Psychological Disorders (Module 5 Ch 15) Flashcards
Memorize by Final Exam on 12/11
Comorbity
When an individual has two or more psychological disorders at the same time
Major Depressive Disorder and Generalized Anxiety are highly comorbid (very likely to occur together)
Lifetime Prevalence Rate
Examines how likely a disorder is to appear in an individual’s lifetime
Typical Prevalence Rate
Examines how many people at a given time have a disorder
50 to 75% of people will have a psychological disorder at some point
Etiology
The apparent cause and developmental history of a disorder
Epidemiology
The study of the distribution of a disorder in a population
How we get prevalence rates
Insanity Defense
Admitting that you did the action, but claiming that at the time that you did it, you didn’t understand the effects of the action
Not very successful or commonly used
What trends can be seen with mental illness and violence rates?
Only 3-5% of violent crimes are attributed to people with mental illnesses (significantly less than predicted)
People with mental illness are 10x more likely to be the victim of violent crimes
(Victims > Perpetrators)
Abnormal Behavior
How we determine if something is a psychological disorder
Uses 3 metrics: deviance, maladaptive, and personal distress
Different disorders tend to score differently in these categories (ex: schizophrenia = high maladaptive, depression = high personal distress, OCD = high in all)
Deviance
When someone is behaving in a way that is different than others/the norm
Influential when disorders were first being discovered and named, but is not less likely to be used in the diagnosis process
Maladaptive (aka Dysfunctional)
Evaluates whether the behavior in some way interferes with the person’s day-to-day life and if so, to what extent it interferes with it
Personal Distress
How much stress the behavior is causing the individual
Value Judgements
During diagnosis, the individual has to rate how distressing and maladaptive the behavior is to them, creating subjectively in the process of diagnosis (not an exact science)
Syndrome
A group of related symptoms characteristic of a disorder
Why are symptoms important when diagnosing a psychological disorder?
Not every disorder presents the same way for everyone (ex: depression)
Some disorders require more symptoms to be present in order for a diagnosis to occur
Diagnostics and Statistics Manual (DSM)
Includes every recognized psychological disorder and their symptoms, diagnosis requirements (how many symptoms must be present and for how long), and suggested treatments
What changes were made between the DSM-4 and DSM-5 (current edition)?
DSM-4 was very categorical, while DSM-5 tends to be more spectrum-based (ex: autism is now a spectrum disorder)
We also saw the integration of modern disorders such as hoarding and gaming addictions
Neuro-Developmental Disorders
Disorders that are prominent or required to develop in childhood
Intellectual Disabilities
Must manifest in childhood
If they are the result of some sort of accident, they’re considered traumatic brain injuries, NOT intellectual disabilities
Learning Disorders
Includes dyslexia and dysgraphia
ADHD
Symptoms include (an must be present before the age of 12): problems with focus/attention, high impulsivity, and difficulty following through with tasks
Autism Spectrum Disorder
Symptoms can include: issues with sociality (with peers and authority figures) and tendency for hyperfixation
Can also include language impairment, repetitive habits, and sensitivity to sensory input
Joint Attention
The ability to make eye contact with others and look in the same direction as someone else (like when they point at something)
How do diagnosis rates for ADHD and Autism differ among boys and girls? Why might this be the case?
Boys tend to be diagnosed at a higher rate
Girls may be better at managing or hiding their symptoms, leading to underdiagnosis
Depressive Disorders
Any disorder in which depression is a major symptom, including major depressive disorder, persistent depressive disorder, and bipolar disorders
How prevalent is Major Depressive Disorder?
Affects 7% of Americans
Seasonal Affective Disorder
A cyclical recurrence of depression that often matches seasonal changes
Typically occurs in winter (may be due to a lack of Vitamin D)
Persistent Depressive Disorder
Long-lasting depression (6 months to 1 year) that’s too mild to meet the criteria for major depressive disorder
What trends can be seen with age of onset among people with depressive disorders?
