Psychological Disorders Flashcards
What is a psychological disorder?
The characteristic pattern of abnormal thoughts, feelings, or behaviours, which causes distress for the afflicted individual and impairs his or her daily life.
What must a deviant behaviour also be considered for it to be considered a disorder?
Distressful to the point of dysfunction
What do mental health workers typically use as an authority to reference to diagnose psychological disorders?
Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (DSM)
Why was the DSM created?
To collect statistical data and help standardise the classification of disorders by providing detailed descriptions of relevant symptoms
How does the DSM focus on why disorders develop or how to treat them?
It does not focus on why disorders develop or how to treat them?
What does the DSM do?
Aids an often difficult and subjective diagnosis process
What are the two main types of approaches that affect how particular disorder is treated?
Biomedical approach and biopsychosocial approach
What is the goal of The biomedical approach and the biopsychosocial approach?
Same goal; to improve the patient’s well-being
How do the biomedical approach and the biopsychosocial differ in perspective?
Each model has different perspectives on the relevant factors contributing to the disorder and the scope of remedies required for treatment
Is the biomedical approach or the biopsychosocial approach the standard model used today?
Biomedical approach
What does the biomedical approach assume?
Assumes that all the stress and disability are grounded primarily in certain biomedical factors
What do professionals who use the biomedical approach focus on?
Focus on identifying and correcting the pathology to provide symptom relief
Is the biomedical approach or the biopsychosocial approach well suited for simple or straightforward disorders were diagnostic tests are useful and that causes are well understood?
Biomedical approach
Does the biomedical approach or the biopsychosocial approach fail to acknowledge external factors that may be relevant to the disorder?
Biomedical approach
Is the biomedical approach or the biopsychosocial approach often considered to be narrower than other approaches and fairly limited in its overall effectiveness when dealing with complex psychological disorders?
Biomedical approach
Is the biopsychosocial approach or the biomedical approach the much broader model of evaluating psychological disorders?
Biopsychosocial approach
What does the biopsychosocial approach assume?
Assumes that there are important psychological and social components to any disorder in addition to biological influences
What does the biological component of the biomedical approach in the biopsychosocial approach include?
Includes any evolutionary, structural, or genetic influences
What does the psychological component of the biopsychosocial approach include?
The individuals attitudes, beliefs, emotions, and behaviours that are related to the disorder
What does the social component of the biopsychosocial approach include?
Encompasses the socio-economic, socio-environmental, and cultural factors that influence one’s perception of their disorder
Is the biomedical approach or the biopsychosocial approach a more holistic and individualised approach used to diagnose and treat psychological disorders?
Biopsychosocial approach
What is prevalence in psychological disorders?
The proportion of individuals in a population that either have or have had a particular mental disorder
What are the seven most important psychological disorders on the MCAT?
Anxiety disorders, depressive disorders, somatoform disorders, associative disorders, personality disorders, schizophrenia, and Parkinson’s disease
What is anxiety?
A state of inner turmoil characterised by nervousness, worry, and unease
When individuals anxiety begins to interfere with normal living and lasts for at least six months, what is he or she diagnosed with?
An anxiety disorder
Well the exact cause of anxiety disorders is unknown, they are most often associated with _____.
Chronic stress
Chronic environmental stressors can lead to physiological changes in what two places?
Body and mind
What are the five main types of anxiety disorders?
1) generalised anxiety disorder
2) panic disorder
3) phobic disorders
4) obsessive compulsive disorder
5) post traumatic stress disorder
What is a mental illness characterised by feelings of anxiety that are out of proportion with the individuals everyday problems?
Generalised anxiety disorder
What is GAD usually accompanied with?
Depression
Does GAD prevent an individual from having a normal career and life?
No, but it makes things very difficult
What disorder is marked by repeated panic attacks that cripple normal living?
Panic disorder
What is a panic attack?
The unexpected, sudden onset of terror, and increased heart rate, faintness, weakness, and tingling in the hands
What a panic attack’s often mistaken for?
Heart attacks
When can panic attacks occur?When do they begin?
Any time in life and usually begin in late adolescence
What disorder is a type of anxiety disorder characterised by an extreme, irrational fear towards a specific stimulus?
Phobic disorders
What does a person suffering from a phobic disorders do?
