exam 3 psychopathology Flashcards

1
Q

what are the 3 common definitions of abnormal behavior

A

1) conformity to norms
2) experiencing subjective distress
3) disability/disfunction

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1
Q

how does conformity to norms define abnormal behavior? pros and cons?

A
  • abnormal behavior is anything that doesn’t conform to the norm (any deviant behavior = abnormal)
  • pros: cutoff points; intuitive & makes sense –> definition appeals to people
  • cons: cutoff points are blurry; how many deviations makes a person mentally ill?; doesn’t account for variation in cultures which may make something seem deviant but it’s not deviant in the individual’s culture
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2
Q

how does subjective distress define abnormal behavior? pros and cons?

A
  • does the individual have negative experiences bc of the behavior?
  • pros: people are their own expert and know what’s normal for them; takes diagnostic burden off the therapist
  • cons: doesn’t have objective criteria
  • not all people experience distress
  • how much distress should be considered abnormal?
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3
Q

how does disability/disfunction define abnormal behavior? pros and cons

A
  • the behavior must cause social or occupational problems
  • pros: less inference from the therapist
  • cons: might be hard to determine who should define normality; hard to get to an agreement across many sources
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4
Q

what is used to classify/identify psych disorders?

A

DSM-V (DSM-5): diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders
- doesn’t have explanations or causes; only symptoms

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5
Q

4 types of disorders covered in class in the DSM

A

1) anxiety
- anxiety disorders (GAD, phobia, panic)
- OCD
- PTSD
2) dissociative disorders
3) mood disorders
4) schizophrenia

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6
Q

How are anxiety disorders characterized? what are the types of anxiety disorders discussed in class

A
  • distress; persistent anxiety or maladaptive behaviors to reduce anxiety
  • GAD
  • panic disorder
  • phobia
  • OCD
  • PTSD
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7
Q

how is GAD characterized

A

continuously anxious without any apparent cause

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8
Q

how is panic disorder characterized

A

episodes of intense dread; physical symptoms often mistaken for heart attack

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9
Q

how is phobia characterized

A

persistent irrational fear and avoidance of a specific object/situation
- ex) agoraphobia: fear of situations w/o escape in case of emergency

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10
Q

how is OCD characterized

A
  • repetitive unwanted thoughts (obsessions) and/or actions (compulsions)
  • obsessions: ideas, impulses, or images
  • compulsions: repeated rigid behaviors to reduce anxiety of obsessions
  • has to interfere with normal functioning
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11
Q

how is PTSD characterized

A
  • repeatedly reliving traumatic event through memories, nightmares, social withdrawal, anxiety, insomnia
  • usually for at least 4 weeks after trauma
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12
Q

what are dissociative disorders

A
  • separating an experience from yourself
  • usually have periods of amnesia
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13
Q

what is dissociative identity disorder (DID)/ multiple personality disorder

A
  • person has 2+ distinct alternating personalities
  • each personality / alter has own traits (vitals/phys characteristics and abilities/preferences)
  • primary/host alter is dominant
  • transitioning btwn alters = switching
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14
Q

what is fugue state

A

sudden amnesia in dissociative identity disorder

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15
Q

typical DID alters

A
  • depressed and tired (unsure when you will switch again)
  • strong angry protector (to prevent abuse again)
  • scared hurt child (age of abuse)
  • helper
  • internal persecutor
    *women have ~15 alters; men ~8
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16
Q

when does DID begin? When is it typically diagnosed?

A
  • symptoms start in early childhood after abuse
  • diagnosed usually in adolescence/adulthood
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17
Q

Why are there more cases of DID now?

A
  • drs are more willing to make this diagnosis
  • diagnostic methods have improved
18
Q

what’s the issue with diagnosing DID

A
  • there’s a belief that therapists can cause it by mentioning it
  • others don’t believe it’s real
19
Q

evidence DID is real

A
  • different personalities have access to different memories; have different physical abilities and characteristics; different personality tests
20
Q

evidence DID is not real

A
  • the number of personalities a person with DID can have changed from 3 to 12; wouldn’t expect it to change
  • no genetic link when studies in twins
21
Q

what are the two categories of mood disorders

A

1) depressive
2) bipolar

22
Q

what is major depressive disorder

A
  • 2+ weeks of depressed mood for no reason
  • triggered by something but persists
  • women are twice as likely to have unipolar depression than men, but diagnostic criteria are based on women
23
Q

symptoms of MDD (5 areas)

