MCAT Psych #7 Flashcards
psychological disorders
characteristic sets of thoughts, feelings, or actions, that cause noticeable distress to the sufferer, cause maladaptive functioning in society, or are considered deviant by the individual’s culture.
biomedical approach
Interventions that rally around symptom reduction
Does not take into account lifestyle or socioeconomic status.
Best when it is supplemented with a broader approach such as biopsychosocial approach
Not great because it labels people as mentally ill just because their behaviors differ from society’s
Biopsychosocial approach
Assumes that there are biological, psychological, and social components to an individual’s disorder.
Bio: something in the body such as a genetic syndrome
Psych: individual’s thoughts, emotions, or behaviors
Social: individual’s surroundings, issues of perceived class in society and even discrimination or stigmatization.
Ex: depression
• Certain bio factors make you more or less susceptible
• Level of stress the individual has also plays a role.
• Social environment factors can either provide more stress or support
Provide direct therapy: treatment that acts directly on the individual such as medicine or meeting with a psychologist.
And indirect therapy: aims to increase social support by educating and empowering family and friends of the affected individual.
Biopsychosocial approach: direct therapy
treatment that acts directly on the individual such as medicine or meeting with a psychologist.
Biopsychosocial approach: indirect therapy
aims to increase social support by educating and empowering family and friends of the affected individual.
what is the name of the manual created to aid clinicians in diagnosing psychological disorders and what version is it on now?
o Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM): created to aid clinicians
Now in its 5th edition DSM-5
Classification scheme is based on symptoms.
downward drift hypothesis
schizophrenia causes decrease in SES which causes worse symptoms and downward spiral.
schizophrenia
psychotic disorder, individual must show continuous signs of disturbance for at least six months and this six-month period must include at least one month of “active symptoms” (delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech)
psychotic disorder
suffer from one or more of the following conditions: delusions, hallucinations, disorganized thought, disorganized behavior, catatonia (abnormality of movement and behavior), and negative symptoms.
positive symptoms of schiziphrenia
behaviors, thoughts, or feelings added to normal behavior.
delusions, hallucinations, disorganized thought, disorganized behavior
hallucinations
positive symptoms of schiziphrenia
perceptions that are not due to external stimuli but have a compelling sense of reality.
• Ex: auditory, hearing voices. Other sensation hallucinations are possible but are rare.
disorganized thought
positive symptoms of schiziphrenia
characterized by loosening of associations. May be exhibited in speech in which one’s sentences have no structure and go all over the place.
• Word salad: random words thrown together
• Neologisms: invention of new word
disorganized behavior
positive symptoms of schiziphrenia
an inability to carry out activities of daily living, such as paying bills, maintaining hygiene, and keeping appointments.
• Catatonia: refers to certain motor behaviors characteristic of schizophrenia
o Spontaneous movement and activity reduced
o OR: bizarre movements not caused by external stimuli such as:
Echolalia: repeating another’s word
Echopraxia: imitating another’s actions
delusions of reference
involve the belief that common elements in the environment are directed toward the individual
o Characters in a TV show are talking to you
delusions of persecution
involve the belief that the person is being deliberately interfered with, discriminated against, plotted against, or threatened.
delusions of grandueur
(also common in bipolar disorder) involve the belief that the person is remarkable in some significant way, such as being an inventor, historical figure, etc.
thought broadcasting
delusions
the belief that one’s thoughts are broadcast directly from one’s head to the external world
thought insertion
delusions
the belief that thoughts are being placed in one’ head
word salad
disorganized thought
random words thrown together
loosening of associations
disorganized thought
a thought disorder characterized by discourse consisting of a sequence of unrelated or only remotely related ideas
neologisms
disorganized thought
invention of new word
catatonia
refers to certain motor behaviors characteristic of schizophrenia
o Spontaneous movement and activity reduced
o OR: bizarre movements not caused by external stimuli:
Echolalia: repeating another’s word
Echopraxia: imitating another’s actions
echolalia
repeating another’s word
echopraxia
imitating another’s actions
negative symptoms of schizophrenia
those that involve the absence of normal or desired behavior
disturbance of affect and avolition
disturbance of affect
negative symptom
• Affect: refers to the experience and display of emotion.
• Blunting: there is a sever reduction in the intensity of affect expression.
