Psychiatric diseases across the life course Flashcards
What percent of global burden of disease and injury in people age 10-19 y/o is mental health related?
16%
What age do mental health conditions start?
50% start by 14 but are undetected and untreated till much later
What are Eriksson’s stages of psychosocial development
Why does adolescence represent a risk phase in psychological development?
- The prefrontal cortex matures later than the cortical areas associated with sensory and motor tasks
- Adolescence is period of neural imbalance caused by early maturation of subcortical brain areas (e.g. limbic reward areas) & delayed maturation of prefrontal control areas
What is somatisation disorder?
characterized by an extreme focus on physical symptoms — such as pain or fatigue — that causes major emotional distress and problems functioning.
Tourettes syndrome
involuntary movements of body, not context-appropriate sounds/actions
What are the core features and diagnostic criteria for ADHD?
According to DSM-5:
Persistent pattern of inattention and hyperactivity
Present for at least six months
Inappropriate for level of development
Interferes with functioning or development
Symptoms are not better explained by any other mental disorder
Several symptoms present before the age of 12
Several symptoms present in at least two settings
What are the risk factors for developing ADHD
Genetic- No isolated gene for ADHD, there may be several genes contributing to the vulnerability for developing it
Twin studies show significant hereditability for ADHD
First degree relatives/ children of those with ADHD 4-5x higher diagnostic probability of general population
Boys are more likely to develop ADHD than girls
Environmental-
- Premature birth weight
- Low birth weight
- Prenatal tobacco exposure
What is the prognosis like for ADHD
70% of children with ADHD have the disorder as teenagers and 40-60% will have it as adults
Define dementia
A degenerative disorder of the brain with severe cognitive and behavioural impairment which is sufficiently severe to interfere significantly with social and occupational function
What is the most common form of dementia?
Alzheimer’s
Early symptoms of Alzheimer’s
Absent mindedness
Difficulty recalling names and words
Difficulty learning new information
Disorientation in unfamiliar surroundings
Reduced social engagement
Symptoms of progressive Alzheimer’s
Marked memory impairment
Reduced vocabulary
Loss of less complex speech patterns
Apathy
Decline in activities of daily living
Mood swings
Emergence of psychotic phenomena
Symptoms of advanced Alzheimer’s
Confabulation- production of false or erroneous memories without intent of deception
Monosyllabic speech
Psychotic symptoms
Behavioural disturbances
Loss of bladder and bowel control
Reduced mobility
Psychiatric symptoms of Alzheimer’s?
Depression common
Delusions- usually persecutory in nature
Auditory/ visual hallucinations- may be simple misidentification and indicate rapid cognitive decline