Goes to great lengths in order to avoid the stimulus, which usually causes distress and impairment
What are the five most common phobic disorders? What do they mean?
1) agoraphobia – fear of open space
2) claustrophobia – fear of confined space
3) acrophobia – fear of heights
4) arachnophobia – fear of spiders
5) Haemophobia – fear of blood
What type of therapy focuses on the patient’s own realisation of their irrational and dysfunctional thoughts (phobias)?
Cognitive behavioural therapy
How to systematic desensitisation work to cure phobias?
Gradually exposes the individual to the stimulus they are afraid of
What is a type of anxiety disorder characterised by repetitive obsessions and compulsions?
Obsessive – compulsive disorder
What is an obsession in OCD?
Unreasonable and repeated thought that leads to compulsions
What is a compulsion in OCD?
Repeated behaviour is aimed at reducing anxiety
Is a person who suffers from OCD likely aware of their disorder?
Maybe aware of their irrational behaviour, but restricting their compulsions often only increases the feelings of anxiety
In OCD, Typically __ Centre on particular themes that characterise the ______
Obsessions; compulsions
What anxiety disorder develops after a person is exposed to a dramatic event?
Post traumatic stress disorder
Well many people experience terrifying events that require coping mechanisms, people suffering from PTSD experience symptoms on the order of _____ that interfere with their ____ _____.
Years; daily lives
The symptoms of distressing flashbacks, difficulty sleeping, emotional numbness, loss of interest in activities once enjoyed, hopelessness, difficulty maintaining relationships, irritability, and aggressiveness, and self-destructive behaviour signal what anxiety disorder?
Post traumatic stress disorder
Symptoms of PTSD usually emerge within what time length of the initial stressor? How long must these last to be considered PTSD?
Three months of the initial stressor; must last longer than a month
What is PTSD often accompanied with?
Depression and substance abuse
How are anxiety disorders generally treated?
A combination of medications and psychotherapy
What are the most common medications given to those suffering from anxiety disorders?
Antidepressants, anti-anxiety drugs, and beta blockers
What is another term for anti-anxiety drugs?
Benzodiazepines
What do benzodiazepines do?
Help combat anxiety
What is the function of beta blockers?
Help prevent the physical symptoms associated with anxiety
What is the main treatment of psychotherapy for anxiety disorders?
Cognitive behavioural therapy
What do people who suffer from depressive disorders experience?
Anhedonia
What is another term for depressive disorders?
Mood disorders
What is anhedonia?
A loss of the capacity to experience pleasure
What are the most common symptoms of depressive disorders?
1) persistent sadness
2) hopelessness
3) irritability
4) loss of interest in activities that were once enjoyed
5) fatigue
6) changes in eating habits
7) . Decreased libido
8) thoughts of suicide or suicide attempts
What are the three major depressive disorders?
1) major depression
2) persistent depressive disorders
3) bipolar disorder
What is another name for major depression?
Clinical depression
What is major depression?
A mental illness characterised by multiple severe symptoms of depression that last for the majority of the time for at least two weeks
People suffering from what depressive disorder have a low mood and lack of interest in activities that wants seeing enjoyable?
Major depression
What three areas does major depression influence?
Thinking, perception, and behaviour
What is another term for persistent depressive disorder?
Dysthymia
What is persistent depressive disorder?
A depressed mood that lasts the majority of the time for two or more years
Although major depression may occur only once, most people are afflicted with several episodes of what throughout their lives?
Depression
For a person to have persistent depressive disorder, they must have two of what six characteristics?
1) change in appetite
2) sleep too much or too little
3) fatigue
4) low self esteem
5) trouble concentrating
6) hopelessness
People with persistent depressive disorder also experience periodic episodes of what?
Major depression
What is another term for bipolar disorder?
Manic depressive illness
What is bipolar disorder characterised by?
Safely intense mood changes that off and again dream late adolescence or early adulthood
What is the range of moods for a person suffering from bipolar disorder?
Extreme highs and extreme lows
What extreme highs in bipolar disorder?
Mania
What extreme lows in bipolar disorder?
Depression
What are examples of low mood symptoms in bipolar disorder?
Lack of interest in activities that one seemed enjoyable
What are examples of high mood symptoms in bipolar disorder?
Feelings of joy and happiness, restlessness and impulsivity
Between highs and lows in bipolar disorder, what symptoms do people possess?
