Psychological Disorders Flashcards

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1
Q

what are the 4 factors which can be used to establish abnormalities

A

1) Statistical Abnormality
2) Nonconformity
3) Subjective Discomfort
4) Maladaptive Behaviour

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2
Q

what is statistical abnormality?

A

refers to scoring very high or low on some dimension such as intelligence, anxiety or depression

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3
Q

explain nonconformity

A

disobeying public standards for acceptable conduct

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4
Q

explain subjective discomfort

A

private feelings of pain, unhappiness or emotional distress

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5
Q

explain maladaptive behaviour

A

behaviour which arises from an underlying psychological or biological dysfunction that makes it difficult to adapt to the environment and meet the demands of day-to-day life

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6
Q

what is the term Comorbid mean

A

when a person has two or more mental disorders at the same time

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7
Q

explain the difference between positive and negative symptoms

A

positive = delusions and hallucinations

negative = absence or deficiencies compared to positive symptoms (lack of emotion)

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8
Q

what is an issue that clinicians face when trying to use symptoms to make a diagnosis?

A

some symptoms may go unnoticed when trying to get a diagnosis

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9
Q

what are some reasons for making changes to diagnostic categories in the DSM-5

A

1) social norms and thoughts from people with the disorder

2) some things in the past have been classified as a disorder when they are not which can be damaging for individuals (Gender Identity Disorder)

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10
Q

what can psychological labeling lead to?

A

prejudice and discrimination

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11
Q

define the term insanity

A

a legal term that refers to a mental inability to manage ones affairs or to be aware of the consequences of ones actions

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12
Q

distinguish between a defence of not guilty by reason of insanity vs. not guilty by reason of diminished responsibility

A

1) Not guilty by reason of insanity - due to a diagnosed mental disorder, the person was unable to understand what they were doing

2) not guilty due to diminished responsibility - someone with brain damage or intellectual disability can plead this as they didn’t understand what they were doing

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13
Q

what are the two factors which cause mental illnesses

A

1) biological
2) psychosocial

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14
Q

explain the three reasons under the biological factor of mental illness

A

1) organic - tumours or normal influences

2) environmental - head injuries which are caused by an accident

3) genetic - some mental disorders can be passed down through genetics (there are 128 gene variations. which can cause schizophrenia)

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15
Q

explain the two reasons under the psychosocial factor of mental illness

A

1) psychological - psychological trauma can contribute to mental health disorders

2) social - social conditions impacting mental health - (poverty, stressful living conditions, homelessness, etc)

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16
Q

what is meant by the term stress-vulnerability model

A
  • various combinations of vulnerability and stress may produce psychological problems
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17
Q

define the term psychosis

A

involve a loss of contact with shared views of reality (one of the most serious mental disorders)

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18
Q

what are the general characteristics

A
  • Delusions
  • hallucinations
  • disturbed thoughts
  • speech
  • motor behaviour
  • social/emotional isolation
19
Q

define delusional disorder

A

the presence of deeply held false beliefs called delusions

20
Q

what are the 5 types of delusions

A

1) Erotomania
- people believe they are loved by another person (famous or high status)

2) Grandiose
- they believe they have a talent of some sort

3) Jealous
- being jealous of someone - thinking spouse is unfaithful

4) persecutory
- they believe that you are being conspired against

5) Somatic
- believe something is wrong with their body (infested, diseased, rotting)

21
Q

what is paranoid psychosis

A
  • paranoid psychosis is the most common delusional disorder
  • paranoid psychosis centres on persecutory-type delusions
22
Q

what is schizophrenia

A

a disorder characterized by disturbance in thought, perceptions, emotions and behaviour

23
Q

identify and explain the 4 main symptoms of schizophrenia

A

1) Disturbed Thinking = hard for people to focus on one item of information (related to selective attention)

2) Disturbed Perception = Hallucinations

3) Disturbed Emotions = emotions become inappropriate or blunt

4) Disturbed Behaviour = withdrawal from others, loss of interest, breakdowns

24
Q

identify and explain the 4 cause/risk factors of schizophrenia

A

1) prenatal = women who experience the flu Orr rubella are more likely to have a child with schizophrenia

2) Psychosocial = often people with schizophrenia have experienced psychological trauma

