Chapter 15 - Psychological Disorders Flashcards
(91 cards)
psychological disorder
- a syndrome characterized by clinically significant disturbance in an individual’s cognition or behavior
- reflects a dysfunction in the psychological, biological, or developmental processes
psychopathology
the study of psychological disorders, including their symptoms
etiology
the causes of psychological disorders
atypical
deviate from the norm, and could signify the presence of a psychological disorder
harmful dysfunction
- dysfunction occurs when internal mechanism breaks down and can no longer perform normally
- is only part of a disorder if it harms others or individual
significant disturbances in thoughts, feelings, and behaviors
- must experience inner states and exhibit behaviors that are clearly disturbed
- troubling to those around individual and individual
- part of the harmful dysfunction model made by the APA
disturbances reflect some kind of biological, psychological, or developmental dysfunction
- patterns of behavior reflect some flaw (dysfunction) in the internal biological, psychological, and developmental mechanisms
- part of the harmful dysfunction model made by the APA
disturbances lead to significant distress or disability in one’s life
- if they cause the person considerable distress, or greatly impair their ability to function as a normal individual
- part of the harmful dysfunction model made by the APA
disturbances do not reflect expected or culturally approved responses to certain events
- must be socially unacceptable responses to certain events that often happen in life
- part of the harmful dysfunction model made by the APA
diagnosis
appropriately identifying and labeling a set of defined symptoms
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5)
- classifies psychological disorders, written by American Psychiatric Association
- Each disorder is described in detail, overview of the disorder specific symptoms required for diagnosis, prevalence information
comorbidity
the co-occurrence of two disorders (having multiple disorders)
International Classification of Diseases (ICD)
- classification system for diagnosis, published by WHO
- used for clinical purposes
- also used to examine the general health of populations and to monitor the prevalence of diseases and other health problems internationally
- ICD is used for clinical diagnosis, DSM is for research
supernatural
- attributed to a force beyond scientific understanding
- mental illness was explained by devilish forces
diathesis-stress model
- integrates biological and psychosocial factors (environment) to predict the likelihood of a disorder
- suggests that people with an underlying predisposition for a disorder (i.e., a diathesis) are more likely to develop a disorder when faced with adverse environmental or psychological events
anxiety disorders
- characterized by excessive and persistent fear and anxiety, and by related disturbances in behavior
specific phobia
- experiences excessive, distressing, and persistent fear or anxiety about a specific object or situation
- people realize their level of fear and anxiety is irrational, some people with a specific phobia may go to great lengths to avoid the stimulus
agoraphobia
- a separate anxiety disorder
- characterized by intense fear, anxiety, and avoidance of situations in which it might be difficult to escape or receive help if one experiences symptoms of a panic attack (eg. crowds, public spaces)
social anxiety
characterized by extreme and persistent fear or anxiety and avoidance of social situations in which the person could potentially be evaluated negatively by others
safety behaviors
- mental or behavioral acts that reduce anxiety in social situations by reducing the chance of negative social outcomes
- e.g. avoiding drawing attention to yourself
panic disorder
- experience recurrent and unexpected panic attacks, with at least one month of persistent concern about additional panic attacks
- worry over the consequences of the attacks, or self-defeating changes in behavior related to attacks
locus coeruleus
- Activation of the locus coeruleus is associated with anxiety and fear
- brains major source of norepinephrine
- theory that it helps cause panic disorder
generalized anxiety disorder
- a relatively continuous state of excessive, uncontrollable, and pointless worry and apprehension
- symptoms: restlessness, difficulty concentrating, being easily fatigued, muscle tension, irritability, and sleep difficulties
Obsessive-compulsive and related disorders
a group of overlapping disorders that generally involve intrusive, unpleasant thoughts and repetitive behaviors