Psychological Disorders Flashcards
Biomedical approach
Therapy is focused around symptom reduction
- narrower than other approaches
- can miss things such as lifestyle causes
Biopsychosocial approach
Assumes that there are biological, psychological, and social components to an individuals disorder
-using indirect therapy and direct therapy
Direct therapy
treatment that acts directly on the individual
-meetings with a psychologist or medication….
Indirect therapy
Aims to increase social support by educating and empowering family members and friends of the patient
disorder with highest % affected
specific phobia
-then social anxiety and major depressive disorder
Schizophrenia - general description
Prototypical psychotic disorder
Need to show signs of disturbance for at least 6 months with at least one month of active symptoms
Positive symptoms
Behaviours, thoughts, feelings added to normal behaviour
- delusions & hallucinations (psychotic dimension)
- disorganized thought & behaviour (disorganized dimension)
Negative symptoms
Absence of normal behaviours
Delusions
False beliefs discordant with reality
- not shared by others in an individuals culture (must be deviant to be considered delusions)
- maintained despite evidence to the contrary
Delusions of reference
belief that common elements in the environment are directed at the individual
Delusions of persecution
Belief that the person is being deliberately interfered with or plotted against in some way
Delusions of grandeur
Belief that the person is special or remarkable in some way
*also present in Bipolar I
Thought broadcasting
Belief that one’s thoughts are being broadcast to the world
Thought insertion
Belief that thoughts are being placed into one’s head
Hallucinations
Perceptions that are not due to external stimuli but have a compelling sense of reality
Most common form of hallucination
Auditory
Disorganized thought
Characterized by a loosening of associations
-rapid shifting of ideas
Word salad - loss of structure to speech
Neologism
New words invented by someone with schizophrenia
Disorganized behaviour
Inability to carry out activities of daily living
-paying bills, keeping appointments etc.
Catatonia
Motor behaviours that are extreme in both senses
-either maintaining an extremely rigid posture or useless and bizarre movements
Echolalia
Repetition of another’s words
-form of catatonia
Echopraxia
Imitation of another’s actions
-form of catatonia
Negative symptoms
Include disturbances of affect and avolition
Affect
experience and display of emotion
Blunting
Severe reduction in the intensity of affect expression
downward drift hypothesis
Schizophrenia causes a decline in socioeconomic status
- this leads to worsening of symptoms
- begins a negative spiral towards poverty and psychosis
Flat affect
Virtually no signs of emotional expression
Inappropriate affect
Affect is clearly discordant with the content of the individuals speech
Avolition
Decreased engagement in purposeful-goal directed activities
Prodromal phase
Period before a diagnosis of schizophrenia
- marked with poor adjustment, social withdrawal, peculiar behaviour, inappropriate affect
- followed by a period of active symptoms
note: if onset is quicker, prognosis is better
Major depressive disorder
Mood disorder categorized by at least 1 major depressive episode -period of at least 2 weeks of 5 of the following •prominent and persistant depressed mood* •anhedonia * •appetite disturbances •decreased energy •feelings of worthlessness •substantial weight changes •sleep disturbances •difficulty concentrating or thinking •psychomotor symptoms •thoughts of death or suicide
Dysthymia
Depressed mood not severe enough to meet the criteria for a major depressive episode
anhedonia
loss of pleasure or interest in activities once found enjoyable
Persistant depressive disorder
Individuals who suffer from dysthymia most of the time during a 2 year period
Also applies to individuals suffering from MDD for 2+ years
Seasonal affective disorder
Major depressive disorder with seasonal onset
- may be related to abnormal melatonin metabolism
- can be treated with bright light therapy