Psychopathology Flashcards

Flashcards for Psychopathology lecture review.

Psychopathology

The study of mental disorders, including their causes, symptoms, and treatments.

Psychological disorders

Disturbances of psychological functioning.

Abnormal psychology

Study of descriptions, causes, and treatments of abnormal behavior.

Biological perspective of mental illness

Mental illness is caused by differences in biology or brain function.

Psychodynamic perspective of mental illness

Mental illness is caused by defense mechanisms coping with unconscious childhood issues.

Behavioral perspective of mental illness

Mental illness is caused by learned unhelpful behaviors.

Humanistic perspective of mental illness

Mental illness is caused by obstacles to self-actualization.

Cognitive perspective of mental illness

Mental illness is caused by distorted thoughts.

Sociocultural perspective of mental illness

Mental illness is caused by societal expectations/factors influencing access to support.

Biopsychosocial model

Mental illness caused by interplay between biological, psychological, and sociocultural factors.

Structured Clinical Interview

A type of clinical interview with the highest reliability.

Psychological Tests (Intelligence/Personality)

Tests that provide norms to compare client scores with an average.

Neuropsychological Assessment

Evaluates whether psychological problems reflect underlying brain damage.

Behavioral Assessment

Psychological tests reveal signs of stable traits that determine behavior.

GAD

Generalized Anxiety Disorder: characterized by excessive worry over many topics.

Panic Disorder

Recurrent/unexpected panic attacks that peak in 10 minutes.

Agoraphobia

Fear of being in situations due to being unable to escape.

Specific Phobias

Persistent fear of a specific object/creature/situation that is out of proportion to the real threat.

Social Anxiety

Fear of social situations due to being evaluated negatively by others.

Separation Anxiety

Fear of being separated from an attachment figure.

Selective Mutism

Able to speak in some social contexts but not in others.

OCD

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder: characterized by obsessive thoughts and compulsions.

PTSD

A disorder where someone was exposed to a traumatic event - symptoms include re-experiencing, negative mood alterations, avoidance, hyperarousal.

Learning Theory (PTSD)

Classical conditioning (learned distress and fear in reaction to trauma related stimuli) and operant conditioning (avoidance symptoms and maintenance of fear over time).

Cognitive Theories (PTSD)

PTSD results from need to integrate trauma into existing belief system.

Dual representation theory (PTSD)

Two types of memories (verbally accessible memories (VAM) and situationally accessible memories (SAM)) explain PTSD.