AP PSYCH VOCAB 5a: Mental and Physical Health- PART 1

Psychological disorder

a disturbance in people’s thoughts, emotions, or behaviors that causes distress or suffering and impairs their daily lives.

Dysfunction

when a person's thoughts, feelings, or behaviors interfere with their ability to function normally in daily life

Distress

a state of emotional or physical suffering, characterized by unpleasant feelings like anxiety or sadness

Stigma

a negative attitude or belief about a person based on a characteristic, often related to mental illness or psychological disorders.

American psychiatric association

the main professional organization of psychiatrists and trainee psychiatrists in the United States, and the largest psychiatric organization in the world.

Diagnostic manual or mental disorders (DSM)

the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, Text Revision; a widely used system for classifying psychological disorders.

World health organization

a specialized agency of the United Nations dedicated to promoting health, ensuring global health security, and serving vulnerable populations worldwide.

International classification of mental disorders (ICD)

the most widely used system for classifying mental and behavioral disorders globally. It is published by the World Health Organization

Eclectic approach

an approach to psychotherapy that uses techniques from various forms of therapy.

Behavioral perspective

says that disorders are the result of learned behaviors, unhealthy behaviors have been reinforced (rewarded) or conditioned over time.

Maladaptive behaviors

actions or tendencies that stop a person from adapting well to new or difficult situations.

Psychodynamic Perspective

sees mental disorders as the result of deep, unconscious conflicts and emotional struggles that usually start in early childhood.

Humanistic perspective

sees mental disorders as the result of a person being blocked from reaching their full potential or feeling disconnected from their true self

Cognitive perspective

suggests that mental disorders arise from faulty or distorted thinking patterns. People may interpret situations in overly negative or unrealistic ways, which leads to emotional distress and dysfunctional behavior.

Maladaptive thoughts

negative or irrational thinking patterns that interfere with a person's ability to function effectively in daily life. These thoughts often contribute to emotional distress and can lead to harmful behaviors.

Evolutionary perspectives

suggests that mental health disorders may have developed as a result of evolutionary adaptations that helped our ancestors survive and reproduce

Sociocultural perspective

views mental health disorders as being influenced by the social environment and cultural factors. It suggests that cultural beliefs, family dynamics, and societal pressures play a significant role in the development and experience of mental health issues.

Maladaptive relationships

interactions or patterns of behavior between individuals that hinder emotional well-being and personal growth.

Biological perspective

views mental health disorders as being caused by biological factors, such as genetic inheritance, brain chemistry imbalances, and structural abnormalities in the brain. This perspective emphasizes that mental health conditions are often linked to physical changes in the brain or body, and that treatment may involve medication or other biological interventions to address these issues.

Biopsychosocial model

examines mental health and behavior as a result of the interaction between biological, psychological, and social factors

Diathesis-stress model

the concept that genetic predispositions (diathesis) combine with environmental stressors (stress) to influence psychological disorder.

Diathesis

genetic predispositions

Stress

the process by which we perceive and respond to certain events, called stressors, that we appraise as threatening or challenging.

Neurodevelopmental disorders

central nervous system abnormalities (usually in the brain) that start in childhood and alter thinking and behavior (as in intellectual limitations or a psychological disorder).

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD)

a disorder that appears in childhood and is marked by limitations in communication and social interaction, and by rigidly fixated interests and repetitive behaviors.

Attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)

a psychological disorder marked by extreme inattention and/or hyperactivity and impulsivity.

Schizophrenic spectrum disorders

a group of disorders characterized by delusions, hallucinations, disorganized thinking or speech, disorganized or unusual motor behavior, and negative symptoms (such as diminished emotional expression); includes schizophrenia and schizotypal personality disorder.

Schizophrenia

Presence of delusions, hallucinations, disorganized thinking/speech, disorganized or abnormal motor behavior, and negative symptoms.

Acute schizophrenia

a form of schizophrenia that can begin at any age, frequently occurs in response to a traumatic event, and from which recovery is much more likely. also called reactive schizophrenia

Chronic schizophrenia

(also called process schizophrenia) a form of schizophrenia in which symptoms usually appear by late adolescence or early adulthood. As people age, psychotic episodes last longer and recovery periods shorten.

Positive symptoms

symptoms that represent an excess or distortion of normal functioning.

Negative symptoms

refer to reductions or deficits in normal emotional and behavioral functioning

Delusions

Strongly held false beliefs, such as believing one has special powers or is being persecuted.

