Unit 15 Flashcards
5 proposed reasons for psych disorder
1) genetic factors
2) too few/man neurotransmitters
3) viral infection impacting brain
4) hormones (only potential link)
5) brain structure abnormalities
what are the 4 features of abnormal psych?
1) deviance: behaviour deviates from normal societal activities
2) distress: abnormal behaviour/thoughts causes distress in the affected individual
3) dysfunction: behaviour interferes with everyday life, their relationships, etc.
4) disorder: likely to become risk to self
ICD-10
used by countries to classify psych disorders
DSM
Canadian/North American system to classify psych disorders
includes 400 disorders
on 5th edition (DSM-5)
comorbidity
when a person has two or more disorders
cognitive-behavioural model
psych illness is a result of maladaptive behaviours and thoughts, that are learned over time
behavioural perspective of CBT
psych illness a result of operant and classical conditioning
selective perception
only see the negative aspects of things
magnification
exaggerating the importance of negative events/ideas
overgeneralization
drawing meaningful, NEGATIVE conclusions from a non-significant event
i.e. overthinking
socio-cultural model
society characteristics creates stressors for people in those cultural groups
i.e. support system, familial expectations
developmental psychology model
how problematic behaviours evolve from genes and early experiences
i.e. abuse in childhood
equifinality
children start at different points but end up at the same place
multifinality
start at same point but end up at different points in life
i.e. privileged kids, but one ends up in prison
resilience
ability to recover from negative effects of circumstance
mood disorders
disorders that include depression, mania, or both
depression: low state (depressed), flat feeling of being overwhelmed
mania: elation and frenzy
dysthymic disorder
mild, long-lasting depression that’s less severe than major depression
cyclothemic disorder
less severe manic and depressive states of BPD
major depressive disorder
disabling depressed mood not caused by drugs or other medical condition
can look like anxiety, as patient is agitated
explanations major depressive disorder
NO scientific evidence related to hormone imbalances
neuro: low norepinephrine and dopamine, high cortisol
socio-cultural: lack of social support plus cultural stressors
CBT: learned helplessness, attribution-helplessness theory, automatic thoughts (negative, unwanted and sudden)
attribution-helplessness theory
view events as out of control, may believe problems are due to SELF
explanations BPD
neuro: gene abnormalities, ion irregularities that interfere with neuron communication
other causes: stress and bio predisposition
anxiety disorder
disabling anxiety that’s easily triggered
most ppl have multiple disorders
generalized anxiety disorder
not triggered by one stimulus as a result of dysfunctional assumptions, can result in restlessness and diff concentrating
explanations general anxiety
CBT: assumption of danger, intolerance to uncertainty
neuro: malfunctioning GABA feedback and emotional brain circuit, resulting in neurons not ceasing firing when stressed
social anxiety disorder
7.1% population
fear of social embarassment or poor functioning
CBT: unrealistic social standards, view self as socially unattractive
phobias
7.7% canadians experience/year
can be classically or operantly conditioned
i.e. little albert vs avoiding reduces anxiety
modelling fear i.e. see parent w fear of spiders
excessive evolutionary response i.e. fear of spiders due to posion
cause of common phobias
evolutionary factors gone to extreme, has meaning but is now meaningless/gone too far
brontophobia
fear of thunder
panic attack
periodic bouts of panic
has specific requirements in order to be a panic attack
panic disorder
has panic attacks AND results in changes in behaviours/thoughts that impacts life
often accompanied with agoraphobia
explanations of panic disorder
excessive norepinephrine, misinterpretation of body sensations (i.e. heart racing –> heart attack)
OCD components
obsessions: thoughts/ideas that are persistent and unwanted
compulsions: repetitive, rigid BEHAVIOURS often as a result of obsessions
OCD explanations
neuro: low serotonin, overactive orbitofrontal cortex and caudate nuclei
- involved in turning sensory info into thoughts/info
CBT: learning that compulsions decrease stress/anxiety
acute stress disorder (AS)
systems last 1 month or less, and starts within one month after event
PTSD
symptoms start right away, and last more than 1 month
explanations PTSD
bio: increased norepinephrine and cortisol, damage to hippocampus or amygdala
result of personality, social, and cultural factors
psychosis
loss of touch with reality
schizophrenia
disordered thoughts, hallucinations, lack of contact w reality (psychosis)
positive schizophrenia symptoms
pathological EXCESS in behaviour, i.e. hallucinations, delusions
delusions: false beliefs about self and others
loose associations/derailment: rapid movement of one thought to another
negative schizophrenia symptoms
pathological DEFICITS i.e. flat affect, speech impairments, social withdrawal
psychomotor symtpoms
schizophrenics are affected in movements, stupor, rigidity
catatonia
extreme psychomotor symptoms, interfering with daily life
explanations schizo
neruo/bio: genetic predisposition, excess dopamine, enlarged ventricles and smaller temporal/frontal lobes
disathesis-stress model: genetic predisposition PLUS traumatic event
somatic symptom disorder
causes distress and disruption to daily life, has anxiety around health lasting 6+ months
illness anxiety disorder
excessive care seeking 6+ months, result in classic conditioning and misinterpretation of body signals
dissociative disorder
major loss of memory without physical explanation
dissociative amnesia
cannot remember traumatic experience
derealization disorder
person feels separated from body
DID
two or more distinct personalities
personality disorders
rigid patterns of inner and outward experience
i.e. antisocial personality and BPD
explanation personality disorders
operant conditioning, deficiency in frontal lobe, less stress to stress and anxiety
bisocial theory
child cannot identify emotions and environment disregards feelings
