mental health and individual difference Flashcards
what is Biological psychology?
Biological psychology is the study of the brain and how it reacts to emotion and thought as well as vice versa
what is Clinical psychology?
Clinical psychology is the treatment and study of mental disorders as well as the understanding of abnormal behaviour in people
what is cognitive psychology?
Cognitive psychology is strudy of how we think and make decisions as well as process information.
what is Cultural psychology?
Cultural psychology is the study how cultures interact with each other and allow us to understand the experiences of refugees, migrants etc
what is Developmental psych?
Developmental psych is about how are behaviour changes and develops over our lifetime
what is educational psych
Educational psych: is about understanding how teachers teach and how to better educate people as well as aid challenged students.
what is Organization psych?
Organization psych: is about how to make business more efficient and satisfying.
what is Social psych.
Social psych: is about how people interact with one another and how that impacts our behaviour and mental process.
what is Community psych?
Community psych: is about working with Communities to prevent psychological issues
what is Environmental psych?
Environmental psych: is about how our Environments affect our behaviour and thought
what is Forensic psych?
Forensic psych: is about the problems involving psych and law.
what is Health psych?
Health psych: is about how illness affects mental health and vice versa
what is Personalty psych?
Personalty psych: is about how our personalities differ or are similar to one another and why
what is Psychopathology?
Psychopathology is the study of mental disorders
what is the criteria for whether something is considered a mental disorder?
Deviance, distress and dysfunction (the three ds)
what are culture-bound syndromes
Mental disorders that are Culturally specific. Mental disorders that are only found in certain cultures.
what is the Biopsychosocial approach?
The belief that mental disorders are caused by a mix of psychological processes, biological factors and sociocultural factors.
what is the Diathesis-stress model?
the belief that MD are a mix of biologically inherited traits learnt behaviours and early learning experiences that are only triggered when exposed to a major stressor ie being disposed to depression but it only manifesting after a parent dies.
what are Culture-specific forms of disorders?
when a disorder is globally recorded but symptoms are reported differently.
what is the DSM?
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
In prehistoric times what was mental illness considered to be because of?
evil spirts
what is Trephination?
using a trephine (a sharp tool) to remove part of the skull to let the spirits out.
Hippocrates believed that mental disroder where caused by?
things like head trauma or brain disease, he also believed it to be caused by the four humours being out of balance (blood, black bile, yellow bile and phlegm).
what did Plato think mental disorders were caused by.
he thought the mentally ill were not at fault for their actions. He believed that mental disorders were caused by environment and upbringing.
Freud’s beliefs were not found in a university but instead in —–
Psychiatry
what did Fraud think the 3 levels of consciousness
Consciousness = the awareness, Conscious mind
Preconsciousness =memories, sensations, emotions.
The unconscious = is unavailable to are Conscious minds
what is Metal health?
a person’s mental and emotional wellbeing.
what are Mental health problems?
a range of emotional, cognitive or Behavioural problems that can affect a person.
what is a Psychological disorder?
a Recognised set of symptoms that can be may cause distress to the individual or Inhibit their ability to function.
what is Diathesis?
the Capacity for/ the level of underlying risk for mental illness
What is abnormal?
not normal by statistical standards (excluding positive traits)
what are the advantages of diagnosis?
helps professionals communicate quickly, helps people to understand their experience better, helps to inform treatment, normalises symptoms.
what are the disadvantages of diagnosis?
not everyone fits into a category, distressing, stigma.
what is the Definition of anxiety?
“A negative mood state characterised by Bodily symptoms of physical tension And by apprehension the future”
how does Anxiety differs to fear?
Anxiety differs from fear due to it being about things in the future rather than current situations ie can be anxious about seeing a snack, but a snake does not need to be in the room.
what are the 4 Fs?
Fight, flight, freeze, fornicate ;). it is a response to a stimile, aka Arousal response
what defines a Panic attack?
Comes on within 10 minutes
Must experience four of the major symptoms of a panic attack to be considered one.
symtoms of a panic attack.
