Psychological Disorders and Therapies

Comprehensive vocabulary flashcards covering the definitions, symptom profiles, models, and therapeutic interventions for psychological disorders as presented in the lecture.

Psychological Disorders

Persistently harmful thoughts, feelings, and actions; viewed by mental health workers as a pattern of behavioral and psychological symptoms that cause significant personal distress, impairs the ability to function in one or more important areas of life, or both.

Deviant

A criterion for a psychological disorder defined as behavior that is out of the norm.

Distressful

A criterion for a psychological disorder defined as behavior that causes discomfort for the individual.

Dysfunctional

A criterion for a psychological disorder defined as behavior that is maladaptive (unhealthy) and impairs one's ability to function.

NCS-R

A survey finding that approximately 1 out of 4 (26%) American adults experienced psychological disorder symptoms during the previous year, and 59% of those with symptoms received no treatment.

DSM-5

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; a classification system describing more than 260 specific psychological disorders, providing diagnostic criteria, codes, symptoms, frequency, typical course, and risk factors.

Arbitrary Cutoffs

A major criticism of the DSM for drawing rigid dividing lines between individuals who qualify for a diagnosis and those who do not.

Anxiety

An unpleasant emotional state characterized by physical arousal and feelings of tension, apprehension, and worry.

Anxiety Disorders

A category of disorders in which extreme anxiety is the main diagnostic feature and causes significant disruptions in cognitive, behavioral, or interpersonal functioning.

Pathological Anxiety

Anxiety that is irrational and persistent, contrasting with normal anxiety which is reasonable and infrequent.

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)

An anxiety disorder in which a person is unexplainably and continually in a state of tension, apprehension, and autonomic nervous system arousal.

Panic Attack

A sudden episode of extreme anxiety that rapidly escalates in intensity, featuring unpredictable minutes-long feelings of intense dread, terror, chest pain, choking sensations, and dizziness.

Panic Disorder

An anxiety disorder where anxiety suddenly and frequently escalates into terrifying panic attacks.

Triple Vulnerabilities Model of Panic Disorder

A model stating panic vulnerability is caused by a biological predisposition toward anxiety, a low sense of control over life-threatening events, and an oversensitivity to physical sensations.

Agoraphobia

Extreme fear of experiencing a panic attack or incapacitating symptoms in a public situation, leading to the avoidance of situations where escape might be difficult or help unavailable.

Conversion Disorder

A type of somatic symptom disorder involving deficits affecting sensory or voluntary motor functions (e.g., partial paralysis, blindness) without intentional faking, resembling a neurological or medical condition.

Specific Phobia

An excessive, intense, and irrational fear of a specific object, situation, or activity that is actively avoided or endured with marked anxiety, affecting about 13% of the general population.

Social Anxiety Disorder

An extreme and irrational fear of being embarrassed, judged, or scrutinized by others in social situations, leading to severe avoidance of social activities.

Obsessions

Intrusive, repetitive, and unwanted thoughts, such as contamination, pathological doubt, or violent and sexual thoughts.

Compulsions

Repetitive behaviors or mental acts that an individual feels driven to perform (e.g., washing, checking, counting, ordering) to prevent something bad from happening.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

A disorder triggered by exposure to a highly traumatic event, characterized by intrusive memories, avoidance of associated stimuli, negative emotional changes, and persistent heightened physical arousal.

Acute Stress Disorder

A reaction resulting from traumatic stress that starts 3 days after the event and lasts for up to 4 weeks.

Dissociative Experience

A break or disruption in consciousness during which awareness, memory, and personal identity become separated or divided.

Dissociative Amnesia

A dissociative disorder involving the partial or total inability to recall important personal information in response to stress, trauma, or an extremely distressing situation.

Dissociative Fugue

A type of dissociative amnesia involving sudden and unexpected travel away from home, extensive amnesia, and identity confusion.

Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID)

A dissociative disorder involving extensive memory disruptions along with the presence of two or more distinct identities or personalities, often resulting from severe, prolonged childhood abuse.

Personality Disorders

Maladaptive patterns of thoughts, emotions, and interpersonal functioning that are stable over time and across situations, deviating from cultural expectations.

Paranoid Personality Disorder

A Cluster A personality disorder characterized by pervasive mistrust and suspiciousness of others, seeing others as threatening or out to get them.

