psych exam 4

abnormal psychology

scientific study of abnormal behaviors, goal is to describe, predict, explain, and change abnormal patterns of functioning

clinical psychology

applies findings of abnormal psychology to health and social settings, application of psychology to relive mental distress in a health and social care context

psychological disorder

ongoing pattern of throught, emotions, and behaviors that are disrupting and disturbing, longer lasting/ permanent, considered deviant in that person’s culture and society

normal

behaviors, thoughts, and feelings that are typical for social context, not interfering, not distressing or dangerous

abnormal

deviance (from the norm), dysfunctionality (interferes with one’s life), distress (physical or emotional pain to self or others), dangerousness (to self or others)

deviance

how a behavior differs from societal norms

dysfunctionality

impairment, behavior makes it hard to work, maintain relationships, take care of self

maladaptive behavior

coping strategies to get around uncomfortable feeling that can lead to dysfunctionality

distress

physical or emotional pain (to self or others)

dangerousness

behavior that can lead to harm to self or others, putting at risk

DSM-5 disorder categories

disorders emphasizing emotions moods and thoughts, personality disorders, disorders prominent in childhood

DSM-5

manual for diagnosing disorder, diagnostic and statistical manual, helps scientists classify specific conditions, described by observable symptoms, groups based on similarities

issues with the dsm

categorical approach when disorders exist on spectrum, fails to capture differences in severity, many disorders are comorbid

genetics

impact neurotransmitter systems, impact brain structure activity and connectivity, can be biologically predisposed

prenatal problems

exposure to toxins, illness, malnutrition during pregnancy can disrupt brain development

early life experiences

exposure to stress, neglect, or other issues during early childhood can increase risk of mental disorders

diathesis- stress model

to develop a disorder, need both a predisposition and some sort of trigger

diathess

underlying vulnerability

stress

environmental factors

anxiety disorders

excessive fear in the absence of true danger

anxiety disorders symptoms

irritability, trouble sleeping, limited attention span, overactive sympathetic nervous system (sweating, dry mouth, high pulse)

phobic disorders

experience intense, irrational fears that significantly interfere with life, often lead people to avoid specific people, objects, or situations

specific phobia

irrational fears towards specific objects or situaitons, anxiety must be greater than would be expected given the actual danger or risk of the object itself, anxiety is persistent and lasts 6 months or more, dysfunctional, usually leads person to avoid object alltogether

social anxiety disorder

people fear being judged or embarassed so much that they avoid social situations, fear acting in a way will lead to embarassment or rejection, social situations always promote fear or are avoided, level of fear is out of proportion and is consistent lasting 6 months or more, causes significant distress or impairment

generalized anxiety disorder

brain stuck in worry mode, worry is not focused on one specific thing but jumps from topic to topic and feels uncontrollable, occurs more days than not for at least 6 months, person finds it difficult to control worry, experience restlessness, fatigue, concentration, irritability, muscle tension, sleep disturbance

panic disorder

characterized by recurrent, unexpected panic attacks, recurrent sudden surge of intense fear or discomfort

agoraphobia

marked by an anxiety of situations which may be diffcult to escape or help may be unavailable ex. public transport, enclosed spaces, crowds, fear out of proportion lasting 6months or more and causes distress or impairment

biased thinking

may make someone more likely to experience anxiety, some people tend to interpret neutral situations as threatening

learning

can develop a fear through classical conditioning or social learning

biological factor

children who are shy/ avoid unfamiliar people are more likely to develop anxiety

OCD

frequent intrusive thoughts and compulsive actions, not an anxiety disorder

obsessions

unwanted repetitive, irrational, and disturbing thoughts

compulsions

repetitive actions performed to alleviate obsessions

post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

a disorder triggered by the experience or witnessing of a severe traumatic even which evokes feelings of fear for one’s life or the lives around them, thoughts occur for more than 1 month