- Palpitations, pounding heart or accelerated heart rate.
- Sweating.
- Trembling or shaking.
- Sensations of shortness of breath or smothering.
- Feelings of choking.
- Chest pain or discomfort.
- Nausea or abdominal distress.
- Feeling dizzy, unsteady, light-headed, or faint.
- Chills or heat sensations.
- Paresthesias (numbness or tingling sensations).
- Derealization (feelings of unreality) or depersonalization (being detached from oneself).
- Fear of losing control or “going crazy.”
- Fear of dying.
what is Generalised anxiety disorder (GAD)?
An anxiety disorder characterised by near constant exessive anxiety.
Generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) diagnostic criteria
The anxiety must last at least 6 months and be Present more days than not as well as exhibiting at least 3 of the major symptoms
symptoms of Generalised anxiety disorder (GAD)
anxiety, restlessness, easily tired, difficulty Concentrating/mind blank, Irritability, Muscle tension, Sleep disturbances.
Generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) is more common in females, true or false?
true. Gad is more common in females (3.5%) than males (2%).
What are Phobias?
Phobias are intense fear in response to something. they can be of anything. They usually exhibit similar symptoms. Exposure causes intense And immediate anxiety (this can be a Panic Attack). Individuals tend to realise that their fear is excessive.
What is Agoraphobia?
Agoraphobia: a fear of being unable to escape a place or situation due to Circumstance/Embarrassment. Is also Commonly accompanied by panic attacks (aka, I can’t leave here if I have a panic attack) and is usually about Specific places or Situations
What is Social phobia
Social phobia: a fear of social situations/ performances in which an individual is exposed to a stranger or is to be scrutinised by others. Exposure to these situations may cause panic attacks
What are the four Categories of Specific phobia?
Animal: spiders, snakes, bears
situational: flying, bridges, Elevators
Natural environment: hights, storms
Blood injection injury: blood, Injections.
How are Blood injection injury phobias, unlike the other phobias?
Individuals with blood injection injury phobias react to fight or flight with a drop in blood pressure (This in certain situations can lead to fainting) rather than an increase.
What are the Diagnostic criteria for a phobia?
The fear must inhibit the person’s ability to function in their usual routine.
What are the Cognitive process risks for developing an anxiety disorder?
interprets psychological arousal/processes as threatening, aka the adrenaline from a rollercoaster. Certain personality types and coping strategies. (Seems important in most anxiety disorders.
What are the Environmental risk factors for developing an anxiety disorder?
trauma or stressful life events (is important in the development of PTSD and panic disorders).
What are the Genetic risk factors for developing an anxiety disorder
Certain gene types can influence the physiology and or biological of the brain aka increased brain reactivity to stress (appears important in GAD, OCD and some phobias)
what is Classic conditioning?
a process where a previously neutral Stimulus Elicits a response after being paired with With something that elicits a response (aka pulling the right lever gives you cake pulling the bad one shocks you).
what is an Unconditioned stimulus (UCS)?
An unconditioned stimulus occurs naturally in response to natural things (food makes your mouth water) this causes an Unconditioned response.
If you were to pair a conditioned Stimulus with an Unconditioned stimulus what would happen?
it will trigger the same Unconditioned response, if done long enough you can take away the Unconditioned stimulus and gain the same response
what is Operant conditioning?
the process of reinforcing a behaviour with an event or Consequence aka giving your dog a treat so it will sit.
what is positive Reinforcement?
adding a behaviour with pleasant stimuli (treats, affection).
what is Negative Reinforcement?
adding a behaviour by taking away a negative stimulus (alarm clock, isolation)
what is positive punishment?