3) Genetics = there are some genes which people can have, making them more likely to develop schizophrenia

4) brain functioning = brain imaging has proven that the brain of people with schizophrenia is smaller and shrinks compared to someone who doesn’t have schizophrenia

25
Q

explain mood disorders

A
  • the presence of unusual disturbance in the emotions
  • most common and most serious disorders
  • ex. depressive disorder and bipolar disorder
26
Q

what are some characteristics of depressive disorders

A
  • sadness
  • hopelessness
  • no ability to take interest in something
27
Q

explain the three different types of depressive disorders

A

1) Persistent Depressive Disorder = moderate depression which lasts for 2 or more years

2) Major Depressive Disorder = mood disorder in which a person has suffered from 1 or more intense episode of depression

3) Seasonal Affect Disorder (major depressive Disorder with Seasonal Pattern) = depression only occurs in fall and winter - due to lack of sunlight

28
Q

explain bipolar

A
  • mood disorder characterized by alternating periods of mania and depression
29
Q

explain the three different types of bipolar disorder

A

1) Cyclothymic Disorder = moderate manic and depressive behaviour which lasts 2 or more years

2) Bipolar 1 = a mood disorder in which someone has episodes of mania (excited, hyper, energetic) and also periods of depression

3) Bipolar 11 = a mood disorder in which a person in mostly depressed but also has 1 or more episodes of mania

30
Q

explain the two causes of mood disorders

A

1) Biology = moods disorders can be heredity

2) Gender = women are more likely to have mood disorders

31
Q

what is a risk factor that can contribute to an increased likelihood of suicide

A
  • family history of suicide
  • the availability of firearm
  • feeling hopeless or worthless
32
Q

what are some of the warning signs that may signal someone is considering suicide

A
  • depression
  • rage/anger
  • alcohol/drug use
  • withdrawal from other people
33
Q

how can you help someone who is considering suicide

A
  • offer support
  • be caring
  • call for help
34
Q

what are personality disorders

A
  • long standing inflexible ways of behaving that creates a variety of problems
35
Q

explain the link between antisocial personality disorder and psychopathy

A
  • Anti-social behaviour = lack of empathy disregard for social interactions
  • psychopaths = extreme form of anti-social behaviour
36
Q

describe the general characteristics of a psychopath

A
  • using other people
  • self centred
  • manipulative
37
Q

what is the cause of antisocial personality disorder

A
  • neurological problems
38
Q

explain the general characteristics of anxiety disorders

A
  • high levels of anxiety, restrictive, self-defeating behaviour pattern
  • a tendency to use elaborate defence mechanisms or avoidance responses to get through the day
  • feelings of stress, insecurity and dissatisfaction with life
39
Q

explain the 3 types of anxiety disorder

A

1) Generalized Anxiety Disorder = psychological disorder characterized by constant exaggerated worries

2) Panic Disorders = chronic state of anxiety, with brief moments of sudden, intense and unexpected panic

3) Phobias
- Agoraphobia = the fear that something embarrassing will happen if one leaves their house

  • Social Anxiety disorder = the fear of being observed or humiliated by others in a social situation
  • Specific Phobia = fear of a specific object or situation
40
Q

explain the 4 different theoretical perspectives on anxiety disorders

A

1) psychodynamic = the belief that these disorder stem from conflict in subparts of personality (id, ego and superego)

41
Q

explain OCD and Hoarding Disorder

A

OCD = your thoughts make you extremely nervous and you repeat certain actions or routines

Hoarding Disorder = you collect things and have a hard time giving them away

42
Q

Explain trauma and stressor-related disorders

A
  • Adjustment Disorder = a normal life event will trigger anxiety or depression
  • Acute Stress Disorder = you have been tormented for less then a month due to events you have experienced

PTSD = you are tormented for more then a month due to events you have experienced

43
Q

explain the two dissociative disorders

A

1) Dissociative Amnesia = unable to remember name, address or past - causes someone to be confused about who they are

2) Dissociative Identity Disorder = having 2 or more separate personality/identity states

44
Q

Explain Somatic symptom and related disorders

A

1) Somatic Symptom Disorder = preoccupied with bodily function or diseases

2) Factitious Disorder = faking medical problems to gain attention

3) Conversion Disorder = converting emotional conflicts into physical disabilities