Psychological Disorders Flashcards
Mental disorder
a syndrome that is characterized by clinically significant disturbance in individuals cognitions, emotion or behaviour that reflects a dysfunction
Pro’s/con’s of classifying abnormal behaviour
+ assist communication, research, understanding causality, treatment selection and facilitates comparisons across time and area
- category vs dimensions, labels/terminology, self-fulfillment and reliability
Prevalence, incidence and comorbidity
- Prevalence= how many have condition
- incidence= how many new cases
- comorbidity= co-occurrence of disorders
Anxiety Disorders
feelings of excessive fear, anxiety related to behavioural disturbances, out of proportion to environmental threats
- Generalised Anxiety disorder
- Panic Disorder
- Specific phobia
Aetiology of Anxiety Disorders
Biology= biological preparedness, low levels of GABA and serotonin
Environment= Diathesis-stress hypothesis, severe stress and negative life events
Cognitive= overestimate likelihood of threat, underestimate coping, vicious cycle of anxiety
Diathesis-stress hypothesis
genetic factors put one at risk but environmental stress factors must impinge in order for
the potential risk to manifest itself
Generalised Anxiety disorder
- persistent excessive anxiety and worry for at least 6 months
- symptoms: restlessness, difficulty concentrating, muscle tension and irritability
Panic Disorder
- recurrent attacks of overwhelming anxiety and intense fear
- panic attack = intense fear or discomfort that reaches peak within minutes
- agoraphobia= fear of being in places where escaping may be difficult
Specific phobia
- persistent irrational fear or anxiety → avoidance of situations
- exposure therapy
- social anxiety
Mood Disorders
- disturbance in emotion or mood
- Major Depressive Disorder
- Persistent depressive disorder
- Seasonal Affective disorder
- Bipolar Disorder
Major Depressive Disorder and Persistent depressive disorder
- persistent depressed mood and anhedonia, often recurrent
symptoms: disturbances in appetite, sleep, energy level, concentration, feelings for worthlessness, suicidal → min two weeks - chronically depressed mood for at least two years
Aetiology of Mood Disorders
biology= serotonin and noradrenaline = low when depressed / high when manic + highly heritable
cognitive= negative triad (negative about self, world and future)
- cognitive distortions, process positive/neutral info in negative way, memory bias, learned helplessness, pessimistic attribution style and rumination
environmental: diathesis-stress hypothesis, stress, negative life events, childhood/family environment, social isolation and lack of intimate relationships
Schizophrenia and Aetiology
disturbances in nearly every dimension of human psychology, thought perception, behaviour, language, communication and emotions
biology: excessive dopamine, heritable
environment: diathesis stress hypothesis, birth complications, malnutrition, stressful life events, hostile family life, child abuse
Positive and negative symptoms of Schizophrenia
positive symptoms: presence of abnormal features such as hallucinations, delusions, loosening of associations, bizarre behaviour
(delusions: persecution, reference, grandeur, identity, guilt, control)
negative symptoms: absence of normal features such as flat /blunted affect, lack of motivation, social withdrawal etc
OCD and the four major types
- obsessions = intrusive, repeated, distressing thoughts, ideas or urges
- compulsions = repetitive behaviours or mental acts that they feel forced to carry our (usually to reduce anxiety from obsessions)
four types = checking, contamination, hoarding, intrusive thoughts
