Week 4 Flashcards
What is the DSM and what does it do?
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental disorders (It describes and classifies, all different types of psychopathology and psychological disorders. It is a guideline of every type of mental disorder.)
Mental Disorder
A behavioral or psychological symptom or pattern that is associated with significant amounts of distress or disability (impaired functioning).
Abnormal Behavior
Unable to preform with healthy adaptive functioning, both at a professional and personal level
For a diagnoses to be classified as a disorder it must be:
Causing the individual to have a loss of ability to properly function day to day, be from a response to an internal factor, and be involuntary
Internal Factors
Factors that are driven from within – a sense of pride, satisfaction, or even the need to overcome a challenge. They may be compulsions, or feelings of hopelessness.
External factors
Factors that are tangible – material reward, good grades, or praise. They may come from someone other than the individual.
Mental Disorders are primarily caused by…
Most mental disorders have a genetic basis but that our environment, in utero and while growing up can significantly affect whether, to what degree, and how this genetic disposition is manifested
Three-Prong Test
Symptoms qualify as a mental disorder if they:
• Cause a clinically significant impairment in an individual’s ability to function.
• Are NOT a predictable reaction to an external event.
• Are NOT the result of an individual’s voluntary choice.
The Four Major Categories of Mental Disorders
Major Depression, Anxiety Disorders, Schizophrenia, and Autism Spectrum Disorders
Major Depression
A disorder characterized by a persistently low mood, which affects the person’s ability to function normally
Biological Symptoms of Depression
Disruption of sleep, insomnia or sleeping too much, disruption of appetite, weight gain or weight loss
Psychological Symptoms of Depression
Sadness, hopelessness, loss of interest in life
Social Symptoms of Depression
Lack of interest in the world, withdrawal from friends and social activities
Anxiety
A sense of apprehension or doom that is accompanied by many physiological reactions, such as rapid heart rate, sweating, and tightness in the stomach.
Anticipatory Anxiety
A fear of having a panic attack; may lead to the development of phobias
Anxiety Disorder
An irrational fear of situations or stimuli, which are not actually dangerous.
Anxiety Disorders
A group of disorders characterized by three categories
- Physical symptoms of anxiety or fear
- Unrealistic anxiety or cognitive distress
- Escape or avoidance behaviors
Biological Symptoms of Anxiety
Racing heart rate, increased blood pressure, muscle tension, nausea
Psychological Symptoms of Anxiety
Worrying that is out of proportion to the situation, generalized anxiety that interferes with normal functioning
Social Symptoms of Anxiety
Fear of being around people, other impairments in social situations
Schizophrenia
A severe psychological disorder characterized by thought disturbances, hallucinations, anxiety, emotional withdrawal, and delusions
Biological Symptoms of Schizophrenia
Diminished or immobile facial expression, monotone vocal tone, repetitive or agitated movements
Psychological Symptoms of Schizophrenia
Delusions, Hallucinations or paranoia, disorganized thoughts and speech
Social Symptoms of Schizophrenia
Impaired ability to identify emotional states of other people, inappropriate emotional reactions or absence of emotion
Autism Spectrum Disorder
A range of disorders consisting of Autism, Asperger’s disorder, and other pervasive development disorders. Combinations and severity of symptoms vary among individuals
Biological Symptoms of Autism Spectrum Disorder
Abnormal neurological development, sensitivity to sounds, smells, tastes, or sights
Psychological Symptoms of Autism Spectrum Disorder
Repetitive or obsessive behaviors, inflexible adherence to routines or rituals
Social Symptoms of Autism Spectrum Disorder
Impairment in using spoken and nonverbal communication, impaired ability to understand other’s feeling
Agoraphobia
A psychological disorder characterized by fear of and avoidance of being alone in public places; this disorder is often accompanied by panic attacks
Panic Disorder
Experience of reoccurring unexpected panic attacks
Panic Attack
A sudden onset of intense fear and various physiological symptoms related to anxiety, such as a pounding heart, trembling, chest pain, a feeling of choking, nausea and shortness of breath
Phobic Disorder
An unrealistic, excessive fear of a specific class of stimuli that interferes with normal activities. The object of the anxiety is readily identifiable as a specific phobia
Specific Phobia
Experience of a significant anxiety in response to a specific situation or object that does not present any real danger (E.g., blood, heights, snakes, etc.)
