LCT14: Psychological Disorders Flashcards
Psychological Disorder
aka - mental disorder or psychopathology
- usually involves “abnormal behavior”
Rarity and unusual does not equal…
psychological disorder
How common are psychological disorders?
nearly half of individuals in U.S. will receive treatment for a disorder in their life time — only 7% are considered severe
The Three D’s
1) Deviate: Does the behavior Deviate from cultural norms?
2) Dysfunctional: Is the behavior Dysfunctional?
3) Distress: Is the behavior causing the individual personal distress?
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)
- system for classifying and diagnosing psychological disorders
- contains current descriptions and symptoms for about 300 disorders
- observable symptoms, patients must meet specific criteria to receive a particular diagnosis
Diagnosis keys
- categorical vs dimensional approach to diagnosis of abnormal behavior
- presence of symptoms vs. extent or severity
Diathesis-Stress Model
disorders caused by an interaction between vulnerability and stress
Vulnerability
underlying traits, temperament, genetic or biological predispositions - can also include early childhood trauma
Stress
precipitating stressful circumstances, like life experiences, sad events
Sex Differences in Disorders
- some disorders have equal prevalence in males and females - schizophrenia, bipolar
- others very dramatically - alcohol dependence, anorexia, depression
Anxiety Disorders
characterized by excessive anxiety in the absence of true danger - more than 25% of people will experience an anxiety disorder in their lifetime
Specific phobias
involves fear of particular objects or situations
Social Phobia or Social Anxiety Disorder
involves fear of being humiliated in a social situation
Generalized Anxiety Disorder
anxiety experienced is continual, diffuse and general - constant worrying
Panic Disorder
individuals experience sudden, overwhelming attacks of terror
What can panic disorders lead to?
Agoraphobia
Agoraphobia
the fear of being in a situation where escape may be difficult or impossible - leads sufferers to restrict their activities
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
a person experiences repeated intrusive thoughts or images (obsessions) and the person feels compelled to engage in ritualistic behavior (compulsions)
Cognitive Components
anxious people may interpret more situations as threatening, and focus more attention on perceived threats
Learned Components
anxiety becomes paired with a specific event and anxious responses can be reinforced (conditioned)
Biological Components
temperament; also, neurotransmitters and brain areas implicated
What was once categorized by Mood Disorders, is now split into what?
Depressive Disorders and Bipolar Disorders
Depressive Disorders
- feature persistent and pervasive feelings of sadness
- depression is the leading risk factor for suicide
Two primary depressive disorders
1) Major Depressive Disorder
2) Dysthymic Disorder (or Dysthymia)
Major Depressive Disorder
severe negative moods or loss of interest in pleasurable activities - persistent, significant, impairing; can be recurrent
Dysthymic Disorder
mild to moderate depressed mood (now called - Persistent Depressive Disorder)
Gender Difference in Depressive Disorders
women are TWICE as likely than men to be diagnosed with depression due to - “role stress” and internalization vs externalization
“Role Stress”
women being overworked and under-supported; subtle and not subtle oppression
Internalization vs Externalization
women respond to stressful events by “internalizing” their feelings, which leads to depression and anxiety - men “externalize” with alcohol and violence
Bipolar Disorders
characterized by periods of mania and frequently alternating with periods of depression
Manic episodes
periods of elevated mood, increased activity, distractibility, racing thoughts, decreased need for sleep
Severity of mania
distinguished Bipolar I (mania) from Bipolar II (hypomania)
Biological components of Depressive and Bipolar Disorders
Genetics - genetic contribution for major depression is moderate, while genetic contribution for bipolar disorder is quite strong
- Neurotransmitters and brain structures also implicated in both depressive and bipolar disorders
Situational Components
interpersonal losses, life stressors, responses of friends and families
Cognitive Components
- Seligman’s learned helplessness model
- Beck’s cognitive model
Seligman’s learned helplessness model
expectation that one cannot control important outcomes in life - dogs exposed to shocks gave up escape
Beck’s cognitive model
people with depression may distort reality and think more negatively
Warning signs of suicide
- talking of suicide
- losses, failures; loss of interest in activities
Schizophrenia
psychological disorder characterized by distortions in perceptions, emotions, thoughts, or consciousness
Psychosis
mental condition that involves distorted perceptions of reality
Positive symptoms of Schizophrenia
1) Delusions
2) Hallucinations
3) Loosening of associations
4) Disorganized behavior
Delusions
false beliefs
- delusions of persecution: belief that others want to harm them
- delusions of grandeur: belief of having great power
Hallucinations
false sensory perceptions
- auditory most common
Loosening of associations
incoherent speech patterns
- thought disorder: thoughts seem disorganized or meaningless
- clang associations: stringing words together based on their sounds
Disorganized behavior
acting strangely
- strange movement
- poor self-care
Negative symptoms of Schizophrenia
behavioral deficits
- flat or blunted affect (emotional flatness), slow or no speech, social withdrawal, and lack of goal-directed behavior
- associated with a poorer prognosis
- associated with structural abnormalities in the brain
Biological Factors of Schizophrenia
- genetics plays a role - no single gene, but possibly several genes contribute
- neurotransmitter abnormalities and problems with the myelin sheath
- structural brain abnormalities: decreased brain weight and enlargement of ventricles
Environmental Factors of Schizophrenia
stress in environment contributes to its development
- healthy families: none became psychotic
- disturbed families: 11% of the children became psychotic and 41% had severe psychological disorders
Diathesis-Stress Model
originally developed as an explanation of schizophrenia
- genetic, biological vulnerabilities along with stress from environment interact in the development of the disorder
Borderline Personality Disorder
characterized by disturbances in:
1) identity (absence of sense of self)
2) affect (emotional instability)
3) impulses (most commonly self-mutilation)
Environmental Factors of Borderline Personality Disorder
- diagnosed more in women
- 70-80% of cases report history of physical or sexual abuse or observing extreme violence
- early care takes may have been rejecting and critical or may have encouraged dependency
Antisocial Personality Disorder
characterized by lack of empathy and remorse
Environmental Factors of Antisocial Personality Disorder
- diagnosed more in men
- can be manipulative, charming, clever
- both biological and environmental causes
Psychopath or Sociopath
extreme version of the Antisocial Personality Disorder
Biological causes of Antisocial Personality Disorder
lower rate of conditioned responses to pain, danger, and electric shocks