If someone is going to develop a depressive disorder at some point in their life, it usually presents prior to age 40
This number is expected to decrease
What trends can seen with recurrence among people with depressive disorders?
If you have depression once, you’ll likely experience it again at some other point in your life
Most people with depressive disorders have 5-6 occurrences or episodes of it across their lifetime, each lasting about 6 months to a year
What are some common symptoms of depressive disorders?
Anhedonia, sleep disruption, and helplessness
We can also see enduring changes in motivation and self-worth, as well as problems with concentration, energy, and eating
Anhedonia
The inability to feel joy, even when engaging in activities that previously brought one happiness
Sleep Disruption in Depressive Disorders
Some sleep too much, some too little
Sleep is not restorative or restful (even if plentiful)
Helplessness Theory
When people are experiencing depression, their brains get trapped in a cycle of internal, stable, and global attributions that reinforce the depression and keep them from making change
What attributions do people with depression make (part of helplessness theory)?
Internal: thinking everything bad that’s happening is their fault
Stable: think that nothing they can do will change the bad things
Global: think that everything is bad or will turn out that way
Learned Helplessness
Sense of powerlessness and failure that results from a repeated inability to control or cope with stressful situations/adversities
Depressive Realism
People who are clinically depressed tend to have more realistic perceptions of the world than people who aren’t
Depressed Brains
Tend to be less active, especially in areas responsible for emotion and emotion regulation
Bipolar Disorders
Characterized by a swinging between mania and depression
Affects about 2.8% of the population
Strong genetic component
What symptoms must be present for something to be considered a manic episode? For how long?
7 symptoms must be present for at least a week
DIGFAST: distractibility, indiscretion, grandiosity, flight of ideas, activity increase, sleeplessness, and talkativeness
Distractibility
Having a hard time focusing on anything/getting distracted easily
Indiscretion
Caring less about adhering to social norms
Grandiosity
Having grand ideas about oneself, their abilities, or the world overall
Flight of Ideas
Having a train of thought that quickly jumps between different, seemingly unrelated ideas
Activity Increase
Being really good at starting projects, but not finishing them
Sleeplessness
Not sleeping very often, if at all
Talkativeness
Talking a lot both to oneself and to others
Why are Bipolar Disorders often misdiagnosed as Depressive Disorders? What happens when they’re mistreated?
People seek help during depressive episodes (when they feel bad), but not manic ones (when they feel good)
Treating it like depression = relieved depressive symptoms, but not manic ones = more mania
What are some of the problems that mania can lead to despite the positive feelings that come with it?
Impulsive spending, substance abuse, and risky sexual behavior
Bipolar I vs Bipolar II
I = long-lasting cycles of severe mania and severe depression
II = shorter cycles of less severe mania (aka hypomania) but severe depression
Cyclothymia
Less severe version of Bipolar Disorder in which the symptomology is present, but not severe enough to meet the criteria for manic and depressive episodes
How does Bipolar Disorder relate to Creativity?
The two are highly correlated, especially during the manic phase (due to activity increase)
Famous ex: Robin Williams
What do Anxiety Disorders typically involve?
Strong negative emotions such as fear, sadness, and disgust
Physical Apprehension
Physical Apprehension
When the fight or flight response is triggered and causes strong physiological responses in the absence of a dangerous situation
How prevalent are Anxiety Disorders?
Affects 19% of the population
Among the most commonly experienced
What are some examples of Anxiety Disorders?
GAD, Panic Disorder, Phobias (illogical fears), Social Anxiety Disorder, OCD, Body Dysmorphic Disorder, PTSD
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
Characterized by a general feeling of dread or thinking that something is going to go wrong in the near future
Leads to intense physiological reactions such as rapid heartbeat, feeling faint, shaking, and panic attacks
Can also lead to trouble sleeping, restlessness, and difficulty concentrating
Highly comorbid with MDD
Panic Attacks
Sudden changes in body and mind characterized by a sense of impending doom, heart palpitations, trembling, sweating, dizziness, nausea, etc.
