Module 6B: Psychological Disorders Flashcards
psychological disorder
condition characterized by abnormal thoughts, feelings, and behaviors
supernatural
describes a force beyond scientific understanding
behaviorism
focus on observing and controlling behavior
panic disorder
anxiety disorder characterized by unexpected panic attacks, along with at least one month of
worry about panic attacks or self-defeating behavior related to the attacks
panic attack
period of extreme fear or discomfort that develops abruptly; symptoms of panic attacks are both
physiological and psychological
generalized anxiety disorder
characterized by a continuous state of excessive, uncontrollable, and pointless
worry and apprehension
social anxiety disorder
characterized by extreme and persistent fear or anxiety and avoidance of social
situations in which one could potentially be evaluated negatively by others
posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
experiencing a profoundly traumatic event leads to a constellation of
symptoms that include intrusive and distressing memories of the event, avoidance of stimuli connected to
the event, negative emotional states, feelings of detachment from others, irritability, proneness toward
outbursts, hypervigilance, and a tendency to startle easily; these symptoms must occur for at least one month
flashback
psychological state lasting from a few seconds to several days, during which one relives a traumatic
event and behaves as though the event were occurring at that moment
obsessive-compulsive disorder
characterized by the tendency to experience intrusive and unwanted
thoughts and urges (obsession) and/or the need to engage in repetitive behaviors or mental acts
(compulsions) in response to the unwanted thoughts and urges
mood disorder
one of a group of disorders characterized by severe disturbances in mood and emotions; the
categories of mood disorders listed in the DSM-5 are bipolar and related disorders and depressive
disorders
major depressive disorder
commonly referred to as “depression” or “major depression,” characterized by
sadness or loss of pleasure in usual activities, as well other symptoms
bipolar disorder
mood disorder characterized by mood states that vacillate between depression and mania
mania
state of extreme elation and agitation
schizophrenia
severe disorder characterized by major disturbances in thought, perception, emotion, and
behavior with symptoms that include hallucinations, delusions, disorganized thinking and behavior, and
negative symptoms
personality disorder
group of DSM-5 disorders characterized by an inflexible and pervasive personality style
that differs markedly from the expectations of one’s culture and causes distress and impairment; people
with these disorders have a personality style that frequently brings them into conflict with others and
disrupts their ability to develop and maintain social relationships
antisocial personality disorder
characterized by a lack of regard for others’ rights, impulsivity, deceitfulness,
irresponsibility, and lack of remorse over misdeeds
Depression and heart disease
Depression is a risk factor for heart disease. For people with pre-existing heart disease , depression can cause more adverse cardiovascular problems
criteria for diagnosis of major depression
Diagnosis requires at least one of the following: depressed mood much of the day nearly everyday. And diminished interest in most activities nearly every day
dissociative disorder
Characterized by an individual becoming split off, or dissociated from core sense of self
brain differences in schizophrenia
larger ventricles, and up to 25% less volume of grey matter
word salad
sentences and phrases making no sense
prenatal environment and schizophrenia
prenatal influenza exposure is a risk factor for schizophrenia. That and nutritional deprivation are risk factors
positive symptoms of schizophrenia
presence of inappropriate behavior
negative symptoms of schizophrenia
absence of appropriate behavior
epigenetics
study of gene-environment interactions, such as how the same genotype leads to different
phenotypes.
The study of how your behaviors and environment can cause changes that affect the way genes work
genetic and environmental causes of phobias
you can inherit phobias or learn phobias
Thomas Szasz/myth of mental illness
Szasz argued that the notion of mental illness was invented by society (and the mental health
establishment) to stigmatize and subjugate people whose behavior violates accepted social and legal norms.
Indeed, Szasz suggested that what appear to be symptoms of mental illness are more appropriately
characterized as “problems in living”
obsessions and compulsions
People with obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) experience thoughts and urges that are intrusive and
unwanted (obsessions) and/or the need to engage in repetitive behaviors or mental acts (compulsions).
tolerance
As you take a drug your body becomes accustomed to it, and therefore you need more of that drug to get the same effect
substance use disorder
A
person who has a substance use disorder often uses more of the substance than they originally intended to and
continues to use that substance despite experiencing significant adverse consequences.
personality disorders
People with personality disorders exhibit a personality style that differs
markedly from the expectations of their culture, is pervasive and inflexible, begins in adolescence or early
adulthood, and causes distress or impairment
