Brainscape's Knowledge GenomeTM

Browse over 1 million classes created by top students, professors, publishers, and experts.


See full index

Psychology > psychological disorders > Flashcards

psychological disorders Flashcards

You may prefer our related Brainscape-certified flashcards:
Psychology 101 flashcards GRE® Psychology flashcards AP® Psychology flashcards
1
Q

What is psychopathology?

A

the study of psychological disorders, including their symptoms, etiology and treatment

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
2
Q

What is psychological disorder?

A

a condition characterized by abnormal thoughts, feelings, and behaviour

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
3
Q

What is harmful dysfunction?

A

Wakefield 1992
proposed a more influential concept in which he defines psych disorders as a harmful dysfunction

  • dysfunction occurs when an internal mechanism breaks down and cannot perform its normal function
  • for a dysfunction to be classified as a disorder, it must be harmful -> negative consequences for the individual or for others
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
4
Q

What is the American psychological Association (APA) definition of psych disorders?

A
  • significant disturbances in thoughts, feelings, behaviours
  • outside cultural norm
  • disturbances reflect some kind of biological, psychological or developmental dysfunction
  • disturbances lead to significant distress or disability in one’s life

-> there’s no universal agreement on where the boundary is between disordered and not disordered

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
5
Q

Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (DSM)

A
  • published by APA
  • used by most mental health professionals
    -> Diagnostic features - overview of the disorder
    -> Diagnostic criteria - specific symptoms required for diagnosis
    -> prevalence - % population thought to be afflicted
    -> risk factors
  • provides info about comorbidity
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
6
Q

International classification of diseases (ICD)

A
  • published by WHO
  • used to examine general health of populations and monitor prevalence of diseases
  • more used for clinical diagnosis
  • DSM for research
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
7
Q

What is the supernatural perspective of psych disorders

A

psychological disorders attributed to a force beyond scientific understanding
- black magic, possessed by spirits, witchcraft
- treatments: torture, beatings and exorcism

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
8
Q

biological perspective

A
  • genetic factors, chemical imbalances, brain abnormalities
  • supported by evidence that most psych disorders have a genetic component
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
9
Q

Psychosocial perspective

A
  • emphasises the importance of learning, stress, faulty and self-defeating thinking patterns, and environmental factors
  • views the cause of psych disorders as a combination of biological and psychosocial factors
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
10
Q

What is the Diathesis-Stress Model?

A

integrated biological and psychosocial factors to predict the likelihood of a disorder

Diathesis + Stress -> Development of a disorder

  • people with predisposition of disorder are more likely to develop a disorder when faced with adverse environmental or psychological events
  • a diathesis can be biological or psychological vulnerability
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
11
Q

What is fear? what is anxiety?

A
  • fear = an instantaneous reaction to an imminent threat
  • anxiety = apprehension, avoidance, and cautiousness regarding a potential threat, danger, or other negative content
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
12
Q

What are phobias?

A
  • excessive, distressing and persistent fear or anxiety about a specific object or situation
  • may realise that its irrational, but still go to great lengths to avoid the stimulus
  • 12.5% of US population
  • Acrophobia - heights
  • aerophobia - flying
  • arachnophobia - spiders
  • claustrophobia - enclosed spaces
  • agoraphobia- fear of situations in which it might be difficult to escape (public transport, crowds)
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
13
Q

What are the 3 ways to acquiring a phobia?