Usually last about 10 minutes
Panic Disorder
Having frequent panic attacks and pervasive worry, fear, or concern about having one in the future
What are some common phobias?
Acrophobia: fear of heights
Claustrophobia: fear of tight or confined spaces
Brontophobia: fear of storms or thunder and lightning
Hydrophobia: fear of water or drowning
Agoraphobia: the fear of being in places from which escape is difficult or help might not be available (usually public spaces like markets)
Social Anxiety Disorder
Persistent/irrational fear of humiliation or embarrassment when in the presence of others
Intense self-consciousness about appearance, behavior, or both
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
Characterized by obsessions (intrusive thoughts or impulses) and compulsions (behaviors done to relieve impulses that can be time-consuming and interfere with daily life)
What things are correlated with OCD?
Low activity in the prefrontal cortex and areas of the brain that deal with emotion regulation
Low level of serotonin
Body Dysmorphic Disorder
When an individual has an unrealistic perception of their physical flaws, causing them to worry about how others perceive them (sometimes leading to agoraphobia)
Because perceptions are based in reality, their “flaws” can’t be fixed (even with plastic surgery)
PTSD
Can only be caused by a traumatic experience (but correlated with a smaller hippocampus)
Characterized by hypervigilance and reexperiencing of the traumatic event consciously + unconsciously
Excessive reconsolidation of the traumatic memory makes it feel even more traumatic
Children with PTSD often reenact their trauma during play
What disordered cognitions are common across Anxiety Disorders?
Misinterpreting harmless situations as harmful
Focusing on perceived threats
Getting stuck in a cycle of negative thoughts despite knowing that those thoughts are irrational
Selective Recall
Selective Recall
Being more likely to remember instances that support anxiety over ones that don’t
What are the different origins of Anxiety Disorders?
Learning from parental figures
Overly active Anterior Cingulate Cortex (area of the brain that monitors behavior and checks for errors)
Genetics and Personality
GABA Deficiencies
Psychotic Disorders
Characterized by an inability to distinguish real from imagined perceptions, causing loss of contact with reality
Schizophrenia
Literally means “split-mind”, which refers to a split from or inaccurate perception of reality
Affects about 1% of the population
High heritability rate (45% chance of developing it if both parents have it, 6% if only one parent has it)
Positively correlated with an excessive amount of dopamine
What are some symptoms of Schizophrenia? What is the difference between a positive and negative symptom?
Positive = presence of strange perceptual experiences such as Hallucinations, Delusions, and Disorganized Thoughts/Speech
Negative = symptoms caused by the absence of certain things, which includes Emotional Flatness, Unusual Movements, and Catatonia
Hallucinations
Sense experiences that occur without external stimuli (usually auditory) that the brain responds to as if they’re based in reality
Delusion
A false belief or exaggeration that is not based in reality or is contrary to reality
Can be of grandeur (ex: “I secretly have superpowers”) or persecution (“Someone is out to get me”)
Catatonia
When an individual remains in a strange, seemingly uncomfortable position for hours on end (without any reported discomfort afterwards)
Word Salad
Type of disorganized speech in people with Schizophrenia, which may follow grammar rules but be nonsensical or contain made-up words
Acute Schizophrenia
When a previously well-adjusted individual suddenly develops extreme schizophrenic symptomatology really quickly
Episodes tend to be shorter
Easier to treat
Chronic Schizophrenia
Develops slowly over time
Episodes tend to be longer and more persistent
Harder to treat
Personality Disorders
Maladaptive and inflexible patterns of cognition, emotion, and behavior
Clusters
Sub-categories of Personality Disorders in which they share similarities with each other
3 clusters: odd-eccentric, dramatic-emotional/erratic, and anxious-fearful
Odd-Eccentric Cluster
Personality disorders in which the individual feels different from others and may have difficulty relating to others
Includes schizoid personality disorder, schizotypal personality disorder, and paranoid personality disorder
Schizoid Personality Disorder
Characterized by a lack of interest in relationships, little emotional response, and little interaction with or reaction to the outside world
Schizotypal Personality Disorder
