Psychological Disorders - Introduction and Anxiety Disorders Flashcards
Panic disorder (without agoraphobia)
Recurrent panic attacks followed by one or more of below (for at least 1 month):
> Persistent concern about future attacks
> Worry about implications of attack (heart attack, ‘crazy’)
> Significant change of behaviour
30-40% of young Americans report occasional attacks
Psychological factors in anxiety disorders
Social learning: Phobias develop through.... > Classical conditioning > Observational learning > Behaviours reinforced by avoidance of fears (operant conditioning) > Reinforcement in compulsions
Cognitive:
> Misinterpretation of bodily sensations in panic
> Negative and catastrophic thinking heighten anxiety
PTSD - acute [distress disorder] or chronic
Acute distress disorder - less than one month
Acute of chronic PTSD - duration of symptoms less than 3 months, or longer
Estimated lifetime prevalence (gender)
Major depression - women 21%, men 13%
Anxiety disorders - women 31%, men 19%
Antisocial personality disorder - women 1%, men 6%
Substance abuse/dependence disorder - women 18%, men 35%
Psychological theories (include four perspectives)
Humane treatment and psychological processes.
Internal and external stressors result in abnormal behaviour
Four predominant perspectives:
> Psychoanalytic - unconscious conflicts
> Social-learning - past learning and modelling
> Cognitive - ineffective mental processes
> Humanistic - distorted perception of self and reality
Phobic disorders
Intense fears vs. normal fears
> intense fears causing anxiety, possibly panic attacks, that interfere with functioning
Specific phobias: persistent fear and avoidance of object/situation
> Most common, 8% in lifetime
> Usually begin in childhood
Social phobias:
> Irrational fear of being negatively evaluated by others in social situations
Most common anxiety disorders
Specific phobia Social phobia PTSD GAD Panic disorder OCD Agoraphobia
Estimated lifetime prevalence (general)
46% > having a psychological disorder 29% > it being anxiety 21% > it being a mood disorder 15% > substance/abuse disorder 0.4%> schizophrenia/psychoses
Biopsychosocial model
No one perspective is ‘correct’
Most disorders result of biological, psychological and social factors
DSM Model for classifying abnormal behaviour
Ability to describe behaviour is more advanced than understanding of causes
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th addition (DSM-IV-TR) > list specific, concrete criteria for diagnosis.
Atheoretical: does not address causes of mental illness
OCD
Obsessions or compulsions that cause marked distress or impairment in functioning
Obsessions: persistent, intrusive thoughts, images and impulses
> product of own mind (not hallucinations
> Difficulty ignoring/suppressing obsessions
Compulsions: repetitive behaviours or mental acts to reduce anxiety and distress and attempt to prevent fear from occurring in an unrealistic way
Suicide (rates and facts)
> Panic disorder 20% attempted suicide (similar to depression)
32,000 Americans complete suicide a year
A person more likely to die of suicide than murder in US.
Suicide is 11th leading cause of death overall in the US, yet 2nd for college students
Guns used in more than half completed suicides in US
Females 3x as many attempts, males 4x as many completions
Sociocultural theories
Internal biological and psychological processes can only be understood in context of social factors
Culture, age, race, sex, gender-identity, sexual orientation, religion, socio-economic status and social conditions must be taken into consideration when evaluating abnormal behaviour
Panic disorder (with agoraphobia)
Panic disorder and -
Agoraphobia: ‘fear of the marketplace’
> Anxiety and avoidance of places/situations where help may not be available if panic occurs
Anxiety Disorders (four components)
> Physical - activation of sympathetic nervous system and hormonal system (fight, flight or freeze response)
Cognitive - unrealistic thoughts (exaggerated danger, fear of losing control, paranoia)
Emotional - terror, panic, irritability
Behavioural - coping (freezing, aggression)
Prevalence of abnormal behaviours
26% Americans over 18 have diagnosable psychological disorders within a given year
Psychological disorders leading cause of disability in US and Canada for people 15-44
Psychological disorder theories
Western cultures explain abnormal behaviour through three perspectives:
- Biological theories
- Psychological theories
- Social or cultural theories
Panic attack (13 criteria)
Discrete period of intense fear/discomfort which usually peaks within 10 minutes. And four of the following: > Racing heart > Trembling > Choking > Nausea > Derealization > Depersonalization (detached from self) > Fear of dying/losing control > Numbness > Chills and hot flashes > Sweating > Shortness of breath > Chest discomfort > Dizziness
What is abnormal behaviour (4 criteria)
> Statistical infrequency - cultural differences should be taken into account
Violation of social norms - again, cultural differences. It’s a problematic criterion by itself.
Personal distress - most important
Level of impairment - interferes with ability to function
Biological theories (medical model)
Abnormal behaviour attributable to physical processes:
>Genetics
>Hormone/neurotransmitter imbalance
>Brain/bodily dysfunction
AKA, medical model
Emphasises diagnosis, treatment and cure, similar manner to physical illnesses
GAD
Generalized Anxiety Disorder Symptoms: > Excessive worry, most days (at least 6 months) > Difficulty controlling worry > Clinically significant distress or impaired functioning > 3 or more on most days of: 1. Restlessness 2. Difficulty concentrating 3. Muscle tension 4. Easily fatigued 5. Irritability 6. Sleep disturbance
PTSD - symptoms
Exposure to traumatic event - ‘[perceived] actual or threatened death, serious injury, or physical integrity’. Response involves intense fear and helplessness
Re-experience event: images, dreams, reliving or intense distress from triggers of event
Persistent avoidance of stimuli associated with trauma: avoid thoughts, feelings, activities, loss of recall, detachment from others, restricted affect, etc.
Suicide (increased risk)
Abuse and assault
> Women with a history of sexual assault during childhood or adulthood have higher risk of suicide attempts. More types of abuse, higher risk
Family history of suicide
> 11x risk
Eating disorders
> 20x suicide mortality rate
> Highest for anorexia nervosa