Negating a Behaviour with negative stimuli (shock, a smack)
what is Negative punishment?
negating a behaviour by removing a positive stimulus (taking away food, isolation)
what is Modelling?
observing someone else and mimicking their behaviour (in the case of mental disorders, seeing someone else being Afraid of something and developing a fear because of that).
what anxiety disorder can be explained best by classic condition.
phobias (a dog bites you, you dislike the aggressive behaver and begin to associate all dogs with aggression).
what type of Operant conditioning best explains Avoidance?
negative reinforcement.
what is Cognition?
our thoughts, how we remember things, how we learn and general thought processes.
define somatic
Physical Sensations and feelings.
what are Depressive disorders characterised by?
sad, empty, or Irritable mood, Accompanied by somatic and cognitive changes that Significantly Affect the patient’s ability to function.
what are Bipolar disorders characterised by
Swings between Depressive symptoms and manic or hypomanic symptoms.
define Depression.
an extreme sadness and or lowered mood state.
define Mania
extreme, unwanted happiness that is unaligned with the person’s Experiences.
what are the symptoms of Depression?
. sad, low, or depressed mood most days and for most of the day.
. loss of pleasure and interest in hobbies and experiences.
. sleep problems (insomnia, commonly Terminal insomnia) or (hypersomnia)
. changes in activity levels (Psychomotor retardation or Psychomotor agitation), psychomotor
. loss of appetite, weight loss or increased appetite and weight gain.
. decreased energy, and Highly increased fatigue.
. Negative self-image, Guilt, Feelings of worthlessness, and Self-blame. in serious cases, Suicidal.
. Difficulty concentrating.
. suicidal thoughts and or thoughts of death.
what is the Diagnostic criteria for Major depressive disorder (MDD)?
must Present with 5 symptoms of depression for at least 2 weeks (almost always needing to possess the first few aka low mood, loss of Pleasure)
what is the most common depressive disorder?
Major depressive disorder (MDD)
Major depressive disorder (MDD) is more common in men true or false?
False. MDD is twice as reported in women than men though this Figure could be off due to the stigma of men showing weakness, there is an increasing number of men admitting their depression.
what is the chance of recurring episodes in Major depressive disorder?
There is an 80% chance that patients who Experience one Episode will experience at least one more within the year (15% of patients with MDD develop a chronic form with multiple recurring episodes).
what are the chances for men and women to develop MDD
There is a 10-25% chance for women and a 5-12% chance for men to develop major depression in their life.
how many people with Major depressive disorder are there in the AU population?
6.8% of female adults in Australia have MDD, while 5.1% of men have MDD.
define dysthymia/ Dysthymic disorder Persistent depressive disorder (PDD)
A less severe but more chronic form of depression.
what are the Diagnostic criteria for Persistent depressive disorder?
must have at least two of the symptoms from the depression symptom list (including the first symptom) but not meet the criteria for MDD and persist for 2 years or more (most days for most of the day, almost every day)
is it more or less common then MDD?
it Is less common than MDD (6-8% of women 5% for men)
what is the % of the population has PDD?
at any given time, 3% of the population have Dysthymia
PDD is rarely diagnosed until adulthood true or false?
True. PDD Usually starts in Adolescence but is rarely diagnosed until adulthood (most are wary of diagnosing Dysthymia at such a young age).
is it more or less common than MDD?
it Is less common than MDD (6-8% of women 5% for men)
what is the duration of PDD?
The common duration is 9 years but can last as long as 20 years
what are the symptoms of mania?
1 Inflated ego/sense of self. Grandiosity.
2 decreased need of sleep.
3 increased talking/ pressure to keep talking
4 flight of ideas. Constantly jumping from one thought to the next. Racing thoughts.
5 easly distracted
6 incrsesed goal-driven activity (socially, at work, sexualy) or Psychomotor agitation
7 increased risk-taking behaviour and or environment in Activities that could cause harm (sexual Indiscretions, buying sprees, foolish business investments)
Manic episodes criteria.
must possess at 3 symptoms from the Mania symptom list that last for a week, most of the day, nearly every day.
