psychopathology Flashcards
what is the DSM-5?
diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders
a manual used by psychiatrists to diagnose mental disorders
what is intellectual disability disorder?
when there are limits to a person’s ability to learn at an expected level and function in daily life
what is failure to function adequately?
when someone is unable to cope with the ordinary demands of day-to-day life
what is deviation from ideal mental health?
when someone does not meet a set of criteria for good mental health
what is a phobia?
an irrational fear of an object or a situation
what are behavioural characteristics of phobias?
panic
avoidance
endurance
what are emotional characteristics of phobias?
anxiety
fear
an unreasonable emotional response
what are cognitive characteristics of phobias?
selective attention to the stimulus
irrational beliefs
cognitive distortions
what is classical conditioning?
learning by association that occurs when two stimuli are repeatedly paired together
what is depression?
a mental disorder characterised by low mood and low energy levels
what is operant conditioning?
a form of learning in which behaviour is shaped and maintained by its consequences
what is the diathesis-stress model?
psychological disorders result from an interaction between inherent vulnerability and environment stressors
what is serotonin?
a chemical that carries messages between nerve cells in the brain and throughout your body
what is the definition of polygenic?
an attribute that is determined by numerous genes rather than only one
what is dopamine?
a chemical released in the brain that makes you feel good
what are neurotransmitters?
chemical messengers that carry chemical signals from one neuron to the next target cell
what is a neuron?
the basic cellular unit of the nervous system
what is the parahippocampal gyrus?
a ridge on the media surface of the temporal lobe of cerebral cortex, lying over the hippocampus
what is drug therapy?
treatment involving drugs
what are selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors?
a widely used type of anti-depressant
what are presynaptic neurons?
a neuron that fires the neurotransmitter as a result of an action potential entering its axon terminal
what are postsynaptic neurons?
neurons that receive the neurotransmitter after it has crossed the synapse and may experience and action potential if the neurotransmitter is strong enough
what is the two-process model?
an explanation for the onset and persistence of disorders that create anxiety such as phobias
what is deviation from social norms?
behaviour that is different from the accepted standards of behaviour in a community
what is statistical infrequency?
when an individual has a less common characteristic such as being more or less intelligent than most of the population
what is psychomotor agitation?
a state of restlessness and anxiety that results in repetitive and unintentional movements
what is OCD?
a condition characterised by obsessions and/or compulsions
what is exposure therapy?
psychologists create a safe environment in which to expose individuals to things they fear and avoid
what is counterconditioning?
the process in which behaviour is modified through a new association with a stimulus of an opposite valence
what is systematic desensitisation?
a behavioural treatment in which the person attempts some type of relaxation exercise and is gradually exposed to an anxiety-producing stimulus
what is flooding?
a technique where the individual is exposed directly to a maximum intensity anxiety producing situation or stimulus
what is the anxiety hierarchy?
a list of situations relating to your target behaviour in which you react with varying degrees of anxiety
what is the ABC model?
ellis proposed that depression occurs when an (A) activating event triggers an (B) irrational belief which in turn produces a (C) consequence
what is the negative triad?
beck proposed that there are some kinds of negative thinking that contribute to becoming depressed;
1. negative views of the self
2. negative views of the world
3. negative views of the future
what is faulty information processing?
when depressed people attend to the negative aspect of a situation rather than the positives
what is a negative self-schema?
when a person interprets information about themselves in a negative way
what are irrational thoughts?
any thoughts that interfere with us being happy and free from pain
what is CBT?
a method for treating mental disorders based in both cognitive and behavioural techniques
what is noradrenaline?
a neurotransmitter that plays an essential role in the regulation or arousal, attention, cognitive function and stress reactions
what is a placebo?
an inert treatment or substance that has no known effects
what is REBT?
an approach that helps you identify irrational beliefs and negative thoughts patterns that may lead to emotional or behavioural issues
what are serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors?
antidepressant drugs used to treat depression, anxiety and some forms of chronic pain
