Psychological Disorders

Question 1

Describe the mental illness/disorders and main signs: agoraphobia

Answer 1

*People who don’t leave their homes due to fear to leave an environment in which they consider to be safe.

Question 2

Describe the mental illness/disorders and main signs: health anxiety

Answer 2

*Fear or preoccupation with the belief that one has or is in danger of developing a serious illness.

*Aka illness anxiety disorder

Question 3

Describe the mental illness/disorders and main signs: OCD

Answer 3

*Recurrent unwanted and intrusive thoughts, fears, urges while compulsions are behaviours that an individual feels driven to perform in response to an obsession.

Question 4

Describe the mental illness/disorders and main signs: major depressive

Answer 4

*Major Depressive - suicidal behaviours

*Characterised by physcial symptoms and negative thought ; changes in appetite, difficulty concentrating and irritability.

Question 5

Describe the mental illness/disorders and main signs: bipolar

Answer 5

*Mania - distinct period of high energy and increase activity

*Depression - opposite of mania

*Bipolar II - Hypomania (less intense experience of mania)

Question 6

Describe the mental illness/disorders and main signs: schizophrenia spectrum

Answer 6

*Severe and persistent symptoms that impair ability to maintain contact with reality, think and communicate effectively.

Question 7

Describe the mental illness/disorders and main signs: PTSD

Answer 7

*Individual experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event.

*Caused by exposure to trauma and stress.

*Adjustment disorder

Question 8

Describe the mental illness/disorders and main signs: anorexia

Answer 8

*are about body weight, size and shape

Question 9

Describe the mental illness/disorders and main signs: bulimia

Answer 9

*are about body weight, size and shape

Question 10

Describe the mental illness/disorders and main signs: binge-eating

Answer 10

*are about body weight, size and shape

Question 11

Describe the mental illness/disorders and main signs: factitious

Answer 11

*Munchausen Syndrome

*No medical explanation and intense focus on symptoms of physical illness or pain.

*A person knowingly and deliberately causes themselves or another person to be physically ill or injured.

Question 12

Describe the mental illness/disorders and main signs: elimination

Answer 12

*Elimination of piss and shit in places other than the toilet.

*Diagnosed in children that are potty trained.

Question 13

Describe the mental illness/disorders and main signs: encopresis

Answer 13

*Encopresis - chronic constipation and fear of pain associated with defecation.

*Lack of bladder of bowel control when person should be developmentally capable of control.

Question 14

Describe the mental illness/disorders and main signs: sleep-wake disorders

Answer 14

*Insomnia - people don’t get enough sleep.

*Parasomnia - people get too much sleep.

Signs - impairment, fatigue, lack of cognitive focus and mood decline.

Question 15

Describe the mental illness/disorders and main signs: sexual dysfunctions

Answer 15

*Arousal
*Orgasm
*Pain

Question 16

Describe the mental illness/disorders and main signs: gender dysphoria

Answer 16

*Distress, discomfort or anxiety about one’s gender

*Wish to be another gender or transition genders

Question 17

Describe the mental illness/disorders and main signs: conduct

Question 18

Describe the mental illness/disorders and main signs: autism spectrum

Answer 18

*Neurodevelopmental disorder.

*Varying levels of impairments to social, emotional and behavioural processes and communication.

Question 19

Describe the mental illness/disorders and main signs: substance-related disorders

Answer 19

*Addiction - repeated and compulsive engagement in activities that bring immediate pleasure despite long-term negative outcomes

*Are substance related or behavioural (e.g. alcohol, drugs and gambling)

Question 20

Describe the mental illness/disorders and main signs: Alzheimer’s disease

Answer 20

*AD - Genetic mutation in brain cells

*Affects how brain processes information

*Disorder is acquired

*Attributable to brain injury, disease or substance/medication use.

Question 21

Describe the mental illness/disorders and main signs: personality (A,B,C)

Answer 21

*A - odd and eccentric behaviours

*B - dramatic, emotional and erratic behaviours

*C - anxious and fearful behaviours

Question 22

Describe the mental illness/disorders and main signs: borderline personality

Answer 22

*Instability in interpersonal relationships, self-image and emotion. Moods change quickly and engages in impulsive behaviours to calm themselves down.

*Antisocial personality disorder

*Narcissistic personality disorder

Question 23

Describe the criteria of psychological disorders (4 Ds)

Answer 23

*Deviance - behaviours, thoughts, and feelings that are not in line with normal/usually accepted behaviours

*Distress - behaviours, thoughts, and feelings that are upsetting and cause pain/suffering

*Dysfunction - thoughts, and feelings are disruptive to one’s regular routine or interfere with day-today functioning.

*Danger - thoughts, and feelings may lead to harm or injury to self or others.

Question 24

Define the following concepts: anxiety, hypomania, mania, comorbidity, stigma.

Answer 24

*Stigma (mental health) - misunderstandings of psychological disorders can perpetuate stigma.

*Mania - Behaviour increases to abnormally high levels.

*Anxiety - excessive fear and anxiety; phobias, social anxiety, agoraphobia, panic disorder and generalised anxiety disorder.

*Comorbidity - More than one mental disorder exists alongside a primary diagnosis.

Question 25

Name the model currently in use to understand psychological disorders and its components

Answer 25

Biopsychosocial Model:

*Not one single factor or event causes psychological disorder

*Biology - Physical health, genetic vulnerabilities and drug effects.

*Social - Peers, family circumstances and family relationships

*Psychological - Coping and social skills, family relationships, self-esteem and mental health.