Hypomanic Episodes criteria
must possess 3 symptoms from the Mania symptom list that last for 4 consecutive days and present most of the day nearly every day.
define Bipolar disorder
A mood disorder that causes singing between manic episodes and depressive episodes.
Bipolar disorder Diagnostic criteria
must present with manic and depressive episodes (5+ symptoms from the depression symptoms list and 3 from the mania list) in the same 2-week period.
what is the difference between Bipolar 1 disorder and Bipolar 2 disorder?
Bipolar 2 disorder has hypomanic episodes
what is the Lifetime Prevalence of Bipolar disorder?
about 1.5%
what % of people with Bipolar disorder have a recurring Episode?
90% of people who have one episode will have another one, most resume normal functioning between episodes.
what is the prevalence of Bipolar disorder between men and women?
Is equally prevalent in men and women
which approach to intelligence developed Fluid and crystallized intelligence
psychometric.
define Cyclothymia
A lower level chronic mood disorder.
Diagnostic criteria for Cyclothymia
Presents with manic and depressive symptoms but not enough to meet the category of MDD or bipolar 1 or 2 disorder for at least 2 years and must be present at least half the time and symptoms must not be absent for more than 2 mouths (this would suggest something else)
what is Lewinsohn’s Operant conditioning Theory?
The belief that depression is caused by a lack of positive reinforcement in social situations causing one to withdraw decreasing the chance of positive reinforcement even more making the Individual more depressed
did Lewsinsohn believe that the empathy and concern from others enforced depression?
Lewinsohn believed that withdrawing may receive positive reinforcement in the form of empathy and concern from others.
what part of Lewinsohn’s theory is still used today?
re-entering social situations can help improve depression (thought this may take great effort) this part of the model is still used today.
what is Seligman’s theory of Learned helplessness?
depression is caused by an Unescapable traumatic event that causes helplessness in the individual, leading to a vicious cycle of depression and helplessness.
what is an example of Seligman’s theory of learned helplessness?
a man loses his job and blames it on the economy, he feels helpless to change things and becomes depressed, he doesn’t apply for any new jobs because he believes that it will turn out the same this only engrains the depression.
according to Seligman’s theory of learned helplessness, what is the way to avoid depression?
if the individual didn’t blame the economy for losing their job but instead on a factor they can control, they wouldn’t become depressed.
what is the most used theory for depression?
Cognitive model: beck’s theory of depression.
define Beck’s theory for depression.
This theory says that depression is caused by biases developed due to negative life events in three core areas.
what is the triad of beliefs
beliefs about the future, beliefs about our self and beliefs about the world.
how does the triad of beliefs relate to depression?
When something bad happens relating to one of those areas it is possible for us to develop a bies. Example: I failed this exam, so I will fail all exams.
how can the bais spread?
The individual may begin to surround themself with things to confirm their belief, they will only may attention to the bad things and ignorer all positive things that could dispute their belief.
what are the Biological causes of depression?
There is some evidence that depression has genetic factor especially in the case of recurring or more severe MDD or PDD.
Neurotransmitter function
Reduced and or imbalances in serotonin, dopamine and noradrenaline (neurotransmitters, the brains chemcal messengers)
what are the psychosocial factors for depression?
Environmental/life events.
Stressors in what areas can increase the risk of Depression risk factors?
1 negative, hostile, abusive or disruptive home Environment
2 death of a loved one (Especially as a child)
3 parent divorce
4 loss of employment (for self or close family member)
5 high levels and or Excessive levels of emotional expression in the famly
6 lack of intimate relationships (partner, family, friends).
what are Suicide ideation/suicidal ideation?
thoughts or fantasies of suicide
define Suicide attempt
attempting to take one own life.
define Death by suicide/sucide
taking one’s own life
what is Suicide ideation/suicidal ideation?
thoughts or fantasies of suicide
is commits the correct term when referring to suicide?
no. Avoid using commits as it Implies criminality
are “ Successful, unsuccessful, completed and failed” correct terms when referring to suicide?
