Mental Health Disorders and Diagnosis

Flashcards covering mental health diagnoses, anxiety disorders, OCD and related conditions, depression, suicidality, and trauma, based on lecture notes from September 2025.

What are the three components of the Biopsychosocial model used by clinicians to diagnose people?

Biology (medical history, genetics), Psychology (symptoms, coping mechanisms), and Social (trauma, lifestyle).

Which manual is the primary reference for diagnosing mental disorders, providing criteria and classification?

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5).

What is meant by 'off-label' use of medicine?

Using medicine for a symptom that it wasn't originally intended to cure.

What is the definition of anxiety in a clinical context?

Persistent feelings of apprehension or dread that interfere with daily activities.

Which anxiety disorder is characterized by all symptoms of anxiety occurring all the time during every situation?

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD).

What is Social Anxiety Disorder?

A type of anxiety where all symptoms occur during social situations, often accompanied by a terrible fear of being embarrassed or ridiculed.

What is Agoraphobia?

A fear of at least two situations in which one feels as if they cannot escape, which can become debilitating (not simply the fear of leaving your house).

How do phobias differ from other anxiety disorders?

Phobias involve an irrational fear, leading to a tense reaction without any specific reason or traumatic event, to something that is usually harmless.

What is Systematic Desensitization?

A treatment method that involves slowly exposing a client to what they are afraid of to demonstrate that there is nothing to be afraid of, avoiding 'flooding' or traumatization.

What are common treatments for most anxiety disorders?

Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitors (SSRIs) such as Paxil, Prozac, Zoloft, Lexapro, and Effexor, along with psychotherapy.

What can too much anxiety lead to in terms of physical health?

Heart issues due to overfilling of cortisol and adrenaline.

List some common physical and psychological symptoms of anxiety.

Sleeping disturbances (insomnia, hypersomnia, sleep paralysis), constant excessive worry, psychomotor agitation, feeling of impending doom, intrusive thoughts, racing thoughts, heart palpitations, and muscle tensions.

Why are Benzodiazepines no longer the first-line treatment for anxiety?

They are highly addictive and cause increased tolerance and addiction, with severe withdrawal symptoms including seizures if stopped too quickly.

What is the core characteristic of Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)?

The presence of obsessive (negative) intrusive thoughts, frequently about a loved one being in danger, coupled with irrational compulsions (behaviors or mental acts) performed to temporarily reduce the anxiety caused by these obsessions.

What is Trichotillomania?

A hair-picking disorder where any hair on the person's body is picked to temporarily reduce anxiety, sometimes leading to hairballs requiring surgery.

Describe Excoriation disorder.

A disorder involving repeated picking of the skin, leading to scabs and lesions, engaged in to temporarily reduce anxiety.

What defines Hoarding disorder?

Persistent extreme difficulty discarding possessions regardless of their value, distinct from collecting, often stemming from poverty, where discarding items can lead to panic.

What are the typical symptoms of Major Depressive Disorder?

Sad mood, disinterest in previously pleasurable activities, emotional numbness, crying spells, constant fatigue, changes in appetite and weight, hopelessness, isolation, physical aches without reason (especially in men), poor eye contact, and reduced daily living activities.

What are key red flags that may indicate someone is considering suicide?

Feelings of helplessness and hopelessness, followed by a sudden unexplained happiness (acceptance of an end), and giving away personal or sentimental belongings.

How do clinicians assess a patient for suicide risk legally?

By asking about the duration and plan someone has regarding suicide, and requiring a two-physician consent for hospital admittance.

What is the difference between a suicide attempt and suicidal ideation?

A suicide attempt is a self-inflicted injury with the intent to die but not resulting in death, whereas suicidal ideation involves thoughts about wanting to die or ending one's life, which can be passive, fleeting, or active with a plan.

What is self-harm and how does it differ from a suicide attempt?

Self-harm is intentionally hurting oneself without the intent to die, serving another purpose such as relieving emotional pain, while a suicide attempt has the explicit intent to end one's life.

What is the strongest indicator of a future suicide attempt?

A past suicide attempt.

What is trauma, as defined in the notes?

A life-or-death episode, severe abuse, or any event where life is perceived to be in danger.

Name some intrusive symptoms associated with Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD).

Nightmares, flashbacks, and intrusive memories where the individual cannot stop remembering the traumatic event.

What is hyperarousal in the context of PTSD?

An exaggerated startled reflex and a state where trauma 'lives in the body,' often including severe insomnia, nightmares about the trauma, and hypervigilance (constantly scanning for potential threats).

What is Vicarious Traumatization?

Getting traumatized through hearing or seeing something traumatic experienced by another person.