Almost like a combination of schizoid and schizophrenia
Characterized by social isolation and perceptual distortions or delusions
Paranoid Personality Disorder
Extreme suspicion or mistrust of others in a way that is unwarranted and maladaptive
May test the loyalty of friends and partners or be constantly suspicious that their partner is cheating
Dramatic-Emotional Cluster
AKA Erratic Personality Disorders
Characterized by lots of impulsivity and attention-seeking behaviors
Includes histrionic, borderline, narcissistic, and antisocial
Histrionic Personality Disorder
Wanting to be the center of attention in any situation, leading to dramatic, seductive, flamboyant, or exaggerated behaviors
Typically ingenuine, self-centered, and/or shallow
Borderline Personality Disorder
Individuals have a hard time regulating their emotions and maintaining relationships (due to fear of abandonment and a cycle between idolizing and despising people close to them)
Typically have an inconsistent self-image
Tends to be diagnosed more in women
Narcissistic Personality Disorder
Having an extremely arrogant self-image or inflated/grandiose sense of self-importance
Often make unrealistic or unreasonable demands of others with little regard for their needs
Antisocial Personality Disorder
Formerly known as “sociopathy” or “psychopathy”
Individuals tend not to care about social norms/expectations, run hot with anger, and be pretty reactive and impulsive
Potentially dangerous (often associated with violence)
Tends to be diagnosed more in men, criminals, and police officers
Anxious-Fearful Cluster
Characterized by high levels of anxiety that leads to artificial restriction of behavior as a coping mechanism
Includes OCPD
Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder (OCPD)
Individuals tend to be rigid in patterns, rituals, or habits
Rigid list makers, rule followers, and perfectionists
Don’t have the cognitive obsessions present in OCD and don’t see their behaviors as irrational
Somatic Disorders
Disorders that focus on bodily awareness and anxiety
Illness Anxiety Disorder
Individual has a cognitive preoccupation with symptoms of illness and is constantly monitoring their body for symptoms
Factitious Disorder
Individual artificially creates illness symptoms so they can play the role of patient
Like the social response that comes from being sick
Factitious Disorder imposed on another
Individual makes another person sick (sometimes using poison) in order to play the role of nurse
Like the attention that comes from being a caretaker
Dissociative Disorders
Disorders marked by extreme issues with either memory and/or identity
Dissociative Identity Disorder
Having different identities within yourself (each with unique memories, thoughts, and behaviors) that come to the forefront at different times
Also includes a blurred sense of identity, recurrent gaps in memory (leading to dissociative fugue), and feeling a lack of control
Considered a controversial disorder and is often poorly portrayed in the media
Dissociative Amnesia
When someone forgets certain important details (ex: visual info) but not others (ex: auditory info) about a specific event, usually something frightening or traumatic
Dissociative Fugue
Occurs when someone becomes confused about their identity and travels to a new place with no memory of how they got there or who they are
Isn’t caused by brain injury like retrograde amnesia
Geographic differences in suicide rates
The US, Canada, and Australia have twice the rate that England, Spain, and Italy do
In Europe, Belarus is the most prone to suicide, with a rate 16x higher than Georgia (the country least prone to suicide)
More rural areas tend to have higher rates of suicide
Racial differences in suicide rates
White and Native American individuals are twice as likely to die by suicide than Black, Hispanic, or Asian Americans
Gender differences in suicide rates
Women are more likely to attempt suicide
Men are 4x more likely to die by suicide (more likely to use guns)
Age differences in suicide rates
Highest rate occurs in people aged 85 and up
Second highest rate is tied between people ages 75-84 and ages 25-34
Other Group differences in suicide rates
Higher rates in people who are rich, non-religious, unmarried, have alcohol abuse disorder, and/or are LGBT (without family support)
Temporal differences in suicide rates
25% of suicides occur on Wednesdays
Highest rates are in April and May
Exposure to Suicide
Those who have had someone in their social circle die by suicide are more likely to do so as well
Men who have had a coworker die by suicide are 3.5x more likely to commit it as well
