Psychological Disorders Flashcards
What is the medical model for mental illness?
views abnormal behaviour as a disease, led to more humane treatment for people with mental illness
What is generalized anxiety disorder characterized by?
chronic high levels of anxiety that is not tied to a specific threat/situation
What are specific phobias characterized by?
persistent, irrational fear of an object or situation that it not dangerous
What is panic disorder characterized by?
recurrent, sudden anxiety attacks that occur unexpectedly
What is agoraphobia? What is it usually comorbid with?
fear of going out to public places, panic disorder
What is obsessive compulsive disorder characterized by?
uncontrollable intrusions of unwanted thoughts and urges to engage in senseless rituals
What is PTSD characterized by?
enduring psychological disturbance attributable to the experience of a major traumatic event
Is there a genetic predisposition for anxiety disorders? What suggests this?
yes, twin studies
What neurotransmitters might play a role in anxiety disorders?
serotonin, GABA
What is dissociative amnesia?
sudden loss of memory for personal information that is too extensive to be caused by normal forgetting
What is dissociative identity disorder characterized by?
the co-existence of two or more largely complete and usually very different personalities
What is dissociative amnesia usually attributed to?
extreme stress
What is major depressive disorder characterized by?
persistent feelings of sadness and despair, loss of interest in previous sources of pleasure, slowed thought processes, and self-blame
What is bipolar disorder characterized by?
experience of depressed and manic episodes
What do manic episodes involve?
irrational euphoria, racing thoughts, decreased need for sleep, agitation, increased energy, impulsive behaviour
Is there a genetic predisposition for mood disorders?
yes
What neurotransmitters might contribute to depressive disorders?
serotonin and norepinephrine
What is schizophrenia characterized by?
irrational thought, delusions, deterioration of adaptive behaviour, distorted perception, hallucinations, disturbed emotion
Does the DSM-5 recognize the schizophrenic subtypes? What is the newer approach to describing schizophrenia?
no
balance between the positive and negative symptoms of the disroder
What are some potential causes of schizophrenia?
disturbance at the dopamine synapses, association found between large brain ventricles and schizophrenia, disturbances in prenatal brain development, stress, genetics
What is the relativistic view?
that the criteria of mental illness vary considerably across cultures
What is the pancultural view?
that the criteria of mental illness are the same around the world
What is autism spectrum disorder characterized by?
profound impairment of social communication and severly restricted interests and activities, apparent by age three
Why was there a recent increase in the diagnosis of autism?
greater awareness of the syndrome and the use of broader diagnostic criteria
What are personality disorders?
extreme personality traits that cause subjective distress or impaired social and occupational functioning
What is antisocial personality disorder characterized by?
manipulative, impulsive, exploitative, aggresive behaviour with a lack of regard for theirselves and others and no remorse
What is borderline personality disorder characterized by?
instable relationships, mood swings, unstable sense of self, emptiness, abandonment issues, self harm
What is narcissistic personality disorder characterized by?
grandiose sense of self importance, entitlement, excessive need for attention
What is anorexia nervosa characterized by?
intense fear of gaining weight, disturbed body image, refusal to maintain normal weight, dangerous measures to lose weight
What is bulimia nervose characterized by?
habitually engaging in binging (overeating out of control) followed by unhealthy compensatory efforts called purging (vomiting, laxatives, excessive exercise)
What is binge eating disorder characterized by?
involves distress induced eating binges that are not followed by purging
What is paranoid personality disorder characterized by?
suspects that family, friends, coworkers, strangers, and society and exploiting and trying to harm them without significant basis
What is obsessive compulsive personality disorder characterized by?
proccupation with rules, details, organization, to the point that the original point of the activity is lost
What is avoidant personality disorder characterized by?
is preoccupied with fear of being criticized or rejected in social situations, withdrawn but wants relationships, views self as inept, inadequate, inferior