• Flat affect (emotional flattening): virtually no signs of emotional expression
• Inappropriate affect: the affect is clearly discordant with the content of the individual’s speech
o Ex: laughing when describing someone’s death
avolition
negative symptoms
disturbance of avolition
decreased engagement in purposeful, goal-directed actions
affect
disturbance of effect
refers to the experience and display of emotion.
blunting
disturbance of effect
there is a sever reduction in the intensity of affect expression.
flat affect (emotional flattening)
disturbance of effect
virtually no signs of emotional expression
inappropriate affect
disturbance of effect
the affect is clearly discordant with the content of the individual’s speech
o Ex: laughing when describing someone’s death
prodromal phase
before schizophrenia, the patient undergoes a phase of poor adjustment:
Exemplified by clear evidence of deterioration, social withdrawal, role functioning impairment, peculiar behavior, inappropriate affect, and unusual experiences.
Better prognosis if the prodromal phase is fast.
major depressive disorder
a mood disorder, characterized by at least one major depressive episode.
major depressive epsiode
period of at least two weeks with at least five of the following symptoms: prominent and relatively persistent depressed mood, loss of interest in all or almost all formerly enjoyable activities (anhedonia), appetite disturbances, substantial weight changes, sleep disturbances, decreased energy, feelings of worthlessness or excessive guilt, difficulty concentrating or thinking, psychomotor symptoms (feeling slowed down), and thoughts of death or attempts at suicide.
• At least one of the symptoms must be depressed mood or anhedonia.
Symptoms of a major depressive episode: SIG E CAPS Sadness + Sleep Interest Guilt Energy Concentration Appetite Psychomotor symptoms Suicidal thoughts
what are the symptoms of a major depressive episode
Symptoms of a major depressive episode: SIG E CAPS Sadness + Sleep Interest Guilt Energy Concentration Appetite Psychomotor symptoms Suicidal thoughts
what are the two MUST symptoms of a major depressive episode (must be one of the two)
- anhedonia (loss of interest in all or almost all formerly enjoyable activities)
- depressed mood
anhedonia
symptom of major depressive episode: loss of interest in all or almost all formerly enjoyable activities
Persistent depressive disorder
individuals who suffer from dysthymia: a depressed mood that isn’t severe enough to meet the criteria of a major depressive episode, for at least two years.
Chronic but less severe than major depressive disorder
Seasonal Affective Disorder
major depressive disorder with seasonal onset.
Treated with bright light therapy
bipolar disorder
major type of mood disorder characterized by both depression and mania
manic episodes
Bipolar I disorder
Bipolar II disorder
cyclothymic disorder
consists of a combination of hypomanic episodes and periods of dysthymia that are not sever enough to qualify as major depressive episodes.
dysthymia
persistent mild depression.
manic episodes
characterized by abnormal and persistently elevated mood lasting at least one week with at least three of the following: increased distractibility, decreased need for sleep, inflated self-esteem or grandiosity (beliefs that one is almighty, celebrity), racing thoughts, increased goal-directed activity or agitation, pressured speech or increased talkativeness, and involvement in high risk behavior.
• Generally, a more rapid onset and briefer duration than depressive episodes.
bipolar I disorder
has manic episodes with or without major depressive episodes.
bipolar II disorder
has hypomania with at least one major depressive episode.
hypomania: typically does not significantly impair functioning, nor are there psychotic features, although the individual may be more energetic and optimistic.
list the symptoms of manic episodes
DIG FAST Distractible Insomnia Grandiosity Flight of ideas (racing thoughts) Agitation Speech (pressured) Thoughtlessness (risky behavior)
what must clinicians rule out for all anxiety disorders?
For all anxiety disorders, clinicians must rule out hyperthyroidism—excessive levels of specific thyroid hormones—because increasing the whole body’s metabolic rate will create anxiety-like symptoms.
hypomania
part of Bipolar II disorder
typically does not significantly impair functioning, nor are there psychotic features, although the individual may be more energetic and optimistic.
is Bipolar II or Bipolar I more severe?
Bipolar I
monoamine or catecholamine theory of depression
too much norepinephrine and serotonin in the synapse leads to mania, while too little leads to depression.
what are the highest mood disorders for women?
anxiety disorders
what are the highest mood disorders for women?
anxiety disorders
generalized anxiety disorder
common in the population and is defined as a disproportionate and persistent worry about many things for at least six months (making mortgage payments, doing a good job at work)
also have physical symptoms that accompany the worry: fatigue, muscle tension, sleep problems
phobia
an irrational fear of something that results in a compelling desire to avoid it.
Specific phobias: one in which anxiety is produced by a specific object or situation
• Ex: claustrophobia: an irrational fear of closed spaces
specific phobia
one in which anxiety is produced by a specific object or situation
• Ex: claustrophobia: an irrational fear of closed spaces