Schizoid Personality Disorder

A Cluster A personality disorder featuring pervasive detachment from social relationships, emotional coldness and flatness, indifference to praise or criticism, and preference for solitary activities.

Schizotypal Personality Disorder

A Cluster A personality disorder marked by odd thoughts, speech, emotional reactions, mannerisms, appearance, and impaired social and interpersonal functioning.

Histrionic Personality Disorder

A Cluster B personality disorder marked by shallow, attention-getting emotions and going to great lengths to gain others' praise and reassurance.

Narcissistic Personality Disorder

A Cluster B personality disorder characterized by exaggerated self-importance, success fantasies, an inability to accept criticism, and responses of rage or shame.

Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD)

A Cluster B personality disorder characterized by instability of interpersonal relationships, self-image, and emotions, marked impulsivity, self-harming behavior, and black-and-white thinking.

Biosocial Developmental Theory of BPD

The view that borderline personality disorder is the outcome of a combination of biological temperament (extreme emotional sensitivity, negative emotions) and environmental factors (caregivers failing to teach coping tools).

Antisocial Personality Disorder

A Cluster B personality disorder exhibiting a pervasive pattern of disregarding and violating the rights of others, lacking a conscience, remorse, or guilt, and acting ruthlessly or aggressively.

Avoidant Personality Disorder

A Cluster C personality disorder characterized by a pervasive and fearful sensitivity to rejection.

Dependent Personality Disorder

A Cluster C personality disorder characterized by an excessive need to be taken care of, submissive and clinging behaviors, fear of separation, and inability to assume responsibility.

Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder

A Cluster C personality disorder involving a rigid preoccupation with orderliness, personal control, rules, schedules, and unreasonable perfectionism that interferes with completing tasks.

Major Depressive Disorder

A mood disorder characterized by extreme and persistent feelings of despondency, worthlessness, and hopelessness lasting for 2 or more weeks, impairing emotional, cognitive, behavioral, and physical functioning.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)

A mood disorder with recurring depressive episodes occurring typically during fall and winter months and subsiding in the spring.

Persistent Depressive Disorder

Also called dysthymic disorder; a chronic mood disorder characterized by less severe depressive symptoms that usually persist for years.

Learned Helplessness

Self-defeating beliefs acquired after experiencing uncontrollable painful events, leading individuals to explain negative events in stable, global, and internal terms.

Bipolar Disorder

A mood disorder involving periods of extreme euphoria and excitement (mania) alternating with periods of normalcy and sometimes incapacitating depression.

Manic Episode

A sudden, rapidly escalating emotional state marked by euphoria, boundlessly inflated self-esteem, grandiosity, rapid speech, flight of ideas, and decreased need for sleep.

Cyclothymic Disorder

A mood disorder characterized by moderate but frequent mood swings that are not severe enough to qualify as bipolar disorder, persisting for two years or longer.

Schizophrenia

A psychological disorder—literally meaning 'split mind'—in which ability to function is impaired by severely distorted beliefs, perceptions, and thought processes.

Delusions

False beliefs that persist despite compelling contradictory evidence.

Delusions of Reference

A false conviction that other people's behavior and ordinary everyday events are personally addressed or related to oneself.

Delusions of Grandeur

A false belief that one possesses extraordinary power, wealth, fame, or exceptional importance.

Delusions of Persecution

A false belief that others are plotting against, spying on, or attempting to harm oneself or a close associate.

Delusions of Being Controlled

A belief that outside forces such as aliens, the government, or random individuals are exerting direct control over one's thoughts or actions.

Hallucinations

Disturbed perceptions where an individual perceives sensory stimuli that are not physically present, most commonly auditory and visual.

Alogia

A negative symptom of schizophrenia characterized by greatly reduced speech production consisting of limited, brief, and empty comments.

Avolition

A negative symptom of schizophrenia characterized by the inability to initiate or persist in simple goal-directed behaviors like dressing or bathing.

Positive Symptoms

Symptoms of schizophrenia characterized by the presence of inappropriate behaviors, including delusions, hallucinations, and disorganized speech.

Negative Symptoms

Symptoms of schizophrenia reflecting the absence of appropriate behaviors, including flat affect, toneless voices, rigid bodies, alogia, and avolition.

Psychotherapy

A planned, emotionally charged, confiding interaction between a trained therapist and someone suffering from psychological difficulties.