Social Phobia/Social Anxiety Disorder
A psychological disorder characterized by an excessive and irrational fear of situations in which others observe the person
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Recurrent, unwanted thoughts or ideas and compelling urges to engage in repetitive ritual-like behavior.
Obsession
An involuntary recurring thought, idea, or image
Compulsion
An irresistible impulse to repeat some action over and over even though it serves no useful purpose
Tourette’s Syndrome
A neurological Disorder characterized by tics and involuntary utterances, some of which may involve obscenities and the repetition of other’s utterances
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
Re-experiencing a traumatic event and experiencing symptoms of anxiety in response to any stimuli that relate to the traumatic event. Symptoms include specific triggers, inability or feel close to others, feeling as if the world is dangerous, flashbacks, sleep disorders, and difficulty concentrating.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
Excessive and uncontrollable worry, often about common concerns for an extended period of time (i.e., 6 months or more) Symptoms include sleep disorders, difficulty concentrating, triggered by every day events, and constant worrying.
Somatoform Disorders
A category of mental disorders that involve physical symptoms similar to a medical illness for which no medical cause can be found
Somatization Disorder
Multiple physical symptoms that occur over several years that cannot be explained due to medical cause. Symptoms must include the following: Pain, gastrointestinal, sexual, and pseudo-neurological problems
Undifferentiated Somatoform Disorder
Physical symptoms that last for at least 6 months and cannot be explained due to a medical cause but do not meet the threshold for somatization disorder
Conversion Disorder
The actual loss of bodily function, such as blindness, paralysis and numbness, due to excessive anxiety
Pain Disorder
Significant pain that is associated with psychological factors
Hypochondriasis
Preoccupation with having a serious medical condition despite significant evidence of the contrary
Body Dysmorphic
Preoccupation with a part of the body that is perceived as defective
Dissociative Disorders
A class of disorders in which anxiety is reduced by a sudden disruption in consciousness, which in turn, produces changes in ones sense of identity
Dissociative Amnesia
The inability to remember important events or personal information.
Dissociative Fugue
Amnesia with no apparent organic cause, accompanied by adoption of a new identity and relocation.
Dissociative Identity Disorder
Characterized by the presence of two or more distinct personalities within an individual. The person’s behavior is guided by different personalities at different times
Depersonalization Disorder
The sensation that one is detached or outside of their body
Borderline Personality Disorder
An enduring pattern of instability in mood, self-image, and interpersonal relationships; includes frantic efforts to avoid real or imagined abandonment.
Antisocial personality disorder
A lack of empathy or care for others, lack of guilt or misdeeds, antisocial behavior and persistent lying, cheating and stealing
Panic attack
A sudden onset of intense fear and various physiological symptoms related to anxiety, such as a pounding heart, trembling, chest pain, a feeling of choking, nausea and shortness of breath
Etiology
The causes or origins of a disorder
Diathesis-Stress model
A causal account of psychological disorders based on the idea that psychological disorders develop when a person possesses a predisposition for a disorder and faces stressors that exceed his or her abilities to cope with them
Bio-psychosocial Perspective
A view that the causes of psychological disorders can best be understood in terms of the interaction of biological, psychological and social factors
Comorbid
The appearance of two or more disorders in a single person
Clinical Judgments
Diagnoses of psychological disorders or predictions of future behavior based largely on expert’s experience and knowledge.
Actuarial Judgments
Diagnoses of psychological disorders or prediction of future behavior based on numerical formulas derived from analyses of prior outcomes
Attention-deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
A psychological disorder found in childhood characterized by impulsivity, a lack of attention, and hyperactivity
