DISORDERS & TREATMENT Flashcards
What are different ways to define ‘disorder’?
Statistical abnormality
Deviation from ‘ideal’ behavior
Abnormal behavior as distressing & harmful to self & others
What are the two main systems used for diagnosing disorders?
DSM & ICD
Why are personality disorders not diagnosed in children?
Because their personalities are not fully developed until they are adults
What are the symptoms of autism spectrum disorder (ASD)? Why is it considered a ‘wide spectrum’ disorder?
Impairment in: social ability & interpretation of social situations, communication skills & language delays, sometimes cognitive impairments, theory of mind
Repetitive behavior & stimming
Sensitivity to environmental stimuli
Desire for routine
What is savantism?
Remarkable abilities in a narrow area - art, memory, arithmetic, music, spatial skills
What are causal factors for ASD?
Primarily biological, parental age, differences in brain structure
What is Applied Behavior Analysis (ABA), and how is it used in the treatment of autism?
Based on operant conditioning
Behavior continuously & immediately reinforced
Intensive therapy - min of 40 hours per week
What are the symptoms of attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)?
Restless, impulsive, inattentive
Difficulty in following instructions, maintaining attention on tasks, maintaining friendships
What are causal factors for ADHD?
Biological
Impairment in the connection between frontal lobes & the limbic system
Lead contamination, low birth rate, parental exposure to alcohol & tobacco
Why are stimulant medications used to treat ADHD?
Underactivity in frontal lobes controlling impulsivity
What are some behavioral therapies for ADHD?
Treatment using operant conditioning
Parent training
Classroom management
What are the main components of the diathesis-stress model? How can this model help us to understand causal factors for many disorders?
General framework for understanding causes of disorders
Diathesis - predisposing factors (genetics, personality traits, environment, early & prolonged stressors)
Stress - precipitating or triggering factors (stressful major life events associated w/ the onset of psychopathological symptoms in adulthood
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
Excessive anxiety & worry more days than not for 6 months
restlessness/feeling keyed up or on edge, being easily fatigued, difficulty concentrating or mind going blank, irritability, muscle tension, sleep disturbance
Panic Disorder
Sudden occurrence of multiple physiological symptoms that contribute to a feeling of stark terror → panic attacks
Agoraphobia - an extreme fear of venturing into public or open spaces
Phobic Disorders
Excessive fear of an object or situation
Social anxiety - fear of being scrutinized & criticized by others, meeting new people, public speaking
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Obsessions - repetitive, intrusive thoughts
Compulsions - ritualistic behaviors designed to fend off obsessions
Obsessions → anxiety → compulsions → relief → obsessions
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Occurs after traumatic event
Hypervigilance
Avoidance of stimuli associated w/ the trauma
Flashbacks, intrusive thoughts, nightmares
What are causal factors for OCD?
Dysfunctions in caudate nucleus of basal ganglia; involved in impulse suppression
Low serotonin
Strep infection as a young child
What is cognitive therapy? Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)?
Cognitive therapy - helping a client identify & correct distorted thinking about self, others, or the world
Cognitive-behavioral therapy - a blend of cognitive & behavioral; therapeutic strategies
What is systematic desensitization, and how is it used to treat anxiety disorders such as phobias?
Change conditioned response to anxiety-producing stimulus using classical counterconditioning
What are some effective medications for anxiety disorders?
Increase GABA (agonists), SSRIs help w/ social phobia
What is most effective for treatment of anxiety disorders: medication, psychotherapy, or both?
Cognitive & behavioral methods are treatments of choice
What are the symptoms of major depressive disorder (MDD)?
Diminished interest or pleasure
Significant weight gain or loss
Sleeping a lot or not at all
Diminished ability to think & make decisions
What is dysthymia, and how is it different from MDD?
‘Low grade’ depression for 2+ years
Low self esteem
Poor concentration
What are the differences between Bipolar I and Bipolar II disorders?
Bipolar I - history of manic & depressive episodes
Bipolar II - history of hypomanic & major depressive episodes
What occurs during a manic episode? A hypomanic episode?
Manic episode - distinct period of abnormally & persistently elevated, expansive, &/or irritable mood
Hypomanic - restless & energized, not as prone to the gloom following mania
What is cyclothymic disorder?