Delusions of persecution

type of delusion where an individual firmly believes that they are being targeted, harassed, or conspired against by others

Delusions of grandeur

type of delusion where an individual has an exaggerated sense of their own importance, power, knowledge, or abilities

Hallucinations

Sensory experiences that aren’t real, such as hearing voices or seeing things that aren’t there.

Disorganized thinking

Trouble organizing thoughts, leading to incoherent speech or difficulty connecting ideas logically.

Word salad

disorganized speech in which words or phrases are strung together in a nonsensical or incoherent way, making it difficult or impossible for others to understand

Disorganized motor behavior

This could include unpredictable movements or behavior that doesn’t make sense in the situation.

Catatonia stupor

refers to a state of near-complete immobility and lack of response to external stimuli. People may be unresponsive, mute, and appear to be in a trance-like state, while their body remains rigid or fixed in one position for extended periods.

Flat affect

a reduced emotional expression. Individuals show little to no facial expression, voice modulation, or body language that typically convey emotions

Dopamine hypothesis

suggests that imbalances in dopamine levels in the brain contribute to the development of the disorder.

Depressive disorders

a group of disorders characterized by an enduring sad, empty, or irritable mood, along with physical and cognitive changes that affect a person’s ability to function.

Major depressive disorder

a disorder in which a person experiences five or more symptoms lasting two or more weeks, in the absence of drug use or a medical condition, at least one of which must be either (1) depressed mood or (2) loss of interest or pleasure.

Persistent depressive disorder

a disorder in which people experience a depressed mood on more days than not for at least two years. (Formerly called dysthymia.)

Bipolar disorders

a group of disorders in which a person alternates between the hopelessness and lethargy of depression and the overexcited state of mania. (Formerly called manic-depressive disorder.)

Mania

a hyperactive, wildly optimistic state in which dangerously poor judgment is common.

Depression

Depressed mood resulting in disruption in functioning of the affected individual

Bipolar I disorder

the most severe form, in which people experience a euphoric, talkative, highly energetic, and overly ambitious state that lasts a week or longer.

Bipolar II disorder

a less severe form of bipolar in which people move between depression and a milder hypomania.

Anxiety disorders

a group of disorders characterized by excessive fear and anxiety and related maladaptive behaviors.

Specific phobia

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

Acrophobia

fear of heights

Arachnophobia

fear of spiders

Agoraphobia

fear or avoidance of situations, such as crowds or wide open places, where one may experience a loss of control and panic.

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.

Panic attacks

a sudden, intense episode of fear or discomfort that comes on quickly and reaches its peak within minutes. During a panic attack, a person may experience a range of physical and psychological symptoms that can feel overwhelming and frightening, often leading them to believe they are having a heart attack or losing control.

Culture-bound anxiety disorder

disorders are influenced by cultural beliefs, practices, and stressors that are unique to a specific group of people. They may have symptoms similar to other anxiety disorders but are shaped or triggered by cultural norms or expectations.

Ataque de nervios

a culture-bound anxiety disorder that is primarily seen in Latino cultures, particularly among individuals of Caribbean and Latin American descent. It is characterized by a range of intense emotional and physical symptoms, often triggered by stressful life events or difficult emotional situations.

Social anxiety disorder

intense fear and avoidance of social situations.

Taijin kyofusho

culture-bound disorder most commonly found in Japan (and sometimes in Korea), and it is a type of social anxiety. Unlike typical social anxiety, where someone fears being embarrassed or judged, people are deeply afraid of offending or upsetting others because of something they believe is wrong with themselves.

Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)

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

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)

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

Obsessions

Unwanted repetitive thoughts

Compulsions

Unwanted repetitive actions

Hoarding

When a person has difficulty discarding or parting with possessions.

Dissociative disorders

a controversial, rare group of disorders characterized by a disruption of or discontinuity in the normal integration of consciousness, memory, identity, emotion, perception, body representation, motor control, and behavior.

Dissociations

a disconnection or separation between a person’s thoughts, memories, feelings, actions, or sense of identity

Dissociative identity disorder (DID)

a rare dissociative disorder in which a person exhibits two or more distinct and alternating identities. (Formerly called multiple personality disorder.)

Dissociative amnesia

a disorder in which people with intact brains reportedly experience memory gaps; people with dissociative amnesia may report not remembering trauma-related specific events, people, places, or aspects of their identity and life history.

