AP Psychology - Unit 12: Section 1

Psychological disorder

A syndrome marked by a clinically significant disturbance in an individual’s cognition, emotion regulation, or behavior

Medical model

The concept that diseases (in this case psychological disorders) have physical causes that can be diagnosed, treated, and cured (in most cases), often through treatment in a hospital

Epigenetics

The study of environmental influences on gene expression that occur without a DNA change

DSM-5

The American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition; A widely used system for classifying psychological disorders

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)

A psychological disorders marked by extreme inattention and/or hyperactivity and impulsivity

Anxiety disorders

Psychological disorders characterized by distressing, persistent anxiety or maladaptive behaviors that reduce anxiety

Social anxiety disorder

Intense fear and avoidance of social situations
AKA “social phobia”

Panic attack

Sudden episodes of intense dread

Generalized anxiety disorder

An anxiety disorder in which a person is continually tense, apprehensive, and in a state of autonomic nervous system arousal

Taijin-kyofusho

Social anxiety about one’s appearance, combined with a readiness to blush and fear of eye contact

A culture-bound anxiety disorder experienced mainly by Japanese people, characterized by fear that people are judging their bodies as undesirable, offensive, or unpleasing

Diathesis-stress (stress-vulnerability) model

Model that suggests that individual characteristics combined with environmental stressors to increase or decrease the likelihood of developing a psychological disorder

Offers a biopsychosocial approach

Hoarding disorder

A disorder characterized by persistent difficulty discarding or parting with possessions, regardless of their actual value

Panic disorder

An anxiety disorder marked by unpredictable, minutes-long episodes of intense dread in which a person may experience terror and accompanying chest pain, choking, or other frightening sensations

Often followed by worry over a possible next attack

Agoraphobia

Fear or avoidance of situations, where one has felt a loss of control and panic

Ex. Crowds, wide open places

Phobias

An anxiety disorder marked by a persistent, irrational fear and avoidance of a specific object, activity, or situation

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)

A disorder characterized by unwanted repetitive thoughts (obsessions), actions (compulsions), or both

Obsessions

Repetitive thoughts; Persistent, unwanted thoughts or ideas that keep recurring

Compulsions

Repetitive behaviors; An uncontrollable urge to perform an act or behavior repeatedly to reduce anxious thoughts

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

A disorder characterized by haunting memories, nightmares, hypervigilance, social withdrawal, jumpy anxiety, numbness of feeling, and/or insomnia that lingers for 4 weeks or more after a traumatic experience

Acrophobia

An excessive, irrational fear of heights

Arachnophobia

A persistent and irrational fear of spiders

Ataque de Nervios

A culture-bound syndrome found among Latinos, characterized by shaking, uncontrollable shouting or crying, a sense of rising heat, loss of control, and verbal or physical aggression, followed by fainting or seizure-like episodes

Symptoms often occur following a stressful events related to family, and most individuals quickly return to their previous level of functioning

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD)

A disorder that appears in childhood and is marked by deficient communication, social interaction, and understanding of others’ states of mind

Bipolar disorders

A category of disorders in which a person alternates between the hopelessness and lethargy of depression and the overexcited state of mania

Bipolar I disorder

The most severe form of bipolar disorder, in which people experience a euphoric, talkative, highly energetic, and overly ambitious state that lasts a week or longer

Bipolar II disorder

The less severe form of bipolar disorder, in which people move between depression and a milder hypomania

Major depressive disorder

A serious depressive disorder that can affect how people feel, think, and function in their daily lives

Characterized by a depressed mood (often feelings of worthlessness) or loss of interest in activities that lasts for at least 2 weeks and interferes with daily activities

Depressive disorders

A type of disorder characterized by an enduring sad, empty, or irritable mood

Persistent depressive disorder

A form of depression that is not severe enough to be diagnosed as major depressive disorder

Personality disorders

A category of disorders characterized by inflexible and enduring behavior patterns that impair social functioning

Specific phobia

An anxiety disorder marked by a persistent, irrational fear and avoidance of a specific object, activity, or situation

Stigma

The negative social attitude attached to a characteristic of an individual

Persons diagnosed with psychological disorders are often unfairly judged and face discrimination as a result of this

Trauma and stressor-related disorders

A category of disorders that are associated with exposures to trauma and stress

Ex. PTSD, acute stress disorder