clinical and mental illness

Psychophysiological Assessment

Measures bodily changes associated with psychological events or characteristics.

Psychophysiological test instruments

Examples include electrocardiogram, electrodermal responding, and EEG.

Diagnosis

Classifies a person's problem into recognized categories of abnormal behavior and labels it accordingly.

Dimensional classification

Based on the premise that behavior exists along dimensions rather than categories.

Categorical classification

Divides mental disorders into types based on criteria sets with defining features.

DSM5 System

A system for diagnosing and classifying individuals exhibiting abnormal behaviors, with highly detailed criteria.

Presenting Problem

The reason for the visit to a healthcare professional.

Principle Diagnosis

The condition primarily responsible for causing the individual to seek care.

Severity Specifiers

Indicate the level of disability or impairment.

Course Specifiers

Indicate the progression of the illness.

Old DSM System

A multi-axial classification system with five axes.

Case Studies

Detailed study of one individual to provide descriptive accounts and generate hypotheses.

Qualitative Research

Focuses on the unique experiences of a small group of people in depth.

Epidemiological Research

Study of the frequency and distribution of a disorder in a population.

Correlational Method

Examines relationships between variables but does not determine causality.

Longitudinal Modelling and Group Trajectories

Collecting multiple observations over time to establish growth curves and subgroups.

Intensive Longitudinal Designs

Examines thoughts, feelings, and behaviors in their natural context.

Experimental Methods

Gold standard for determining causality through random assignment and manipulation of variables.

Single-Subject Experimental Designs

Studies participants individually with manipulated variables, often using reversal designs.

Mixed Designs

Combination of experimental and correlational designs to examine treatment effects.

Effect size

A statistic used to determine the extent of improvement by examining published and unpublished studies and combining their results into a common format.

Fear

A negative emotional state in response to a real or perceived imminent threat to the self, with a present focus.

Anxiety

A negative emotional state that stems from anticipation of future threat to the self, with a future focus.

Physiological component of anxiety

Heightened level of arousal and physiological activation, such as increased heart rate, shortness of breath, and dry mouth.

Cognitive component of anxiety

Subjective perception of anxious arousal and associated cognitive processes, such as worry and rumination.

Behavioural component of anxiety

"Safety" behaviors and avoidance.

Chronic anxiety

Anxiety that is long-lasting, relatively intense, associated with role impairment, and causing significant distress for self or others.

Prevalence of anxiety disorders

12% of the Canadian population are struggling with anxiety symptoms at any given time, with a higher co-occurrence rate of 60% with depression.

Specific Phobia

Fear and avoidance of objects or situations that do not present any real danger.

Social Anxiety Disorder

Fear and avoidance of social situations due to possible negative evaluation from others.

Panic Disorder

Recurrent panic attacks involving a sudden onset of physiological symptoms, accompanied by terror and feelings of impending doom.

Agoraphobia

Fear of being in public places.

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)

Persistent, uncontrollable worry, often about minor things.

Panic Attack

A sudden episode of intense fear or discomfort, often recognized by complaints of having a heart attack, with two kinds:unexpected and expected.

Biological Theories of Panic Disorder

Noradrenergic activity theory, autonomic nervous system (ANS) stability-liability, genetic factors, gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA) role, and cholecystokinin (CCK) role.

Psychological Theories of Panic Disorder

Fear-of-fear hypothesis, misinterpretation of physiological arousal symptoms.

Agoraphobia

A cluster of fears centering on public places and being unable to escape or find help if incapacitated.

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)

Excessive and uncontrollable worry, often beginning in mid-teens and highly comorbid with other anxiety and mood disorders.

Psychological Theories of GAD

Learning theories, cognitive theories, intolerance of uncertainty, approach-avoidance conflicts, and role of worry as negative reinforcement.

Psychoanalytic Perspective of GAD

Unconscious conflict between ego and id impulses.

Biological Theories of GAD

Genetics and neuroniological model.

Exposure therapy

A behavioral treatment approach involving progressive exposure to triggering stimuli for anxiety disorders.

Exposure Therapy

Fearful clients are exposed to filmed or live demonstrations of other people interacting fearlessly with the phobic object (e.g., handling snakes).

Social Skills Training

Learning social skills to know what to say/do in social situations. Can be combined with exposure.

Intensive Relaxation Training

Prescribing more generalized treatment for clients with Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), in the hope that if clients learn to relax when beginning to feel tense, their anxiety will be kept from spiraling out of control.

Cognitive Restructuring

Cognitive treatments for specific phobias aim to alter the individual's thoughts about the fearsome object or situation.

Panic-Control Therapy

A well-validated exposure-based therapy for panic disorder developed by Barlow and his associates, involving relaxation training, cognitive restructuring, and exposure to internal cues that trigger panic.

Psychoanalytic Therapy

Psychoanalytic therapies attempt to uncover the repressed conflicts believed to underline extreme fear and avoidance characteristic of anxiety disorders.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

A chronic disorder characterized by persistent and uncontrollable thoughts (obsessions) and repetitive behaviors (compulsions).

OCD Specifiers

Different levels of insight individuals with OCD have about the accuracy of their beliefs that underlie their symptoms.

Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP)

A treatment for OCD where the person exposes themselves to situations that elicit the compulsive act, then refrains from performing the ritual, aiming to extinguish the anxiety.

Inhibitory Learning Model

ERP helps people with OCD learn safety in a way that blocks the original fear, focusing on anxiety tolerance and disconfirming expectations.

Cognitive-Behavioral Approaches to OCD Treatment

A combined approach of exposure and response prevention (ERP) and cognitive procedures to eliminate dysfunctional beliefs contributing to OCD symptoms.

Genetic Evidence

High rates of anxiety disorders occur among first-degree relatives of individuals with OCD, suggesting a genetic component.

Brain Structure

Encephalitis, head injuries, and brain tumors have been associated with the development of OCD, and PET scan studies show increased activation in the frontal lobes and basal ganglia.

Hoarding Disorder

The acquisition of and failure to discard possessions, associated with old age and genetic factors.

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) for Hoarding Disorder

Uses exposure, cognitive restructuring, skills training, and motivational interviewing techniques to address hoarding symptoms.

Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD)

Preoccupation with an imagined or exaggerated defect in appearance, treated with exposure and response prevention and cognitive strategies.

Trichotillomania

A hair-pulling disorder treated with habit reversal training and other psychological treatments.

Excoriation (Skin Picking)

A disorder characterized by repetitive skin picking, treated with habit reversal training and other psychological treatments.

Western Perspective

Emphasizes individualism, rationality, and material wealth, influenced by Christianity.

Eastern Perspective

Emphasizes collectivism, spirituality, and maintaining social order, influenced by Buddhism, Hinduism, and Confucianism.

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