3009PSY Mid Tri

abnormal

abnormal

thoughts, behaviours, and emotions that are distressing, deviant, and dysfunctional

deviance

behaviour that is valued negatively by society

dysfunctional/ maladaptive behaviour

behaviour that interferes with the individuals ability to function in everyday life

syndrome

a collection of signs and symptoms that are frequently observed together in a recognisable pattern

symptom

any deviation from normal functioning considered indicative of phsyical/ mental psychopathology reported subjectively by the client

comorbidity

when 2 or more mental disorders occur together

categorical approach to diagnosis

emphasises discrete syndromes with clear boundaries

dimensional approach to diagnosis

suggests that syndromes occur along a spectrum of intensity

formulation approach to diagnosis

emphasises the etiology and maintaining factors of syndromes; not incompatible with the other approaches

case formulation

a hypothesis that relates all presenting complains of a client to one another, explains why these difficulties have developed, and provides predictions about the patients condition

intake interview

the first interaction between a psychologist and client

mental state examination

a sum total of the examiners observations and impressions of a client at the time of the interview

mood

the subjective experience of emotion reported by the client

affect

behavioural expressions of mood

constricted affect

a slightly reduced range of affect

blunted affect

an extremely restricted range of affect

flat affect

no range of affect

prosody

the musical quality of speech, the range of tone used in speech

pressured speech

speaking as if trying to keep with with very fast thoughts

illusions

seeing something out of the corner of ones eye; less significant than visual hallucinations

tangentiality

going off on a tangent while speaking and not returning to the original idea

circumstantiality

providing more information than is needed but eventually getting back to the original idea

thought blocking

starting a thought and not finishing it

neologism

making up words that dont exist

sign

objective indicators of mental wellbeing observed directly in the client

derealisation

a sensation of changed reality

clang association

association of speech directed by the sound of a word rather than its meaning

ideas of reference

misinterpretation of events as having a personal relevance

paranoia

delusions that others are conspiring to harm or act against the individual

dysphoria

a mood of general sadness/ dissatisfaction

tics

repetitive, stereotypical motor movements/ vocalisations

anxiety

a normal reaction to threatening stimuli that is functional and adaptive for survival

true alarm

a fear response to direct danger

false alarm

fear in the absence of immediate threat

specific phobia

a marked, consistent, and persistent fear response to the presence or anticipation of a specific obejct or situation

exposure therapy

gradual, in vivo exposure to feared stimuli

flooding

the continued exposure to feared stimuli until anxiety upon being exposed to the stimulus decreases

habituation

occurs when anxiety decreases upon being exposed to a previously feared stimulus

panic disorder

characterised by recurrent, enexpected panic attacks and a fear of future panic attacks

panic attack

an abrupt surge of intense fear or discomfort, associated with a wide range of somatic symptoms

agoraphobia

characterised by a marked fear or anxiety about being in a situation where escape may be difficult in case of a panic attack (e.g., outside of ones home)

social anxiety disorder/ social phobia

characterised by a marked fear of social situations where the person may face the scrutiny of others

generalised anxiety disorder

characterised by excessive and difficult to control worry and anxiety accompanied by related somatic symptoms

posttraumatic stress disorder

characterised by extreme stress reactions in exposure to a traumatic event

obessive compulsive disorders

characterised by the experience of both obsessions and compulsions

obsessions

recurrent, persistent, intrusive thoughts, images, or impulses

ego-dystonic

thoughts that are inconsistent with the persons sense of self

compulsions

repetitive behaviours/ mental acts related to an obsession or ritual

insideous onset

onset that occurs after a very long history of related symptoms

abrupt onset

onset that occurs very suddenly and sometimes without a history of related sympotms

rituals

common and often nonpathological sequences of behaviour/ thinking

magical thinking

the belief that thoughts, actions, or words can influence events in ways that deny rational and scientific explanation

thought-action fusion

the beleif that thinking about disturbing events makes them more probably, and that thinking about such acts is moreally equivalent to committing them

hoarding disorder

characterised by perisstent difficulty discarding or parting with possessions regardless of their actual value

ego-syntonic

thoghts that are consistent with the persons sense of self

body dysmorphic disorder

characterised by the preoccupation with a percieved deficit/ flaw in physical appearance

trichotillomania

characterised by the recurrent pulling out of ones own hair, resulting in hair loss

excoriation

characterised by recurrent skin picking resulting in lesions

melancholic features

the near or complete inability to experience pleasure

catatonic features

significant movement disturbances

peripartum onset

onset during pregnancy/ within 4 weeks of childbirth

seasonal pattern

symptoms occur predictably at a certain time of year (most often winter/ autumn)

anxious distress

symptoms accompanied by significant anxiety

persistent depressive disorder/ dysthymia

characterised by more chronic, mild depression

disruptive mood dysregulation

characterised by persistent angry or irritable mood, most often observed in children/ adolescents

premenstrual dysphoric disorder

a more severe form of premenstrual syndrome

depressive attributional style

a tendency to evaluate negative events as internal, stable, and global

becks negative cognitive triad

a tendency to hold negative views of the self, world, and the future

manic episode

an elevated, expansive, or irritable mood with increased goal directed activity or behaviour for at least 1 week

hypomanic episode

a less severe form of mania requiring symptoms to be present for only 4 days

bipolar I disorder

characterised by the presence of manic episodes with or without depressive episodes

bipolar II disorder

characterised by the presence of hypomanic episodes and depressive episodes

cyclothymic disorder/ bipolar II 1/2

characterised by more chronic but less severe bipolar symptoms; episodes of hypomania and less severe depressive episodes

abulia

a lack of motivation or drive

passivity

feeling as though under the control of another person

psychosis

a combination of psychological symptoms resulting in a loss of contact with reality

positive symptoms

characterised by the addition of disturbance in functioning

delusions

rigidly held beliefs despite evidence of the contrary

cotards syndrome

the delusion that the world has ended or will soon

capgras delusion

the beleif that family members have been replaced by imposters

hallucinations

the perception of stimuli that are not really there

negative symptoms

characterised by deficits in psychological processes

disorganised symptoms

characterised by disturbances in the logical sequencing and coherence of thoughts

catatonic symptoms

characterised by a marked decrease in reactivity to the environment

ambitendence

the alteration between opposite movement or getting “stuck” in the middle of doing a movement

achopraxia

involuntary repetition or immitation of another persons actions

stereotypies

repetitive, purposeless movement, eg nail biting

negativism

the tendency to resist external demands

posturing

rigid body movements

waxy flexibility

resistence to being moved physically

dopamine pathways associated with positive symptoms

midbrain ventral tegmental area to the nucleus acumbens

dopamine pathways associated with negative symptoms

midbrain ventral tegmental area ro the limbic cortex