Psychoanalysis

A therapeutic approach developed by Sigmund Freud aimed at bringing repressed childhood conflicts into conscious awareness to achieve therapeutic insight.

Free Association

A psychoanalytic technique where the patient spontaneously reports all thoughts, mental images, and feelings while reclining on a couch.

Resistance

In psychoanalysis, the patient's conscious or unconscious attempts to block the process of uncovering repressed memories and conflicts.

Transference

The unconscious process wherein a patient redirects emotions and desires originally associated with significant figures onto the psychoanalyst.

Short-Term Psychodynamic Therapies

Psychotherapies based on psychoanalytic theory that are time-limited, establish specific goals, and involve an active rather than neutral role by the therapist.

Interpersonal Therapy (IPT)

A structured psychodynamic psychotherapy focusing on current relationships and personal problems such as unresolved grief, role disputes, and role transitions.

Client-Centered Therapy

A humanistic therapy developed by Carl Rogers emphasizing conscious self-perceptions, unconditional acceptance, genuineness, and active listening with empathy.

Counterconditioning

A classical conditioning procedure that conditions new, adaptive responses to stimuli that previously triggered unwanted behaviors.

Systematic Desensitization

A counterconditioning exposure therapy developed by Joseph Wolpe pairing progressive relaxation with an anxiety hierarchy of feared situations.

Cognitive Therapy (CT)

A therapy developed by Aaron T. Beck that identifies and tests the accuracy of distorted thinking and unrealistic beliefs to alleviate emotional distress.

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

A pragmatic therapy integrating behavioral modification techniques with cognitive therapy to alter both self-defeating thoughts and maladaptive actions.

Eclecticism

An approach in psychotherapy where the therapist integrates diverse techniques from different therapeutic orientations to meet client needs.

Spontaneous Remission

The improvement or resolution of psychological symptoms that occurs simply over the passage of time without formal professional intervention.

Psychiatrist

A mental health professional holding a medical degree who specializes in diagnosing psychological disorders and prescribing psychotropic medications.

Biomedical Therapy

Medical interventions, such as psychotropic drugs or brain stimulation, that alter brain functioning and chemistry to treat psychological disorders.

Psychopharmacology

The scientific study of the effects of medications and drugs on the mind and behavior.

Antipsychotic Medications

Prescription neuroleptics (such as chlorpromazine and reserpine) that block dopamine receptors to diminish positive symptoms in schizophrenia.

Benzodiazepines

Antianxiety medications ('tranquilizers' like Valium and Xanax) that calm physical anxiety and induce relaxation by increasing GABA activity.

Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs)

Antidepressant drugs (such as fluoxetine, Zoloft, and Paxil) that alleviate depression by specifically blocking the reabsorption of serotonin.

Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT)

A biomedical treatment primarily for severe major depressive disorder delivering a brief electrical current through an anesthetized patient's brain to induce a therapeutic seizure.

Repetitive Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation (rTMS)

A non-invasive treatment delivering magnetic pulses through a coil placed against the skull to stimulate or suppress localized brain activity.

Deep-Brain Stimulation (DBS)

An experimental depression treatment involving a chest-implanted battery device sending ongoing electrical impulses via wires to electrodes implanted in the brain.

Psychosurgery

Surgical procedures that remove or destroy brain tissue to alter violent or severely maladaptive behavior, historically including lobotomies.

People with ____ ______ are hypersensitive to the signs of physical arousal.

Panic

What is the one Somatic Symptom Disorder covered in the slides?

Conversion disorder

Which is not one of the five categories of Specific Phobia?

Which is not one of the five categories of Specific Phobia?

What type of disorder is Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)?

Anxiety disorder

Which disorder involves recurrent, involuntary and intrusive memories, avoidance of situations or stimuli, negative changes in thoughts, moods and emotions, and a persistent state of heightened physical arousal?

Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Traumatic event

Experiencing or witnessing severely threatening, uncontrollable events with fear, helplessness, or horror. Can produce PTSD.

Adjustment disorder

Failing to adjust to a traumatic situation. No extreme symptoms, more mild than acute stress disorder.

What are the two categories of dissociative disorders?

Dissociative amnesia and dissociative identity disorder

Which cluster of personality disorders are these? Paranoid, Schizoid, and Schizotypal

Cluster A

Which cluster of personality disorders are these? Histrionic, Narcissistic, Antisocial, Borderline

Cluster B