Psychological Disorders

Question 1

What are psychological disorders?

Answer 1

patterns of thoughts, feelings, or actions that are deviant, distressful, and dysfunctional
- maldaptive

Question 2

What are the three criteria of disorder that must persist for a prolonger period of time for a psychological disorder to be indicated?

Answer 2

deviance = differences from normal

distress = causing physical or psychological harm to yourself or others

dysfunction = significant impairment to m=normal functioning

Question 3

What is medical student syndrome?

Answer 3

tendency for medical students to think they have whatever disorder they are learning about

Question 4

What are the different approaches to psychological disorders?

Answer 4

medical model = madness is a sickness of the mind -> mental health movement

biopsychosocial = biological influences
- evolution, individual genes, brain structure and chemistry
- uses medication

social-cultural = roles, expectation, definitions or normality and disorder
- role of environment

Question 5

When are most disorders able to occur by?

Answer 5

8-10 yo

Question 6

what factors increase psychological disorder probability?

Answer 6

poverty
academic failure
family disorganization
conflict

Question 7

what factors decrease psychological disorder probability?

Answer 7

exercise
literary
positive attachment + early bonding
self-esteem

Question 8

What is DSM-5?

Answer 8

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
- disorders are defined based on field trials conducted

Question 9

What are criticisms of DSM-5?

Answer 9

pathologize everyday life
produces labels that is judged by society
antisocial personality disorders and generalized anxiety disorders do poorly on field tests

Question 10

What are the benefits of the DSM-5?

Answer 10

helps mental health professionals communicate and is useful in research
- study and talk about similar patterns of behavior
order and describe symptoms = describe clusters of behavior
allows for prediction of disorder, suggests treatment, and stimulates research

Question 11

What are anxiety disorders and the symptoms associated?

Answer 11

distressing, persistent anxiety or maldaptive behaviors that reduce anxiety

symptoms:
- physical = dizziness, elevated heart rate, flight/fight response
cognitive = worrying, panic, fear of losing control
behavioral = fleeing, aggressive, freezing, and avoiding

Question 12

What are the different types of anxiety disorders?

Answer 12

generalized anxiety, panic, specific phobia, social phobia, OCD, and PTSD

Question 13

What are the characteristics of generalized anxiety disorders?

Answer 13

unfocused out of control worry, tense, apprehensive, without no identifiable cause for > 6 mo

symptoms = headaches, stomachaches, muscle tension, high bp, dizziness, ringing in ears

genetic components -> linked to depression and childhood trauma

Question 14

What are the characteristics of panic disorders?

Answer 14

unpredictable, repeated, minutes long episodes of intense dread
-physical = chest pain, choking, trembling -> perceived as a heart attack

• onset = late teens/ early adulthood

Question 15

What are the characteristics of phobias?

Answer 15

present, irrational fear and avoidance of a specific object, activity, or situation
- provokes anxiety = avoidance
- social phobia = fear of being judged by others
- specific phobia = extreme fear of specific objects/ situations that last for > 6 mo

Question 16

What are the characteristics of OCD?

Answer 16

unwanted repetitive thoughts/ obsessions and or actions/ compulsions that cause distress

diagnosis
- obsessions and compulsions
- realization that it is excessive
- it interferes with daily routine

Question 17

What is the learning perspective as to why anxiety occurs?

Answer 17

anxiety is a product of conditioning/ observational learning
- classical = associate anxiety with certain cues
- stimulus generalization = anxiety about things related to a traumatic event
- reinforcement = repeat behaviors that reduce anxiety = maintain phobias and complusions

Question 18

What is the biological perspective of why anxiety develops?

Answer 18

• genes predispose via regulating neurotransmitters
• brain = overarousal of brain areas that control impulse control and habitual behaviors
• bio-preparedness theory = psychologically ready to be afraid of something

Question 19

What are mood disorders?

Answer 19

emotional extremes and challenges in regulating mood
- continuum = depression to elation
- long terms disturbance

Question 20

What are some key notes about depression?

Answer 20

Women have higher rates than men
- more than 90% of people who commit suicide have clinical depression/ another mental disorder
- warning signs = comments of helplessness, tying up loose ends

Question 21

What is bipolar disorder?

Answer 21

Person alternates between hopelessness and lethargy of depression + overexcited state of mania

mania = hyperactive, wildly overactive, and elated
- overtalkative, ≠ want sleep, fewer sexual inhibitions
- loud speech, flighty
- poor judgment
-fuel creativity

more dysfunctional than depression

Question 22

What are the explanations for bipolar?

Answer 22

Genetics = increases probability is family member has it
- several genes intertwine to produce small effects that increase risk
-highly heritable
- twin studies = heritability of major depression = 37%

Brain -> left frontal lobe is less active from depression.
- norepinephrine and serotonin levels decline

explanatory style
- depressed explain bad events globally -> stable/ permanent -> internally

psychology
- view self and world negatively
- socialcultural = lower social status and adverse events

social-cognitive = negative explanatory style -> depressed -> cog and behavioral changes
- self defeating beliefs

Question 23

What is schizophrenia?

Answer 23

group of psychotic disorders characterized by disordered thinking and a breka with reality/ psychosis
- affects 1% of population
- ≠ mean multiple personalities

Question 24

How is schizophrenia diagnosed?

Answer 24

positive symptoms
- disorganized speech
- delusions
- hallucinations
- disorganized behavior

negative symptoms
- falt affect
- social withdrawal
- neglect of hygiene
- loss of interest in everyday activities

Question 25

What is chronic and acute schizo?

Answer 25

chronic = occur late adolescence or early adulthood
- develops slowly, psychotic episodes last longer, recovery periods shorten as they age, and are less responsive to treatment

acute = any age and repsonse to emotionally traumatic event with extended recovery times

Question 26

What causes schizo?

Answer 26

brain
- too much dopamine = hallucination
- abnormal brain activity and anatomy = low frontal lobe activity and brain tissue loss

early stressors
- low birth weight, maternal prenatal nutrition, difficult birth, and prenatal viral infection

later stressors
- stress-producing circumstances and family environment

Question 27

What is the remote associations test?

Answer 27

reflects creative ability of the participant by measuring their skill at remote linguistic association

Question 28

What are dissociative disorders?

Answer 28

lack of connection between thoughts, memories, feelings, actions, or sense of identity
- suddenly becomes unaware of identity
- unable to recall info unless under special circumstances

Question 29

What is dissociative identity disorder?

Answer 29

rare dissociative disorder in which a person exhibits 2+ distinct and alternating personalities
- most are women
- starts at 10 yo
- alternate personalities can serve a function, be different ages, genders, or ethnicities

Question 30

Why does DID occur?

Answer 30

dissociation is a form of coping after they experienced horrific, chronic childhood physical and/ or sexual abuse

Question 31

Controversy regarding DID?

Answer 31

< 25% of psychiatrists believe DID is a valid disorder = underreported