Avoid using Successful, unsuccessful, completed, or failed when relating to suicide as it implies that suicide is an Achievement.
what MDs are most strongly connected to suicide?
bipolar and depressive disorders.
how much more likely are people with MDD to suicide?
Those with MDD are x7 more likely to suicide
how much more likely are people with PDD to suicide?
PDD is x 4
how much more likely are people with Bipoler
Bipolar is x 6
how many deaths are caused by suicide?
Suicide accounts for 1.4% of deaths in Australia
rates of Suicide between genders.
More males die from suicide than females but more females attempt suicide
what are the Psychological factors of suicide?
Depression
Hopelessness
Other disorders such as Schizophrenia, PTSD, and some personality disorder.
what are the Socio-cultural factors of suicide?
gender (males are more likely to Suicide)
First nation/cultural minority
rural/regional areas
Substance abuse
Chronic, painful or disfiguring illness or disability
Loss of a loved one (not just through death but other means such as divorce).
What is schizophrenia?
Schizophrenia is an umbrella term for many disorders that involve a disconnect from reality, usually involving delusions and hallucinations
psychosis =?
a loss of contact with reality (you don’t need schizophrenia to have psychosis, but you almost always need psychosis to have schizophrenia)
Hallucinations=?
experiences in the absence of actual stimuli.
Delusion=?
holding a belief that doesn’t aline with reality.
Delusion=?
holding a belief that doesn’t aline with reality.
Persecutory Delusions=?
believing someone or something is out to get you, ie, the government, a hitman.
Grandiose delusions=?
believing you are better than other people.
Religious delusions=?
believing you have some form of religious power, ie Jesus Christ returned to earth, being a saint.
Somatic delusions=?
believing something has happened to your body ie a chip has been inserted into your brain.
Delusions of reference=?
believing that something has a special meaning to you, ie the news broadcaster is giving signals that the world is ending.
Delusions of being controlled=?
believing that you’re being controlled by other people (can link with somatic delusions)
Delusions of mind reading=?
believing you can read minds (can link up with auditory Hallucination)
Thought broadcasting=?
believing other people can hear what you are thinking
Thought insertion=?
believing someone else is putting thoughts into your head
Thought Withdrawal=?
believing that people are taking your thoughts away.
which of the delusions can link up with the Deteriorating of thought?
all of the thoughts could have a link with the Deteriorating thought process of the patient, ie why can’t I think through things as i used to it must be because —
Thought disorder symptoms=?
The tendency of thought to move less logically than before and instead move along associated Lines.
Derailment=?
thoughts slid off track to something vaguely related.
Circumstantiality=?
speech remains on track but takes a long time to reach its destination (bringing in unnecessary information, vague and unclear)
Distractible speech=?
speech changes mid-sentence due to stimuli
Emotional blunting=?
unchanging expression even when speaking of something distressing.
Alogia=?
the difficulty of speech, slow to respond/only using keywords
Avolition=?
reduces motivation, reduced chance to partake in normal behaviour. Poor hygiene, poor social life.
schiz Typically develops when?
in early adulthood, Developing earlier in males (females 25 years old, males 18)
A progression=?
starts Acutely and remains Episodic before tapering off in Mid to late adulthood (becoming mild or completely absent. (25% of cases)
C progression=?
Starts Acutely, Remains severe, And slowly tapers off, leaving Residual symptoms. (8% of cases)
D progression=?
starts Gradually then becomes Episodic before dropping off to mild or Completely absent symptoms. (10% of cases)
E progression=?
Starts Gradually, and remains Continuous before slightly lessening but remains moderate or severe. (24% of cases)
F progression=?
Other patterns (23% of cases)
what are the Genetics factors for schizophrenia?
there are several genes that increase your likelihood of developing it.
Dizygotic twins are far less likely to get schizophrenia when one twin has it (17%)compared to Monozygotic twins (48%). This implies that there is a strong genetic link, but due to it not being 100%, it says that there are also factors.
The dopamine hypothesis=?