Chronic symptoms of hypomania & depression that aren’t as severe as the symptoms required for a diagnosis of major depression or bipolar disorder
What is Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)?
Type of depression that is related to changes in seasons and begins and ends at about the same times every year
What are causal factors for mood disorders?
Heritability 33-45%, depression related to diminished activity in left prefrontal cortex & increased activity in right prefrontal cortex
Negative reactions to depressed persons can produce rejection & isolation
Helplessness theory - automatically attribute negative experiences to causes that are
Internal - dispositional
Stable - persistent & consistent problem
Global - applies to all areas of life
What are the differences between the psychoanalytic, humanistic, and behavioral approaches in the treatment of mood disorders?
Psychoanalysis - make unconscious conscious, expand ego’s control, more therapist driven
Humanistic - person centered therapy, reflection (unconditional positive regard)
Behavioral - change depressive thought patterns
Learned optimism
What are the main components of Seligman’s ABCDE treatment model?
Adversity - what was a negative event?
Beliefs - what did you think?
Consequences - what did those beliefs cause?
Dispute distorted beliefs & argue w/ yourself
Evaluate - what happens if you dispute, change your thoughts?
What are the primary medications used to treat mood disorders? How do they affect neurotransmitters?
Antidepressants, SSRIs, MAOIs
How effective is psychotherapy for mood disorder treatment?
CBT shows far greater efficacy in reducing relapse than medications alone
What is electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), and what is it used for?
Used in extreme cases of depression when person not responding to other treatment
Increase in responsiveness to dopamine & norepinephrine
What are the five defining characteristics of personality disorders?
Deviates markedly from the expectations of the individual’s culture
Is pervasive & inflexible
Has an onset in adolescence or early adulthood
Is stable over time
Leads to either significant personal distress or impairment in social-occupational role functioning
What are the primary symptoms of Narcissistic Personality Disorder (NPD)
Pervasive pattern of grandiosity (in fantasy or behavior), need for admiration, & lack of empathy
Antisocial Personality Disorder (ASPD)
Pervasive pattern of disregard for & violation of rights of others
Law violations, deceit, impulsive & aggressive, lack of remorse
Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD)
Unstable moods & anger outbursts, unstable sense of self, suicide threats to get attention & manipulate
What is the difference between ASPD and psychopathy? What are the defining characteristics of psychopathy?
Psychopathy viewed as more severe & violent
Charming & manipulative, narcissistic, pathological liar, no remorse or empathy
How effective is treatment for personality disorders?
Medications do not specifically target personality disorder but can help related symptoms
Difficult to treat because person often thinks there’s nothing wrong
What is psychosis? Why is schizophrenia different from other disorders?
Losing touch w/ reality
Other disorders non-psychotic
What is the difference between a delusion and a hallucination?
Delusion - a patently false belief system, often bizarre & grandiose, that is maintained in spite of its irrationality
Hallucinations - a false perceptual experience that has a compelling sense of being real despite the absence of external stimulation
What are the symptoms of schizophrenia?
Delusions, hallucinations, loose associations, disorganized & inappropriate behavior
Isolation, withdrawal, apathy, blunted emotional expression
What is the difference between positive and negative symptoms?
Positive - excess in functioning
Negative - deficits in functioning
What are some examples of specific types of delusions?
Formal thought disorder - incoherent speech
Disorder of thought content - delusions, may not be incoherent
What are the different subtypes of schizophrenia?
Paranoid - 1 or more delusions or frequent auditory hallucinations
Catatonic - alternating periods of extreme excitement & withdrawal
Disorganized - speech & behavior, inappropriate affect
Undifferentiated - everything else, may be delusional but not paranoid, organized delusion, may hallucinate
Residual - not prominent delusions, hallucinations, formal thought disorder, or catatonic behaviors
What are causal factors for schizophrenia?
Excess dopamine, stress, damage to hippocampus due to childhood viral infection (?)
How do medications for schizophrenia affect neurotransmitters?
Antipsychotics are dopamine antagonists
How effective are medications for treatment of schizophrenia? Psychotherapy?
May manage well but usually does not fully eradicate delusional thinking, psychotherapy improves functioning vs. medication alone