A

1 classical conditioning
2 vicarious learning
3 verbal transmission of info

How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
14
Q

Social anxiety disorder

A
  • extreme and persistent fear/anxiety and avoidance of social situations in which the person could potentially be evaluated negatively by others, leading to serious impairments in life
  • associated with lower education, lower earning, unemployment
  • safety behaviours= mental or behavioural acts that reduce anxiety in social situations , eg avoiding eye contact
  • 12% of US population
  • comorbid with alcohol use disorder
  • behavioural inhibition = consistent tendency to show fear and restraint when presented with unfamiliar people or situations
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
15
Q

Panic disorder

A

recurrent and unexpected panic attacks, along with at least one month of persistent concern about additional panic attacks, worry over the consequences

  • comorbid with anxiety disorder or major depressive disorder
How well did you know this?
1
Not at all
2
3
4
5
Perfectly
16
Q

Causes of panic disorders

A
  • 43% genetics
  • locus coeruleus in brainstem -> major source of norepinephrine -> activation associated with anxiety and fear produces panic like symptoms
  • conditioning theories
  • cognitive theories -> interpreting ordinary bodily sensations catastrophically, setting the state for panic attacks
17
Q

generalised anxiety disorder

A

a relatively continuous state of excessive, uncontrollable and pointless worry and apprehension

  • symptoms occure more days than not for at least 6 months
  • accompanied by restlessness, diffulty concentrating, easily fatigued, muscle tension, irritability, sleep difficulties
  • 5-7% US population
  • females more likely affected
  • comorbid with mood disorders and other anxiety disorders
18
Q

Obsessive compulsive disorder OCD

A
  • thoughts and urges that are intrusive and unwanted and or the need to engage in repetitive behaviours or mental acts
  • obsession: persistent, unintentional, unwanted thoughts and urges
  • compulsions: repetitive and ritualistic acts, as a means to minimize distress that the obsessions trigger
    -> not performed out of pleasure
  • 2.3% US population
19
Q

Body dysmorphic disorder

A
  • preoccupation with a perceived flaw in the individuals physical appearance that is either nonexistent or barely noticeable to others
  • typically involves skin, face, hair
  • person engages in repetitive and ritualistic behavioural and mental acts -> looking in mirrors, trying to hide the body part, comparison with others etc
  • 2.4% US population
  • slightly higher in women than men
20
Q

OCD circuit

A

interconnected regions that influence perceived emotional value of stimuli and selection of behavioural and cognitive responses
-> abnormalities produce OCD symptoms

  • orbitofrontal cortex is involved in learning and decision making
    -> becomes hyperactive in OCD people when provoked
21
Q

major depressive disorder

A
  • loss of interest and pleasure, at least 5 symptoms for at least 2 weeks
  • symptoms cause distress or impair normal functioning and are not caused by substances or medical condition
  • episodic

symptoms:
- weight loss/gain
- difficulty falling asleep, too much sleep
- psychomotor agitation
- fatigue, loss of energy
- feelings of worthlessness, guilt
- concentration difficulty
- suicidal ideation

22
Q

What are the subtypes of depression?

A
  • seasonal pattern :
    symptoms during a particular time of year
  • peripartum onset (postpartum depression):
    during pregnancy or in four weeks after birth
  • persistent depressive disorder (dysthymia): most of the day nearly everyday for at least two years
23
Q

bipolar disorder

A

mood states that fluctuate between depression and mania

symptoms:
- talkative
- irritable
- flight of ideas -> talk loudly and rapidly, abrupty switchind topics
- easily distracted
- grandiosity: selfesteem inflated
- little need for sleep
- reckless behaviours

onset before age 25
1/100 in US
36% attempt suicide

24
Q

Cognitive Theory of Depression

A
  • suggest that depression is triggered by negative thoughts, interpretations, expectations, self-evaluations
  • Aaron Beck
    theorised that depression-prone people possess mental predispositions to think about most things in a negative way
  • depressive schemas: contain themes of loss, failure, rejection, worthlessness and inadequacy
    – may develop in childhood
    – dormant until activated by stressful life events
  • Hopelessness theory
    specific negative thinking style -> sense of hopelessness-> depression
  • Rumination
    distressed mood-> Rumination -> increased risk and duration of mood
25
Q

What is the hoplessness theory?

A
  • negative thinking refers to a tendency to perceive negative life events as having stable and global causes
    -> creates a view that life event will have negative implications for the future and self-worth
  • hopelessness; expectation that unpleasant outcomes will occur or desired outcomes will not occur and that theres nothing one can do to prevent it
26
Q

What is rumination?