A

1) emotional: anxiety, anger, agitation, crying spells
2) motivational: lack of motivation; paralysis of will (forcing yourself to do regular behaviors)
3) physical: dizzy spells, indigestion (usually misdiagnosed as physical medical problems)
4) cognitive: negative self views, self blame
5) behavioral: moving/speaking slowly; rarely self-credit, pessimistic

24
Q

types of factors that can cause depression

A
  • stress
  • biological
  • physiological (what thoughts do you have while interacting with others?)
  • sociocultural (do you feel like you have social support?)
25
Q

what are the bio factors of depression

A

1) genetics: depression can be passed on through genetics
2) neurotransmitters: low serotonin and norepinephrine

26
Q

what are the sociocognitive factors of depression?

A

1) learned helplessness: feeling like you have no control over your life and you’re responsible for feeling helpless)
2) attributions: attributing negative internal (“this is who I am”), global (“this always happens”), and stable (“this won’t change”) events with ourselves –> depression

27
Q

what are sociocultural causes of depression

A
  • feeling like you have low social support from others
  • can depend on friends, family, isolation, relationship status
28
Q

what are the 4 stages in the cycle of depression

A

1) a stressful experience (like a bad grade)
2) negative explanatory style (trying to explain why you got that grade; magnifies the issue)
3) depressed mood (you feel bad about the grade)
4) cognitive and behavioral changes (may feel hopeless and stop going to class)
*back to 1 with a new stressful experience (you’ve skipped class but have another exam soon)

29
Q

what is bipolar disorder? what’s effective treatment?

A

major depressive disorder with episodes of mania
- treat with CBT (cognitive brain therapy); very effective; identifies and challenges the maladaptive thoughts

30
Q

bipolar demographics

A
  • equal in men and women
  • onset between 15 and 44 yrs old
  • manic and depressive episodes usually subside but come back; episodes get closer together
31
Q

symptoms of mania (5 categories)

A

1) emotional: powerful emotions
2) motivational: need constant excitement, involvement, and companion
3) behavioral: active; move fast; talk loud
4) cognitive: overly optimistic; poor judgement
5) physical: high energy even w/o rest

32
Q

what determines if you get MDD or bipolar

A
  • both have low serotonin
  • low norepinephrine = MDD
  • high norepinephrine = mania/bipolar
33
Q

schizophrenia demographics

A
  • same number of men and women
  • men diagnosed earlier; usually have more severe symptoms
  • more common in low socioeconomic levels
34
Q

what type of hallucinations are more common in schizophrenia

A

auditory

35
Q

why are auditory hallucinations more dangerous?

A

they can convince the person to hurt themselves or someone else

36
Q

what’s the first break

A

first time someone w/ schizophrenia hears voices

37
Q

what’s “walk in their footsteps”

A

technology to simulate schizophrenia auditory and visual hallucinations

38
Q

what are the treatments for schizophrenia

A

1) drugs: risperidal (only works for visual hallucinations); not a permanent solution
2) TMS: transcranial magnetic stimulation; for auditory hallucinations

39
Q

what are the 3 categories of schizophrenia symptoms

A

1) positive (have an excess of things that normal people have)
2) negative (do not have things that a normal person would have)
3) psychomotor

40
Q

what are positive schizophrenia symptoms and the 5 examples

A
  • additions to behavior
    1) delusions; false beliefs; faulty interpretations of reality (thinking everyone’s out to get you)
    2) disordered thinking/speech (loose associations - jumping btwn topics, perseverations - getting stuck on topics, neologisms - made up words, clang - rhyming)
    3) heightened perceptions (senses are very sensitive)
    4) hallucinations: seeing/hearing things that aren’t there
    5) inappropriate affect: mood/behavior doesn’t match situation (laughing at funeral)
41
Q

what are negative symptoms of schizophrenia and 4 examples

A
  • deficits
    1) poverty of speech (alogia): taking a long time to answer/not answering at all
    2) blunted/flat affect: no emotional reactions; apethy/lack of interest
    3) loss of volition/motivation: feeling drained; not starting/following through with things
    4) social withdrawal: self-isolating; leads to decline in social skills
42
Q

what are psychomotor symptoms of schizophrenia

A

1) weird/repeated movements (like tourettes tics)
2) catatonia: stuck in a fixed position
- waxy catatonia: can be moved but will stay in that position until moved again