Psychological Disorders Flashcards
what must a behavior be to be considered a disorder ?
- deviant (atypical)
- distressful
- dysfunctional (maladaptive; inappropriate)
insanity
not a psychological or scientific term; legal term
what are disorders caused by:
- genetics
- environmental
- cultural factors
some disorders only exist in certain….?
cultures
diathesis-stress model
genes predispose an individual to a psychological disorder, but stressful live events cause that disorder to manifest (ex: depression after family member’s death)
DSM-V (diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders)
- helps make diagnoses consistent
- different psychologists classify a person the same
- labeling can lead to bias and self-fulfilling prophecies
self-fulfilling prophecies
process through which an originally false expectation leads to its own confirmation (ex: if a mildly sad person is told they are depressed, they start to internalize it, and then eventually they become actually depressed- they made their condition worse on their own)
neurodevelopment disorders
- associated with the central nervous system
- Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
- Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
Generalized Anxiety Disorder
person is constantly tensed and uneasy, trembling, patient cannot identify cause
Panic Disorder
short-term feeling of intense dread; feeling like something terrible is about to happen
Agoraphobia
fear of open, crowded, spaces
Specific Phobia Disorder
intense, irrational fear of something that poses little or no actual danger
Social Anxiety Disorder
persistent fear of being watched and judged by others
phobia
persistent, irrational fear and avoidance of a specific object or situation
* sometimes normal fears (spiders) taken to an extreme
where can anxiety disorders come from ?
- learning - classical fear conditioning
- biological perspective - natural selection
- social - anxiety levels have increased over the past 50 years *
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
unwanted repetitive thoughts or actions
“obsessions”
thoughts
“compulsions”
actions
Acute Stress Disorder (ASD)
traumatic stress that leads to symptoms such as haunting memories, nightmares, social withdrawal, anxiety, and insomnia
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
when stress persists for more than a month, or symptoms occur 6 or more months after the event
Dissociative Amnesia
person is unable to remember the past due to trauma
Dissociative fugue
patient forgets their identity and wanders to a new place; may assume new identity
Dissociative Identity Disorder
- multiple personalities
- at least two distinct personalities
Somatoform disorders
caused by psychological stress
Illness Anxiety Disorder
(hypochondriasis) extreme anxiety about physical symptoms that are a sign of illness
Conversion Disorder
the “conversion” of extreme stress or anxiety into a psychological disorder; symptoms real, but no medical cause
Anorexia
most life threatening of all psychological disorder
Bulimia
binge and purge cycles
depressive disorders
- feelings of sadness, emptiness, and loss of interest
- lack of control over life events is associated with depression
Major Depressive Disorder
most common of psychological disorders
- fatigue
- loss of interest
- sleep issues
- thoughts of suicide
- feeling worthless
Persistent Depressive Disorder
depressed mood that has lasted for at least two years; less sever than major depression
bipolar disorders
- bipolar disorder
- mania and depression
- common among creative people
- treated by lithium carbonate
explanation for mood disorders
- genes - depression runs in the family
- culture - cultural pressures
- negative thoughts and moods interact
Schizophrenia
disorganized, delusional thinking, disturbed perceptions, inappropriate emotions and actions
Schizophrenia (positive symptoms)
- persecution - harassed or spied on
- reference - comments or gestures being directed at individual
- grandiose - great abilities or being famous
- nihilistic - something disastrous is going to happen
- abnormal movements - catatonia
Schizophrenia (negative symptoms)
diminished emotional expression (flat effect)
causes for schizophrenia
dopamine; less frontal lobe activity; maternal flue virus, genes
personality disorders
- inflexible and enduring patterns of behavior that impair social functioning
- distorted thinking
- interpersonal difficulties
- problems with impulse control
- problems with emotional responses
Avoidant
sensitivity to rejection
Schizoid
eccentric; emotionless disengagement
Paranoid
like schizophrenia (no psychotic features)
Histrionic
shallow attention-getting; self-centered emotional expression
Borderline
instability in relationships, mood, self-image, and impulse control; unpredictable and exaggerated behavior
Antisocial Personality Disorder
- lack of conscience, empathy, or guilt
- can be ruthless
- very charming and achieve positions of power
- low levels of stress even during stressful situations
Narcissistic Personality Disorder
- strong need to be admired, inflated sense of importance
- prone to envy
- prefer friends who are weak or unpopular so there is no competition
how common are psychological disorders ?
they are very common, but risk/protective factors such as poverty may influence this
