Midterm Flashcards
Who is Emil Kraeplin?
developed a classification system for mental disorders
What changes were made to the DSM-5?
- elimination of multi-axial system
- added lifespan considerations
- it added trauma & related stressors
Is there one single element to determine abnormality?
NO
What was a major biomedical breakthrough of the psychopathology realm?
The discovery &cure for general paresis (syphilitic insanity)
What is the predisposition for developing a disorder called?
diathesis-stress
What is the new DSM-5 category that was added?
stress not specified
What distinguishes dysthymia from MDD?
whether normal moods occurred
What is health psychology?
concerned with the effects of stress & other psychological factors in the development & maintenance of physical problems
What are the characteristics of stressors?
- severity of stressor
- chronicity
- how closely it affects our own lives
- how expected it is
- how controllable it is
What is the biological cost of adapting to stress called?
allostatic load
What are the components of fear & panic?
- cognitive/subjective
- physiological
- behavioral
What anxiety disorders are in the DSM?
- specific phobia
- social anxiety
- agoraphobia
- panic
- generalized anxiety disorder
What is psychosis?
loss of contact with reality (hallmark of schizophrenia)
What is prevalence?
the number of active cases in a population over time
What is incidence?
the number of new cases in a population over time
What is abnormal psychology?
understanding nature, causes, and treatments of mental disorders
7 indicators of abnormality:
- subjective distress
- maladaptiveness
- statistical deviancy
- social discomfort
- irrationality
- unpredictability
- dangerousness
What is nomenclature?
a naming system
What is epidemiology?
the study of distribution of disease, diseases, or health related disorders
What is the most prevalent category of psych. disorders?
anxiety disorders
What is comorbidity?
presence of 2 or more disorders in the same person (especially high in ppl with severe mental disorders)
What is etiology?
causes of disorders
What is a case study?
detailed accounts/clinical cases of patients that serve as a valuable source of new ideas & stimulus for research
What are the elements of abnormal behavior (4 D’s)?
- Deviance/difference
- Dysfunction
- Distress
- Danger
What is general paresis?
syphilis of the brain
Psychodynamic perspective:
inner dynamics of unconscious motives (Freud)
Psychoanalysis:
methods Freud used to study & treat patients
What is catharsis?
significant emotional release
What is classical conditioning?
form of learning-neutral stimulus paired repeatedly with UCS that naturally elicits unconditioned behavior, after pairings, neutral stimulus becomes conditioned stimulus that produces CR (Pavlov)
Stressors:
- external: adjustive demands that require coping behavior on the part of an indv.
- external demands
What is distress?
bad stress that typically has potential to do more damage
What characteristics may improve someone’s ability to handle life stress?
higher levels of optimism,
greater psychological control/mastery,
increased self-esteem, &
better social support
What is the name of the stress hormone?
cortisol (prepares body for fight/flight)
What is resilience?
healthy psychological & physical functioning following a traumatic event
What factors are linked to resilience?
- male gender
- older age
- higher education
- economic resources
- positive life outlook
- self-confidence
What is psychoneuroimmunology?
the study of interactions between nervous & immune systems
What are telomeres?
protective end parts of chromosomes
stress shortens the length
What is depression a risk factor for?
development of chronic heart disease
What is positive psychology?
human traits & resources such as humor, gratitude & compassion might have direct implications for physical & mental well-being
What are the 4 areas of PTSD?
- intrusion: reexperiencing trauma through nightmares or intrusive images
- avoidance: avoid all thoughts & feelings connected to trauma
- negative alterations in cognitions & mood: detachment, negative, blame others, etc.
- arousal & reactivity: hypervigilance, aggressive, reckless behavior, etc.
What is acute stress disorder?
symptoms develop shortly after experiencing traumatic event & lasts for at least 2 days
What are positive symptoms of schizophrenia?
excess/distortion of normal behavior/experience; disorganized thinking
What are negative symptoms of schizophrenia?
absence of normally present behaviors; poor clinical outcome
What are the subtypes of schizophrenia & should always be specified with diagnosis?
- paranoid
- disorganized
- catatonic
What are delusions?
fixed & firmly held despite clear contradictory evidence & a disturbance in the content of thought
What are hallucinations?
sensory experience, any sensory modality, seems real but occurs in the absence of any external perceptual stimuli
What is somatic?
believe that they have an illness
What is anhedonia?
lack of pleasure or interest
What is avolition?
lack of will power, drive, or motivation to complete goals
What is blunt/flat affect?
lack of expressiveness
Schizophrenia has a high comorbidity with ______ ______.
substance use disorders
What is the epidemiology of schizophrenia?
African-Americans twice as likely than whites/latino to develop it
What are the risks of schizophrenia (etiology)?
genes, maternal exposure to viruses, complications/illness at birth, brain abnormalities, socioeconomic status, & family factors
What is the dopamine hypothesis?
proposes that an overproduction of dopamine or an increase in sensitivity of dopamine receptors is responsible for schizophrenia
What happens in relapse of schizophrenia?
return of positive symptoms, increase in medication dosage, or re-hospitalization
What is the psychosocial treatment for schizophrenia?
focuses on long-term improvements of life other than reduction of symptoms (ex: housing, social competence, stability, job, etc.)
What is glutamate?
excitatory neurotransmitter
What are endophenotypes?
discrete, stable & measurable traits thought to be under genetic control studying these helps researchers discover genes that might be important in schizophrenia
Identification of a presenting problem:
- Situational or pervasive?
- Duration?
- Prior attempts to help/treat?
- Self-defeating
- Problem impacting social roles?
- Match any DSM-5 criteria?
What is seen in an EEG?
tumors, lesions, electrical dysrhytmia
What is seen in a CAT scan/MRI?
enlarged brain areas
What is seen in a PET scan?
organic processes
What is seen in an fMRI?
brain mapping
What are the 2 general categories of psychological tests?
- intelligence
2. personality
What are the benefits of classification?
intro. order
clarify insurance issues
communication establishment
stats research data use
Are young children more vulnerable to psychological problems?
YES, because they don’t have realistic views of the world yet, are dependent on others, & immediate threats are seen as more important
What are causal factors of depression & bipolar disorder in children?
- bio & learning factors
- medication & psychotherapy
- exposure to trauma
- parental negative/emotional behavior
What is ODD?
(operational defiant disorder)
recurrent, negative, defiant, disobedient, & hostile behavior toward authority figures that lasts at least 6 mos.
What is conduct disorder?
persistent, repetitive violation of rules & regard for rights of others
What are the treatments for ODD & CD?
cohesive family model & behavioral techniques
What are the factors for ADHD?
heredity
smaller brain size
social-environmental factors
slower brain development
What are the 3 organic disability syndromes that are now tested at birth?
- down syndrome
- cranial anomalies
- phenylketonuria
What are the 5 specifiers of MDD?
- with melancholic features
- with psychotic features
- with a typical features
- with catatonic features
- with seasonal pattern
What are the 2 key moods in mood disorders?
mania & depression
What are the causal factors of bipolar?
- biological: heredity, neurotransmitters, cortisol levels, disturbances in biological rhythms
- psychological: stress, low support, personality variables, pessimistic attributional styles
What are the psychosocial factors of depression?
impulsivity, negative affect, aggression, family psychopathology, hopelessness, & pessimism
What are the biological factors of depression?
genetics & low serotonin levels
What are the symptoms of schizophrenia?
- delusions
- disorganized speech/behavior
- hallucinations
- neg & positive symptoms
What is the best treatment for specific phobias?
exposure therapy
