Psychological Disorders Flashcards
What is abnormal?
- statistically infrequent
- deviation from social norms
- failure to function adequately
- deviation from ideal mental health
- cultural relativism (ex. men kissing, barking)
DSM-V Definition of a Psych Disorder
-statistically infrequent
-causing significant impairment and distress
-cultural differences should be considered before diagnosis
(impairs social life, thinking, everyday behavior which often causes distress)
-clinically significant and requires treatment
History said if you have a disorder then..
your mind was taken by Gods
Trephination
- remove piece of skull to release evil spirits
- some people got better because of the placebo effect and others got better because pressure in the brain was relieved
Wandering Uterus
-Ancient Egyptians, Greeks
-uterus is not in the right place so its not getting the right nourishment
-Hysteria
-conversion disorder
-Cause: sexual deprivation (nuns and virgins)
-Treatment: sex
(real causes could include the tight and heavy clothing)
Phrenology
- can tell someone’s personality
- diagnose someone based on the bumps on their head
Witchcraft
-Psychological disorders liked to salem witch trials
Asylums
- no treatment
- can’t take care of themselves
- individuals who were safer if removed from society
- put on display so people would pay to see them
Diagnostics Statistical Manual
Lists disorders approved by the American Psychiatric Association stating their causes, statistics, age of onset, prognosis, some treatment
-used by mental health professionals and insurance companies which causes many issues because they are not professionals in that area and cannot state when someone is cured and no longer needs treatment
Testing Methods
- clinical interviews
- projective tests: Rorschach Inkblots
- MMPI-2: personality disorders and psycholopathology
- Beck’s Depression Inventory: levels of depression
Schizophrenia Prevalence & Definition
-prevalence: DSM 1%
-gender differences in development: more common in males teens to early 20s, more common in females late 20s to early 30s
-earlier onset associated with poorer outcomes (Jani)
“Split mind”= mind is split from reality
No subtypes
Schizophrenia: Diagnostic Criteria
Core symptoms: delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech, motor control, negative symptoms
Social/occupational functioning
Durations: at least 6 months of disturbance, 1 month of symptoms
Hallucinations and Delusions
Hallucinations: perceptions w/o external source that could be auditory, visual, smell. bodily sensation
Delusions: beliefs that are fixed even when evidence against it, persecutory (believe someone is out there watching you), grandiose (believe you’re extremely special with powers)
Schizophrenia Symptoms
Positive: hallucinations, disorganized speech, delusions, disorganized or abnormal motor control
Negative: diminished emotional expression, avolition (lack of motivation/drive)
Schizophrenia Causes
Past: Schizophrenic mother who rejects the child but also isolates them
Present: Genetics (twin and family studies show increased risk), Dopamine/feeling of pleasure & movement receptors (interfere with receptors, decrease in positive symptoms, dopamine-> amphetamines, environmental factors (unknown which ones)
Schizophrenia Treatment
Meds: Antipsychotic (1st gen), atypical antipsychotic (2nd gen)
Family Therapy
CBT
Dissociative Identity Disorder prevalence
(Multiple Personality Disorder)
0.1-1% of population
More common in women but may be due to denial of symptoms or trauma by men b/c of gender stereotypes
Most have at least 3 other disorders
DID Symptoms and Diagnosis
Alters: other personalities that have developed
child alter- victim
persecutory- aggressive
protector/helper- knows all alters, protects hosts, psychologist wants to talk to this alter
host- main personality, unaware of alters at first
Amnesia periods: loss of time
Self-destructive behaviors: increase in suicide
Culture: rarely diagnosed before 1980, more frequent in US, Europe, India, Japan, not every culture believes this is a disorder
DID Causes
- Abuse: physical and sexual
- Biological: possible genetic vulnerability but may not be specifically inherited
DID Treatment
Goal: integrate all personalities into one cohesive personality
- hypnosis: talk to each alter individually
- pharmacotherapy
- CBT
Bipolar Disorder Definition and Prevalence
Extreme mood swings and changes in energy level
-manic episodes: euphoria, grandiosity, forced speech, racing thoughts
-hypomanic episodes: similar to manic but not as severe
-major depressive episodes: sadness, loss of interest, fatigue, hopelessness
Prevalence: same rate for gender, late teens/early 20s
Bipolar Diagnosis
Bipolar I, Bipolar II, Mixed Bipolar, Cyclothymic
Bipolar Causes
Genetic: mood disorder (not just bipolar) present in family member
Brain Structure + Function: neurotransmitters
Environmental: major life events
Bipolar Treatment
- pharmacotherapy: mood stabilizers, atypical antipsychotics
- psychotherapy: CBT (get ppl to recognize their thoughts in order to change them)
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder: Def and Prevalence
- Repeated unwanted thoughts that lead to repetitive behaviors: obsessions and compulsions
- Prevalence: 1.2% in US, ~19.5 years old, 25% before age of 14
OCD Diagnosis
- must have excessive and irrational obsessions and compulsions that interfere with daily life
- irrational/negative thoughts cause anxiety and the compulsions reduce the anxiety
OCD Causes
- temperamental, environment, genetic?
- low level of serotonin
- learned behaviors: learned from parents and got out of control
- triggers: loss within family
OCD Treatment
Psychotherapy: CBT, systematic desensitization or exposure therapy (like the woman afraid of feathers)
Medication: selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor (if find low serotonin levels in the individual)
OCD Spectrum Disorder
More specific focus of obsessions and compulsions
- body dysmorphic disorder
- skin picking
- trichotillomania
- compulsive hoarding
- hypochondriasis (constantly think you’re getting sick)
- stereotypes of disorder, each person is unique and b/c it is a spectrum disorder may have milder forms
Autism Spectrum Disorder/Neurodevelopmental Disorder
- severe and lasting impairment in developmental areas
- social interactions, repetitive behaviors & activities
Autism Prevalence
- Avg: 1 in 500
- boys outnumber girls: 3 to 1 but girls are more severely affected
- some may outgrow autism… misdiagnosed
Autism Diagnosis
- Deficits in social interactions: includes deficits in social communication
- repetitive behaviors, activities & interests
- may show deficits before age of 3, must impair fucntioning, different severity levels depending on need for support
Autism Deficits in Social Interaction and Communication
- Little use of nonverbal behaviors: eye contact, facial reaction, body posture, gestures
- Unusual, delayed, or absent language: echolalia (echoing or repeating things just heard)
- Failure to develop peer relationships: lack of make-believe play
- Social-emotional reciprocity: trouble initiating or maintaining conversation, trouble sharing emotions
Autism Deficits in Repetitive Behaviors & Interests
- Adherence to routine & rituals
- Repetitive movement: head banging and hand flapping
- Preoccupation w/ parts of objects or unusual use of objects/toys
- Highly focused on sensory input: may react negatively to sound or touch, may be drawn to certain sensations
Autism Causes
Then: Refrigerator mother- cold, distant, uncaring mother causing child to retreat inward
Now: Genetic, deficits in Theory of Mind (don’t develop or have delayed Theory of Mind so they don’t understand the point of communication), environmental
Autism Treatment
- Medication? Used to help reduce symptoms to make other therapies effective
- Psychosocial therapy: modeling, reinforcement
- Structured educational services