No symptoms
What is a mild form of bipolar disorder characterised by episodes of hypomania and depression lasting for at least two years?
Cyclothymia
What is hypomania?
Less severe episode of mania in which a person is highly productive, energised, and happy to a degree that is out of proportion to the individuals normal mood
What is the treatment for bipolar disorder?
No cure but rather to control mood swings
What drugs are used to treat bipolar disorder?
Mood Stabilisers, atypical antipsychotics, antidepressants, and psychotherapy
Depressive disorder is caused by a combination of what four factors?
Psychological, biological, genetic, and environmental factors
Do individual is suffering from depression tend to have overall enlargements or reductions in brain size and other brain structures?
Reduction
What is the hippocampus responsible for?
Long-term memory formation and recall
Depressive disorder is our associated with what specific smaller brain structure?
Hippocampus
Prolonged exposure to stress hormones decreases neuronal growth within what brain structure?
Hippocampus
What does the Monoamine theory of depression contend?
Contends that the mood disorder is associated with decreased activity of serotonin, noradrenaline, and dopamine
What three neurotransmitters are associated with the Monoamine theory of depression?
Serotonin, noradrenaline, and dopamine
Where is serotonin released from in the Monoamine theory of depression?
Raphne nuclei
Where is noradrenaline released from in the Monoamine theory of depression?
Locus coeruleus
Where is dopamine released from in the Monoamine theory of depression?
Ventral tegmental area
What three brain structures contributing to depression are abnormal in the Monoamine theory of depression?
Raphe nuclei, locus ventral tegmental area
Are antidepressants almost all agonists or antagonists of serotonin, noradrenaline, and dopamine? What does this support?
Agonists; supports the idea that depressive disorders are caused by deficits in Monoamines
Those who suffered from clinical depression without treatment reveal increased numbers of what types of receptors?
Serotonin, noradrenaline, and dopamine
When the body attempt to compensate for neurotransmitter deficits, what does it do?
Increases the number of receptors for that neurotransmitter
What does the neuroplasticity theory of depression propose?
Proposes that the processes associated with the neurons ability to adapt are disrupted in depressive disorders
What are somatoform disorders?
A physiological disorder characterised by physical symptoms that cannot be attributed to a physical cause, substance abuse, or other mental illness
Are the symptoms of a somatic form disorder real?
They are real and can disrupt a person’s functioning
What are five types of somatoform disorders?
1) somatization disorder
2) conversion disorder
3) hypochondriasis
4) body dysmorphic disorders
5) pain disorders
What is a somatization disorder?
A long-term condition characterised by physical symptoms in more than one part of the body without physical cause
What is a conversion disorder?
A condition in which neurological symptoms appear without medical cause
What is hypochondriasis?
A mental illness in which people believe that they suffer from a serious illness in the absence of an actual medical condition
What is body dysmorphic disorder?
A psychological disorder characterised by an excessive concern over a physical flaw
What is a pain disorder?
A psychological condition marked by chronic pain in one or more areas of the body without neurological or physiological basis
What is a dissociative disorder?
Disruption of memory, awareness, identity, or perception
When does a dissociative disorder develop?
Developed following a psychologically traumatic experience, usually during childhood
Why do dissociative disorders develop?
To keep harmful, self-damaging thoughts are of the conscious mind
What are the three types of dissociative disorders?
1) dissociative identity disorder
2) dissociative amnesia
3) depersonalisation disorders
What is another name for dissociative identity disorder?
Multiple personality disorder
What is dissociative identity disorder?
A mental disorder characterised by two or more distinct identities that alternatively control a person’s behaviour
Why do dissociative identities develop?
Physical and/or sexual childhood abuse
What does dissociated identity disorder serve as?
A coping mechanism to dissociate the trauma (abuse) from one’s consciousness
What disease is characterised by lapses in memory, time loss, mood swings, sleep disorders, anxiety, and suicidal tendencies?
Dissociative identity disorder
What is dissociative amnesia?
Severe impairment of memory recall
When does dissociative amnesia begin?
Following a stressful or traumatic event
What disorder is characterised by an inability to remember information about one’s self and past experiences, which can last on the order of minutes to years?
Dissociative amnesia
How does dissociative amnesia differ from regular amnesia?