A

repetitive and passive focus on the fact that one is depressed and dwelling on depressed symptoms, rather than distracting oneself from the symptoms or attempting to address them

  • women are more likely to ruminate than men
27
Q

What are the symptoms for schizophrenia?

A
  • hallucinations : occurs in absence of external stimuli (auditory most common)
  • delusions:
    – paranoid delusions: other people are plotting against them
    – grandiose delusions: one holds special power, unique knowledge
    – somatic delusions
    – thought withdrawal/insertion
  • disorganised thinking
  • disorganised or abnormal motor behavior
    – catatonic behaviours: decreased reactivity to environment
  • negative symptoms: decrease or absence in certain behaviours, emotions, drives
    – Avolition: lack of motivation
    –Alogia: reduced speech output
    – Asociality
    – Anhedonia: inability to experience pleasure
28
Q

Causes of schizophrenia

A

1% of US pop

  • genetics : risk is 6x higher if parent has it ( even adopted)
  • neurotransmitters:
    – overabundance in dopamine receptors
    – high dopamine -> hallucinations and delusions
    – low dopamine -> negative symptoms
  • biologically: enlarged ventricles, reduced gray matter in frontal lobes, reduced activity in frontal lobe
  • events during pregnancy: eg complications during birth, mothers exposure to influenza in 1st trimester, stess of mother
29
Q

What are dissociative disorders?

A

an individual becoming splitt off, dissociated from their core sense of self -> memory and identity become disturbed

  • dissociative amnesia
  • depersonalization/ derealization disorder
  • dissociative identity disorder
30
Q

dissociative amnesia

A

inability to recall important personal information

  • follows a stressful or traumatic experience
  • dissociative fugue: individual suddenly wanders away from home, experiences confusion about identity, may adopt a new identity
31
Q

Depersonalization/derealization disorder

A

recurring episodes of depersonalization, derealization or both

  • Depersonalization: feelings of unreality or unfamiliarity with oneself
  • Derealization: sense of unreality of unfamiliarity with the world
32
Q

Dissociative Identity disorder (multiple personality disorder)

A

individual exhibits two or more separate personalities or identities

  • memory gaps
  • tend to report history of childhood trauma -> multiple personality may be a coping mechanism for threat and danger
33
Q

Borderline personality disorder

A

instability in interpersonal relationships, self-image and mood

  • cant tolerate being alone
  • relationships are intense and unstable
  • unstable view of self
  • highly impulsive
  • intense and inappropriate anger
  • moody, sarcastic, bitter, verbally abusive
  • comorbid with anxiety, mood, and substance use disorder
34
Q

Antisocial personality disorder

A

complete lack of regard for other people’s right and feelings

  • illegal acts
  • lying
  • impulsivity
  • irritability and aggressiveness
  • failure to be responsible
  • lack of remorse
  • overinflated sense of self
  • superficial charm
  • lack to emphasize
  • more common in males
  • fail to show fear in response to environment cues that signal punishment, pain or noxious stimulation
35
Q

ADHD

A
  • neurodevelopmental disorder (personal, academic, intellectual functioning)
  • inattention
  • cant follow instructions
  • disorganisation
  • lack of attention to detail
  • easily distracted and forgetful
  • boys more likely
  • less dopamine activity in key brain regions
  • smaller frontal lobe volume and less activation when performing mental tasks
    -> frontal lobe inhibits behavior -> explains hyperactivity, uncontrolled behaviour
36
Q

Autism spectrum disorder

A
  • deficits in social interaction
  • deficits in communication
  • repetitive patterns of behaviour or interests
  • 1/88 children America
  • 5x more common in boys
  • genetic heritability -> genes for synaptic circuits that facilitate communication between different areas in the brain
  • environmental factors contribute to mutations
37
Q
A

Psychology (4 decks)

Brainscape helps you reach your goals faster, through stronger study habits.
© 2024 Bold Learning Solutions. Terms and Conditions