Psychological Disorders Flashcards
(233 cards)
What is a psychological disorder?
The characteristic pattern of abnormal thoughts, feelings, or behaviours, which causes distress for the afflicted individual and impairs his or her daily life.
What must a deviant behaviour also be considered for it to be considered a disorder?
Distressful to the point of dysfunction
What do mental health workers typically use as an authority to reference to diagnose psychological disorders?
Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (DSM)
Why was the DSM created?
To collect statistical data and help standardise the classification of disorders by providing detailed descriptions of relevant symptoms
How does the DSM focus on why disorders develop or how to treat them?
It does not focus on why disorders develop or how to treat them?
What does the DSM do?
Aids an often difficult and subjective diagnosis process
What are the two main types of approaches that affect how particular disorder is treated?
Biomedical approach and biopsychosocial approach
What is the goal of The biomedical approach and the biopsychosocial approach?
Same goal; to improve the patient’s well-being
How do the biomedical approach and the biopsychosocial differ in perspective?
Each model has different perspectives on the relevant factors contributing to the disorder and the scope of remedies required for treatment
Is the biomedical approach or the biopsychosocial approach the standard model used today?
Biomedical approach
What does the biomedical approach assume?
Assumes that all the stress and disability are grounded primarily in certain biomedical factors
What do professionals who use the biomedical approach focus on?
Focus on identifying and correcting the pathology to provide symptom relief
Is the biomedical approach or the biopsychosocial approach well suited for simple or straightforward disorders were diagnostic tests are useful and that causes are well understood?
Biomedical approach
Does the biomedical approach or the biopsychosocial approach fail to acknowledge external factors that may be relevant to the disorder?
Biomedical approach
Is the biomedical approach or the biopsychosocial approach often considered to be narrower than other approaches and fairly limited in its overall effectiveness when dealing with complex psychological disorders?
Biomedical approach
Is the biopsychosocial approach or the biomedical approach the much broader model of evaluating psychological disorders?
Biopsychosocial approach
What does the biopsychosocial approach assume?
Assumes that there are important psychological and social components to any disorder in addition to biological influences
What does the biological component of the biomedical approach in the biopsychosocial approach include?
Includes any evolutionary, structural, or genetic influences
What does the psychological component of the biopsychosocial approach include?
The individuals attitudes, beliefs, emotions, and behaviours that are related to the disorder
What does the social component of the biopsychosocial approach include?
Encompasses the socio-economic, socio-environmental, and cultural factors that influence one’s perception of their disorder
Is the biomedical approach or the biopsychosocial approach a more holistic and individualised approach used to diagnose and treat psychological disorders?
Biopsychosocial approach
What is prevalence in psychological disorders?
The proportion of individuals in a population that either have or have had a particular mental disorder
What are the seven most important psychological disorders on the MCAT?
Anxiety disorders, depressive disorders, somatoform disorders, associative disorders, personality disorders, schizophrenia, and Parkinson’s disease
What is anxiety?
A state of inner turmoil characterised by nervousness, worry, and unease