Fugue

a rare condition where a person suddenly and unexpectedly loses their memory of important personal information especially about who they are

Trauma and stressor-related disorders

a group of disorders in which exposure to a traumatic or stressful event is followed by psychological distress.

Posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

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

Hypervigilance

a state of extreme alertness where a person is constantly scanning their environment for danger, even when there’s no real threat. It’s like their "fight or flight" system is stuck on high alert.

Flashbacks

vivid, intense experiences where a person relives a past traumatic event as if it’s happening all over again in the present

Insomnia

a common sleep disorder where a person has trouble falling asleep, staying asleep, or waking up too early and not being able to go back to sleep even when they have the chance to sleep.

Emotional detachment

when a person feels disconnected from their emotions or from the emotions of others

Hostility

a type of angry or aggressive attitude toward others. It involves feelings of resentment, bitterness, or hatred, and can sometimes lead to aggressive behavior or verbal attacks.

Feeding and eating disorders

a group of disorders characterized by altered consumption or absorption of food that impairs health or psychological functioning. (Feeding disorders typically occur in infants and young children, whereas eating disorders affect people who self-feed.)

Anorexia nervosa

an eating disorder in which a person (usually an adolescent female) maintains a starvation diet despite being significantly underweight, and has an inaccurate self-perception; sometimes accompanied by excessive exercise.

Bulimia nervosa

an eating disorder in which a person’s binge eating (usually of high-calorie foods) is followed by inappropriate weight-loss-promoting behavior, such as vomiting, laxative use, fasting, or excessive exercise.

Personality disorders

a group of disorders characterized by enduring inner experiences or behavior patterns that differ from someone’s cultural norms and expectations, are pervasive and inflexible, begin in adolescence or early adulthood, are stable over time, and cause distress or impairment.

Cluster A personality disorders

a group of personality disorders that are described as odd, eccentric, or strange in behavior or thinking. People with these disorders often have difficulty relating to others and may seem socially awkward or withdrawn.

Paranoid

Deep distrust and suspicion of others, believing that others are trying to harm, deceive, or exploit them, often holding grudges and being very sensitive to criticism

Schizoid

Little interest in forming close relationships, preferring to be alone and showing little emotion, eeming emotionally cold, detached, or indifferent to praise or criticism.

Schizotypal

Odd beliefs or magical thinking (like believing they can read minds), unusual speech patterns and behavior, social anxiety and discomfort around others, often due to paranoia rather than low self-esteem

Cluster B personality disorders

a group of disorders characterized by dramatic, emotional, or erratic behavior. People with these disorders may have intense, unstable emotions and relationships, and they often struggle with impulse control.

Antisocial

a personality disorder in which a person (usually a man) exhibits a lack of conscience for wrongdoing, even toward friends and family members; may be aggressive and ruthless or a clever con artist.

Histrionic

Excessive emotionality and attention-seeking behaviors, strong desire to be the center of attention and may feel uncomfortable when not, shallow emotional expression, with dramatic or exaggerated behaviors, often uses physical appearance to draw attention

Narcissistic

An inflated sense of self-importance and a deep need for admiration, lack of empathy for others and a sense of entitlement, exploitation of others to fulfill personal needs, a fragile self-esteem, which can lead to intense reactions if criticized

Borderline

Intense and unstable emotions and relationships, fear of abandonment and difficulty with self-identity, impulsivity, self-destructive behavior, and frequent mood swings, difficulty maintaining stable relationships due to idealization or devaluation of others

Cluster C personality disorders

a group of disorders characterized by anxious, fearful, or avoidant behavior. People with these disorders often have difficulty managing anxiety and fear in social situations, relationships, and everyday life.

Avoidant

Extreme fear of rejection or criticism, leading to avoidance of social situations, low self-esteem and a tendency to feel inadequate, may desire social connections but avoid them due to fear of being judged or embarrassed.

Dependent

Excessive reliance on others to make decisions and take care of their needs, fear of abandonment or being alone, leading to clinging or submissive behavior, difficulty standing up for oneself or making independent choices, often stays in unhealthy relationships because of fear of being alone.

Obsessive compulsive PD

A preoccupation with orderliness, perfectionism, and control, rigid standards and a need for things to be done in a particular way, difficulty delegating tasks or relaxing because of the need for perfection, can lead to issues with relationships due to being overly critical or demanding