Amnesia is due to ageing or brain injury, in dissociative amnesia, The memories are still present, just temporarily inaccessible
What are depersonalisation disorder is marked by?
Recurrent detachment from one’s self or surroundings
What disorder is characterised by a feeling that you are watching yourself from outside your body or that the things around you are not real?
Depersonalisation disorder
Why does depersonalisation disorder develop?
Severe trauma
According to the DSM, what is a personality disorder?
A persistent, inflexible, and maladaptive patterns of behaviour that deviates dramatically from what is culturally expected
Because personality disorder is our chronic and constantly expressed, they often cause what three negative effects?
1) distress
2) diminished impulse control
3) impaired emotional and interpersonal activity
When do personality disorders tend to develop?
During adolescence and early adulthood
Why are personality disorders caused?
Early trauma and genetics
Before a personality disorder can be properly diagnosed what factors must be ruled out?
Potentially causative factors such as substance abuse, dissociative and anxiety disorders
What are the three main types of personality disorder clusters?
Cluster A–odd and eccentric
Cluster B– dramatic and emotional
Cluster C–anxious and fearful
What personality disorders are included in cluster A?
Odd and Eccentric
1) paranoid
2) schizoid
3) schizotypal
What is a paranoid personality disorder characterised by?
Pervasive suspicion and distrust of others
What is a schizoid personality disorder?
A personality characterised by a deeply detached, unemotional, and introspective lifestyle
What personality cluster is a schizoid personality disorder?
Cluster A
What personality cluster is a paranoid personality disorder?
Cluster A
What personality cluster is a schizotypal personality disorder?
Cluster A
What type of personality disorder and cluster is characterised by individuals who are often apathetic with few close friends and poor social skills?
Schizoid personality disorder; cluster A
What is schizotypal personality disorder typically characterised by?
Eccentric behaviours and perceptions, social anxiety, and magical thinking
What is magical thinking in schizotypal personality disorder?
Beliefs that are grounded and fantasy or superstition
What are the four personality disorders in cluster B?
1) antisocial
2) borderline
3) histrionic
4) narcissistic
Is antisocial personality disorder and more common in males or females?
Males
What is antisocial personality disorder characterised by?
Disregard for others, impulsive and aggressive behaviour, and a marked lack of conscience
Patients with antisocial personalities are commonly referred to as?
Sociopaths or psychopaths
Serial killers and animal abusers often display what type of personality?
Antisocial personality
Is borderline personality disorder more common in males or females?
Females
What characterises borderline personality disorder?
Unstable mood, behaviours, self image, and emotions
What is notable about borderline personality disorder relationships?
Patients often have dramatic and Unstable relationships as well as a strong fear of abandonment
What personality disorder is characterised by people who constantly seek attention, are easily susceptible to peer pressure, and possess dramatic, but shallow and rapidly changing emotions?
Histrionic personality disorder
What is narcissistic personality disorder characterised by?
A lack of empathy, sense of entitlement, and inflated sense of self importance
What personality cluster is an antisocial personality disorder?
Cluster B
What personality cluster is a borderline personality disorder?
Cluster B
What personality cluster is a histrionic personality disorder?
Cluster B
What personality cluster is a narcissistic personality disorder?
Cluster B
What are cluster C personality disorders?
Anxious and fearful
1) avoidant
2) dependent
3) obsessive compulsive
What personality cluster is an avoidant personality disorder?
Cluster C
What personality cluster is a dependent personality disorder?
Cluster C
What personality cluster is an obsessive compulsive personality disorder?
Cluster C
What is an avoidant personality disorder typically characterised by?
Characterised by extreme shyness, sensitivity to criticism and rejection, and strong feelings of inadequacy
In what type of personality disorder do people often avoid risks and change due to an impairing fear of failure?
Avoidant personality disorder
What is dependent personality disorder characterised by?
A lack of self confidence and a persistent need for reassurance and encouragement
In What type of personality disorder are people often indecisive and fear being independent?
Dependent personality disorder
What characterises obsessive compulsive personality disorder?
Extreme preoccupation with rules, order, details and control
What personality disorder patient tends to be very rigid, stubborn, and unable to delegate tasks or responsibilities?
Obsessive-compulsive disorder
What is the classic psychotic disorder?
Schizophrenia
What is schizophrenia characterised as?
