Mental Disorders Flashcards
what are 3 of the most common mental disorders?
phobias
depression
OCD
(1 in 4 people in the UK experience a mental health problem each year)
what are phobias?
6
included in the diagnostic manuals as anxiety disorders
involves extreme anxiety in response to a particular stimuli, which interferes with normal day to day life
they are irrational fears that produce a conscious avoidance of the feared object or situation
can include social phobias (anxiety relating to social situations, like talking to a large group of people) or specific phobias (anxiety relating to objects like snakes, or situations like heights)
EXAMPLE = agoraphobia is the phobia of being trapped in a public place where escape is difficult
around 2.6% of people suffer from phobias
what is depression?
4
classified as a mood disorder where an individual feels sad and lacks interest in their usual activities
may include irrational negative thoughts, raised or lowered activity levels and difficulties sleeping and eating
the DSM distinguishes between major depressive disorder and persistent depressive disorder, which is longer term and/or recurring
around 2.6% of people suffer from depression
what is OCD?
5
obsessive compulsive disorder is classified as an anxiety disorder that typically begins in young adult life
anxiety arises from obsessions and compulsions
obsessions = persistent thoughts
compulsions = repetitive behaviours that are a response to obsessions, the person believes that performing these behaviours will reduce anxiety
around 1.3% of people suffer from OCD
phobias: emotional characteristics
4
persistent and overwhelming fear, likely to be excessive and unreasonable
feelings of extreme anxiety and panic
such emotions are caused by the presence or anticipation of the feared object or situation
tend to be irrational and out of proportion to the actual danger posed
phobias: behavioural characteristics
4
avoidance of the object or situation that causes fear and anxiety
when faced with the prospect of the feared stimulus, our immediate response is to avoid it (for example, a person with a phobia of spiders will avoid being near them)
fight or flight stress response, may involve freezing or fainting or running away — freezing may be an adaptive response because a predator would think its prey is dead
avoidance of the object interferes significantly with the person’s normal routine, occupation and relationships — this is what distinguishes phobias from general fears, which do not interfere with daily life
phobias: cognitive characteristics
4
irrational thinking and resistance to rational arguments
for example, someone with a phobia of flying will not be helped or comforted by the argument that flying is actually the safest form of transport
the individual usually recognises and is aware that their fear is excessive and unreasonable, although this may be absent in children
involves selective attention, in which a person will fixate on the object they fear, unable to direct attention elsewhere
depression: emotional characteristics
5
sadness is the most common and obvious emotional characteristic of depression
feelings of emptiness, worthlessness, hopelessness and low self esteem
loss of interest and pleasure in normal activities, which is associated with feelings of despair and lack of control
anger directed towards others or the self — feeling hurt and wishing to retaliate or direct sadness somewhere or onto someone
major depressive disorder involves at least 5 symptoms
depression: behavioural characteristics
4
reduced or increased activity
many experience reduced energy, a sense of tiredness and a desire to sleep all of the time OR may become increasingly agitated and restless (for example, pacing constantly)
sleep may be affected — some sleep more while others have difficulty sleeping and experience insomnia
some may have a reduced appetite and lose weight, while others eat considerably more than usual and put on more weight
depression: cognitive characteristics
5
negative thoughts about oneself, the world and the future
guilt and a sense of worthlessness
negative view of the world and holding expectations that things will turn out badly
such thoughts may be self fulfilling — for example, if someone believes they are going to fail an exam this may reduce the effort they put in because they think revising will be pointless and they will therefore fail, confirming their negative thoughts
these thoughts are irrational and do not accurately reflect reality
OCD: emotional characteristics
3
obsessions and compulsions cause considerable anxiety and distress
an awareness that behaviour is excessive may cause feelings of embarrassment and shame
a common obsession concerns germs, which may cause feelings of disgust
OCD: behavioural characteristics
4
compulsive behaviours are performed to reduce the anxiety created by obsessions
repetitive and excessive actions such as hand washing and checking OR may be mental acts such as praying or counting
the person feels that they must perform these actions and feels compelled to do so, otherwise they believe something dreadful may happen if they don’t, which creates anxiety
these behaviours are not realistically connected to what they are designed to neutralise or prevent
OCD: cognitive characteristics
5
obsessions are recurrent, intrusive thoughts or impulses that are perceived as inappropriate or forbidden
may be frightening or embarrassing and a person may not want to share their obsessions with others
obsessions may include ideas, doubts, impulses and images — for example, thinking that germs are everywhere or constantly worrying that something important has been overlooked
they are essentially excessive and uncontrollable worries which create anxiety
people tend to be aware that their obsessions are products of their own mind and will usually recognise them as excessive or unreasonable
