.
What proportion of victims of specific phobias are females?
2/3 of victims are females.
What characterizes Panic Disorder?
Recurrent attacks of overwhelming anxiety that usually occur suddenly and unexpectedly.
What is agoraphobia?
Fear of going out to public places.
What is Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)?
Persistent, uncontrollable intrusions of unwanted thoughts (obsessions) and urges to engage in senseless rituals (compulsions).
What is the most common compulsion in OCD?
Handwashing.
What does PTSD stand for?
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder.
What are common symptoms of PTSD?
- Reexperiencing the event
- Emotional numbing
- Alienation
- Problems in social relations
- Increased vulnerability
- Elevated arousal
- Anxiety
- Anger
- Guilt
What is a concordance rate?
Indicates the percentage of twin pairs or other relatives who exhibit the same disorder.
What neurotransmitters are involved in anxiety responses?
Chemicals that carry signals from one neuron to another.
What concept did Martin Seligman create related to phobias?
Preparedness.
What are cognitive factors contributing to anxiety disorders?
- Misinterpretations of harmless situations as threatening
- Focus on perceived threats
- Selective memory
- Increase in stress
What are dissociative disorders?
Class of disorders where people lose contact with portions of their consciousness or memory, disrupting their sense of identity.
What is Dissociative Amnesia?
A sudden loss of memory of important personal information that is too extensive to be due to normal forgetting.
What distinguishes Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID)?
Involves a disruption of identity marked by the experience of two or more largely complete, and usually very different, personalities.
What is the average age of onset for Major Depressive Disorder?
30-35 years old.
What is the average length of a depressive episode?
6 months.
What are the symptoms of major depressive disorder?
- Anhedonia
- Lack of energy
- Giving up enjoyable hobbies
- Feelings of hopelessness and guilt
What characterizes bipolar disorder?
Experience of both depressed and manic periods.
What are manic symptoms of Bipolar Disorder?
- Feeling euphoric
- High self-esteem
- Impaired judgment
- Recklessness
What is the difference between Bipolar I and Bipolar II?
- Bipolar I: full manic episodes
- Bipolar II: milder hypomanic episodes
What are common causes of mood disorders?
- Genetic vulnerability
- Neurochemical factors
- Cognitive factors
- Stress
What does schizophrenia mean?
Split mind – fragmentation of thought processes.
What are the four subtypes of schizophrenia?
- Paranoid
- Catatonic
- Disorganized
- Undifferentiated
What are positive symptoms of schizophrenia?
Behavioral additions or peculiarities, such as hallucinations and delusions.
What are negative symptoms of schizophrenia?
Behavioral deficits, such as flattened emotions and social withdrawal.
What is the dopamine hypothesis in schizophrenia?
Excess dopamine activity contributes to positive symptoms.
What is Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)?
A neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by deficits in social interaction and communication.
What are common symptoms of ASD?
- Minimal eye contact
- Declining social interest
- Repetitive body movements
- Impaired verbal communication
What is the etiology of personality disorders?
- Genetic factors
- Environmental factors
What characterizes Antisocial Personality Disorder?
Impulsive, manipulative, aggressive, and irresponsible behavior.
What distinguishes Borderline Personality Disorder?
Instability in social relationships, self-image, and emotional functioning.
What is Anorexia Nervosa?
Involves intense fear of gaining weight, disturbed body image, and refusal to maintain normal weight.
What are the two subtypes of Anorexia Nervosa?
- Restricting type
- Binge-eating/purging type
What characterizes Bulimia Nervosa?
Habitually eating out of control, followed by self-vomiting or fasting.
What is anorexia nervosa?
Attempting to lose weight by vomiting, misusing pills, and excessive exercise
Individuals with anorexia are rarely satisfied with their weight and often do not seek treatment.
What are common consequences of anorexia nervosa?
Amenorrhea, gastrointestinal problems, low blood pressure
Amenorrhea refers to the loss of menstrual periods.
What characterizes bulimia nervosa?
Habitually eating out of control followed by self-vomiting or fasting
Individuals with bulimia often binge and then feel guilt.
How does self-vomiting affect food absorption in bulimia?
Prevents absorption of about half of the food consumed
This allows individuals with bulimia to maintain a normal weight.
What is binge-eating disorder?
Stress eating without fasting or excessive exercise
It is more common than anorexia and bulimia.
What triggers excessive eating in binge-eating disorder?
Stress
Many individuals with this disorder may progress to bulimia or obesity.
What is the gender distribution in eating disorders?
90-95% of individuals with anorexia and bulimia are female; 60% with binge-eating are female
Societal standards contribute to the prevalence of eating disorders in females.
What are some etiological factors for eating disorders?
Genetics, negative personality traits, high levels of perfectionism, cultural values
These factors can interact to increase the risk of developing eating disorders.
What can severe stress in early life lead to?
Psychological disorders
Adversity in childhood can alter brain development.
What does insanity refer to in a legal context?
A legal status indicating a person cannot be held responsible for their actions due to mental illness
Insanity is not a medical diagnosis.
What is Mens Rea?
Latin for ‘Guilty Mind’
It refers to the mental state of a person when committing a crime.
What does the M’Naghten rule state?
If a person cannot recognize a crime as morally or legally wrong due to mental disease, they should be found not guilty by reason of insanity
The court is less likely to excuse personality disorders than psychosis.
What is the difference between insanity and competency?
Insanity refers to mental state at the time of the crime; competency refers to mental state at the time of the trial
This distinction is crucial in legal contexts.
What is involuntary commitment?
Hospitalization in psychiatric facilities against one’s will due to danger to self or others, or inability to care for oneself
This is often used in cases of severe mental illness.
What is medical students’ syndrome?
The belief that one has diseases being learned about in medical school
This phenomenon reflects the psychological impact of studying medical conditions.
What is the likelihood of having at least one DSM disorder in life?
About 44%
This statistic highlights the prevalence of mental disorders.
What is comorbidity?
The co-existence of two or more disorders
This is common in mental health diagnoses.
What is the conjunction fallacy?
When people estimate the odds of two uncertain events happening together are greater than either event happening alone
This illustrates a common cognitive bias.
True or False: Insanity is a medical diagnosis.
False
Insanity is a legal term, not a medical one.