A brain disorder characterised by an abnormal interpretation of reality accompanied by disorganised and disturb thoughts, emotions, and behaviours
Although schizophrenia means split mind, what does it really refer to?
Disconnect with reality
What are the two types of symptoms of schizophrenia?
Positive symptoms and negative symptoms
What are positive symptoms of schizophrenia?
Extra behaviours or feelings that are not experienced by healthy people
What are examples of positive symptoms of schizophrenia?
Delusions, hallucinations, disorganised thinking, and disorganised behaviour
What are delusions?
False personal beliefs that are strongly maintained despite logical reasoning or contradictory evidence
What are three types of schizophrenic delusions?
1) delusions of grandeur
2) delusions of persecution
3) delusions of being controlled
What are hallucinations?
Perceptions that occur without any external source
What is the most common type of schizophrenic hallucination?
Auditory–hearing imaginary voices that other people do not
Schizophrenics also experience illusions. What are illusions?
Perceptions that are related to an external source, but they are misinterpreted
What is disorganised thinking in schizophrenia?
Is inferred from disorganised speech and encompasses communication that is ineffective, impaired, illogical
In severe cases of schizophrenia, meaningless words are strong together in a phenomena known as?
Word salad
In what ways does disorganised behaviour from schizophrenia manifest itself?
Ranges from difficulty performing daily tasks to bizarre posture and unpredictable agitation
Generally speaking do positive symptoms or negative symptoms respond favourably to medication?
Positive symptoms respond favourably
What are negative symptoms in schizophrenia?
Appear as a lack or reduction of normal behaviours or feelings
What are the four types of negative symptoms of schizophrenia?
1) affective flattening
2) anhedonia
3) avolition
4) catadonia
What is affective flattening as a negative symptom of schizophrenia?
Involves a reduction in emotional expression and is often characterised by a blank face and monotonous voice
What does anhedonia describe as a negative symptom of schizophrenia?
Describe someone’s ability to experience pleasure
Anhedonia is closely paired with what other negative symptoms of schizophrenia?
Avolition
What is avolition as a negative symptoms of schizophrenia?
A reduction in motivation
In severe cases of schizophrenia, what negative symptom can present itself?
Catatonia
What is catatonia as a negative symptom of schizophrenia?
A state of immobility and sustained, awkward positioning
Schizophrenia is diagnosed when any two of the positive or negative symptoms schizophrenia persist for longer than what period of time?
One month
When do men tend to show symptoms of schizophrenia?
Late teens and early twenties
When do women tend to show symptoms of schizophrenia?
Mid twenties to early thirties
What are the four distinct subtypes of schizophrenia that are defined by the most significant and predominant symptoms present at a given time?
1) paranoid
2) disorganised
3) catatonic
4) undifferentiated
What is the most common subtype of schizophrenia?
Paranoid schizophrenia
What is paranoid schizophrenia characterised by?
Characterised by delusions and hallucinations
In paranoid schizophrenia, what are the typical types of delusions and hallucinations?
Delusions are typically grandeur and persecution; hallucinations are typically auditory
What is disorganised schizophrenia characterised by?
Characterised by affective flattening as well as disorganised thoughts and behaviour
Is the disorganised schizophrenia associated with delusions or hallucinations?
No
What is catatonic schizophrenia characterised by?
A dramatic reduction in movement to the point of immobility and agitated resistance to changing positions, or a dramatic increase of excessive and purposeless movement
What is unique about the symptoms of undifferentiated schizophrenia?
It lacks distinct, predominant, or persistent symptoms
Regardless of the subtype, the ____ of development plays a crucial factor in the likelihood of recovery from schizophrenia
Speed
Is schizophrenia that develops rapidly (acute schizophrenia) associated with positive symptoms or negative symptoms? Does this lead to better recovery?
Positive symptoms; has a higher chance of recovery
Is schizophrenia that develops slowly (chronic or process schizophrenia) associated with positive symptoms or negative symptoms? Does this lead to better recovery?
Negative symptoms, do not respond well to medication and is harder to recover from
What is acute or reactive schizophrenia?
Schizophrenia that develops rapidly
What is chronic or process schizophrenia?
Schizophrenia that develops slowly
What are the three biological factors that most heavily affect the onset of schizophrenia?