depressive disorders

persistent, overwhelming low mood that can disrupt daily life

major depressive disorder

experience 5 or more symptoms for 2 or more weeks (depressed mood or loss of interest/ pleasure)

persistent depressive disorder

same symptoms but not as severe, most of the day for most days for 2 years

causes of depression

biological (brain structures and neurotransmitters), situational life events,

strong interpersonal relationships negate this

cognitive (negative thoughts towards self)

all or nothing thinking, take responsibility for things out of their control

learned helplessness

bipolar disorder

mood swings between mania and depression

mania

abnormally elevated mood

bipolar 1

at least one manic episode may come before or after depressive

bipolar 2

one depressive and one hypomanic (less intense mania)

bipolar causes

one of the highest heritable

schizophrenia

delusions, hallucinations, loss of contact with reality, may experience psychosis

-2 or more disturbances for 1 month

positive schizophrenia symptoms

present in schizophrenia but not in typical behavior

negative schizophrenia symptoms

missing in schizophrenia but are typically part of daily functioning

delusions

false beliefs not based in reality

hallucinations

false sensory perceptions that are experiences without an external source

alogia

reduced speech production

avolition

reduced goal-directed behavior

apathy

reduced interest in activity

schizophrenia causes

more genetically similar, more likely to develop (identical twin more likely than fraternal)

personality disorders

longstanding patterns of thinking, behaving, and feeling that are maladaptive, causing distress to individual or others

odd/ eccentric

schizoptypal, paranoid, schizoid

dramatic/ erratic

antisocial, borderline, histrionic, narcissistic

anxious/ inhibited

avoidant, dependent, obsessive-compulsive

antisocial personality disorder

psychopathy, sociopath, consistent pattern of violating the rights of others, begins early in childhood and continues into adulthood

diregard for others rights since age 15

illegal behavior, aggression, etc

must be 18 to be diagnosed

attention deficit/ hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)

diagnosed in childhood though symptoms persist into adulthood, inattention, hyperactivity, impulsivity

causes are not fully understood

ADHD diagnostic criteria

persistent pattern of inattention or hyperactivity, symptoms present before 12, occur in 2 or more settings, clear impairment in functioning

psychoanalysis

first formal psychotherapy to emerge, freud, psychological distress came from unconscious conflicts that the ego tries to manage, goal is to bring these conflicts to conscious awareness so indivudal can understand them and resolve more on early childhood

psychodynamic therapy

evolved from freud, less intensive, helps clients examine their needs, defenses, and motives as a way of understanding distress, more on current relationships

client-centered therapy

the client not the therapist should lead the conversation, therapist provides supporting environment through unconditional positive regard, empathy, and reflection, reflecting what the client said to themselves

behavior therapy

the idea that all behavior is learned and problematic behaviors can be unlearned or replaced, observable behaviors and how to change them in the present

cognitive therapy

how thinking patterns influence behaviors, identify and correct distorted thinking about self, others, or the world

cognitive restructuring

help client challenge and change disrorted beliefs, question automatic beliefs, reframing thoughts

stress inoculation training

preparing client to handle future stress by providing coping strategies

cognitive behavioral therapy

most widely used and supported, rests on the ideas that cognitiions are identifiable and measurable, cognitions are key platers in helathy and unhealthy psychological functioning, irrational or unhelpful thoughts can be changed to more positive ones

psychopharmacotherapy

use of medications to treat psychological problems

electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)

one of the most effective treatments for severe depression, patients are given an anesthetic and muscle relaxant, safer and more contorlled now, pass small electric current through the brain to trigger a brief seizure

transcranial magnetic stimulation

noninvasive treatment that uses magnetic pulses to stimulate parts of the brain, can enhance or interrupt brain function in a specific region

treatment illusions

someone may feel better for reasons unrelated to the treatment

placebo effect

person experiences positive change in their condition after recieving a treatment that has no active therapeutic effect