This theory suggests that an excess of dopamine is the cause of schizophrenia. This suggests that the problem could be that some areas of the brain collect dopamine, causing an excess in those areas and leaving far less for the others. Why neurons are collecting dopamine is still under research.
diathesis-stress model for schizophrenia=?
This theory suggests that A mix of genetic disposition and stress can cause schizophrenia.
If you have a high Genetic Vulnerability, you may Develop the disorder on your own.
If you have a moderate to minor genetic vulnerability, you may need an Environmental stressor to cause it, ie Childhood neglect.
can drugs trigger schizophrenia?
Certain drugs can also trigger it. (Psychotic/Dissociative drugs) as well as Marijuana.
is it possible that all these theories could Coexist and Explain one another?
yes
Dissociative disorder=?
they are disruptions/in the way we process reality to the degree that one becomes detached from it, they involve distortions in Consciousness, Memory, Identity And perception.
what are the Symptoms of Derealisation?
the feeling that one’s surroundings are not real or are dream-like or, in other cases, familiar places seem new/unfamiliar.
Depersonalisation symtoms=?
the feeling that you are not real or living in a dream or movie, can also feel like you are watching yourself from the outside.
are these symptoms relatively common among the population?
yes (50% of people Experience these from time to time). These symptoms usually pass relatively quickly
Depersonalisation disorder=?
Recurrent experiences of Derealisation and/or depersonalisation commonly associated with panic attacks.
Symptoms of Depersonalisation disorder=?
. May feel detached from one’s emotions, self, thoughts, or specific body parts.
. They May feel robotic or as if they lack control
. may be an impairment of sensation or sense of time
Diagnostic criteria for Depersonalisation disorder=?
must be expressing Clinically significant stress and or impairment to daily function
Dissociative amnesia=?
The forgetting of personal information and in junction with a traumatic event
Criticism of the diagnosis of Dissociative amnesia=?
trauma can trigger intentional repression of memories. This is not amnesia. People normally have gaps in Memory; there is lacking evidence to support this disorder, as well as the fact it, could be better explained by other things.
Dissociative fugue=?
A combination of forgetting one’s identity and personal information and the removal of one’s self from their setting (to a new town/city) can last from hours to years.
causes for Dissocitative fuge?
Dissociative fugues are usually associated with a form of trauma . (once again, this brings up the question of if this was an attempt to escape ones trauma or actual amnesia)
Dissociative identity disorder (DID)=?
Characterised by an individual having at least 2 distinct identity/personalities which alternate in control of the behaver
host=? (DID)
Typically there is a Primary/“host” personality, and one or more alters that differ from the host in many Facets.
can there be Physical differences between alters (brain activity, speech patterns, handedness)?
yes.
Post-traumatic model=? (DID)
his theory suggests that DID is developed in response to an early childhood trauma were the individual creates another identity to manage the stress, ie “this isn’t happening to me. This is happening to someone else.”
Sociocognitive model=? (DID)
this theory questions the validity of DID and suggests that it is a false belief created by how the Therapist Communicates with different aspects of the patient’s personality leading both to believe that they are separate identities Entirely.
how do you determine what is disordered personality?
. Culturally determined normality eg Extremely introverted or extroverted.
. Context to the behaviour, is it happening consistently
. The longevity of the behaviour is the Behaviour been a long-standing issue?.
self-report Bias=?
. Self-report bias, Individuals tend to avoid topics that are socially looked down upon Or will describe them in less than vivid detail, as well as a lack of insight into their behaviour Being wrong and a tendency to believe that everyone else is in the wrong.
what are the Diagnosis Guidelines for personality disorders?
. Personality traits should first appear by Adolescence (though Diagnosis at this age is not advised)
. Traits are inflexible and stable and are expressed in a wide vairy of situations, thought stress tends to Exacerbate the personality traits.
. traits lead to distress and or impeachment for the individual and or others; the patient may not recognise their action to be causing them stress but rather Circumstance.