Brain structure, dopamine hyperactivity, and genetics
Schizophrenics possess a smaller than normal _______, cortex, and decreased _____ _____ activity
Thalamus, cortex, frontal lobe
Schizophrenia is highly correlated with overly abundant ______ in the brain.
Dopamine
Many studies provide significant evidence that schizophrenia is _____ ______.
Highly heritable
What is Parkinson’s disease?
A progressive nervous system disorder characterised by the loss of dopaminergic neurons within the substantia nigra of the basal ganglia
Parkinson’s disease is characterised by the loss of what type of neurons?
Dopaminergic
Where are dopaminergic neurons lost due to Parkinson’s disease?
Substantia nigra of the basal ganglia
When do symptoms of Parkinson’s disease typically appear?
Between the ages of 50 and 60 and progressively worsen thereafter
What are the four most common symptoms of Parkinson’s disease?
TRAP T. Tremor at rest R. Rigidity of muscles A. Akinesia P. Posture stooped
What is the specific and general part of the brain impacted by Parkinson’s disease?
Specific: substantia nigra pars compacta
General: Basal Ganglia
Individuals affected by Parkinson’s disease have what occurring in what part of the body?
Accelerated cell death;substantia nigra pars compacta
What does accelerated cell death in substantia nigra pars compacta lead to?
Reduced activity of dopamine secreting cells
What is dopamine?
Under a transmitter responsible for communication between the substantia nigra pars compacta and the striatum
What is the connection for the neurotransmitter pathway of the substantia nigra pars compacta and the striatum? What type of pathway is this?
Nigrostriatal pathwat; neural pathway in motor control
In Parkinson’s disease, when cells in the substantia nigra pars compacta die, what happens to the concentrations of dopamine? What does this lead to?
Decreased concentrations of dopamine; which results in decreased activity of cells in the cerebral cortex that are responsible for normal movement
What is a Lewy body?
And abnormal accumulation of the protein alpha-synuclein bound to ubiquitin that is found within damaged dopaminergic neurons
Although the cars are Parkinson is is unknown, research has shown that there is a ______ factor to the disease.
Genetic
_____ _____ are found in the midbrain during autopsy results are considered evidence that a person suffered from Parkinson’s disease.
Lewy bodies
Although there is no cure for Parkinson’s disease, there are various treatments that help control the symptoms including medication is to increase ____ levels such as _____
Dopamine; levodopa
Diseases including Parkinson is and Alzheimer’s are _____ in nature
Neurodegenerative
What do neurodegenerative diseases mean?
Diseases that result from the loss or damage to neuronal cells
What are stem cells?
Undifferentiated cells that can differentiate into specialised cells, in the adult brain are capable of regenerating neurons and neural support cells
What are the two strategies currently in use with stem cells to direct them to become target specialised cells?
1) cell implantation
2) trophic factors
What is cell implantation in stem cells?
Undifferentiated neural cells are grown in a laboratory dish and are treated in culture to become a specialised cells before implantation or are directly implanted into the body to rely on endogenous signals to drive there maturation into a specialised neuronal cell
How do trophic factors work with stem cells?
Trophic factors sparked the patient’s own stem cells and repair system
What are trophic factors?
Growth hormones that facilitate cell growth and repair
What type of psychological disorder is characterised by excessive nervousness, worry, and Unease?
Anxiety disorders
What psychological disorder is characterised by are persistently low mood or cyclicly extreme moods?
Depressive disorders
What psychological disorder is characterised by physical symptoms that cannot be attributed to a physical cause, substance abuse, or other mental illness?
Somatoform disorder
What psychological disorder is characterised by the destruction of memory, awareness, identity, or perception, usually following a traumatic events?
Dissociative disorders
What disease is characterised by persistent and inflexible behaviour that is maladaptive and deviates from cultural expectations?
Personality disorder
What personality disorder is characterised by an abnormal interpretation of reality accompanied by disorganised and disturb thoughts, emotions, and behaviours that severely impaired normal living?
Schizophrenia
What psychological disorder is characterised by the loss of dopaminergic neurons within the substantia nigra and TRAP symptoms?
Parkinson’s disease
What disease is characterised by memory dysfunction due to the formation of amyloid plaques, neurofibrillary tangles, and general atrophy of the brain?
Alzheimer’s disease
