Abnormal Behavior Exam 2

Adaptation

balancing the demands of the outside world with the demands within a person

Stressor

An event that creates demands on a person and may cause fear if it feels threatened

Stress Response

The biological and psychological reaction to a stressor

General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS)

developed by Hans Selye (1956),

describes three stages of the body’s response to stress

Alarm

the body recognizes a threat and mobilizes physical resources to respond

Resistance

The body uses its resources to cope with the ongoing stressor

Exhaustion

Coping resources become depleted, potentially causing physical damage or death S

Sympathetic

activates the flight-or fight response

prepares the body to respond to danger

Parasympathetic

helps calm the body and restore normal functioning

Autonomic

Regulates internal bodily functions and stress responses

HPA Axis

The hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis helps regulate N

Negative Feedback Loop

A response activates mechanisms that reduce or reverse the original response

Context

The meaning of an event to the individual Int

Intensity

How severe or consequential the event is

Frequency

How often the stressor occurs

Predictability

Whether the person can anticipate the event

Control

Whether the person feels able to influence what happens

Psychological Context

Prior experiences, current functioning, and subjective interpretation

Social Readjustment Scale

Assigns life change unit values to stressful life events

Type A personality

Competitive, time-urgent, and often feels rushed

Type B Personality

Relaxed, less competitive, and less rushed

Type D personality

Experiences ongoing distress; negative emotions

Psychoneuroimmunology

The study of how psychological events affect the nervous system and immune system

Immunosuppression

Reduced immune activity

Immunostimulation

Increased immune activity

Transgenerational effect

Effects that may extend across generations

Diathesis-Stress Model

A psychological disorder may develop when stressful circumstances trigger an existing predisposition

Diathesis

A disposition or vulnerability

Stress

The circumstances that may trigger the disorder A

Acute Stress Disorder

Begins soon after trauma

Less than one month

Trauma-related symptoms

PTSD

Can begin shortly after trauma or later

Symptoms persist for more than one month

Similar trauma-related symptoms

Adjustment Disorder

Maladaptive emotional or behavioral response to a stressor, beginning within three months of the stressor

Reactive Attachment Disorder

A child has difficulty forming attachment with caregivers and may be withdrawn or not seek comfort

Disinhibited Social Engagement Disorder

Involves unusually uninhibited social behavior toward others

Prolonged Grief Disorder

Grief continues for an extended period after a death, beyond the expected diagnostic time frame

Major Depressive Episode

Involves more than ordinary sadness

Includes symptoms that interfere with normal functioning

• at least one symptom must be depressed mood or loss of interest or pleasure

Depressed Mood

Feeling sad, empty, or depressed most of the dat A

Anhedonia

Losing interest or pleasure in activities

Weight or appetite changes

Agitation or slowed movement that others can observe

Fatigue

Low energy or persistent tiredness

Worthlessness or guilt

Feelings of worthlessness or excessive/inappropriate guilt

Concentration difficulties

Difficulty concentrating or making decisions

Thoughts of death or suicide

Recurrent thoughts of death, suicidal ideation, plans, or attempts

Persistent Depressive Disorder

Mood is depressed nearly continuously

Symptoms may be less severe than those in a major depressive episode

Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder

Chronic, severe irritability

Temper outburst approximately 3x per week

Occurs across different situations

Can involve verbal or physical behavior toward people or objects

• diagnostic window is ages 6-18, onset before age 10

Premenstrual Dysphoric Depressive Disorder

Mood lability and irritability

Depressive symptoms

At least one physical symptom

• occur before menstruation and improve after it begins

Catecholamine hypothesis

depression is associated with depletion of certain NT’s

Monoamine hypothesis

depression is associated with depletion of monoamines

Neuroanatomy

reduced prefrontal cortex volume

increased limbic system activity

lower activity in the left hemisphere

reduced regulation of the limbic system

Cognitive triad

Negative views of the:

• self

• present world

  • future

Learned helplessness

The belief that a person has little or not control over life events and that their actions do not influence outcomes

MAOIs

Older antidepressants associated with serious risks and food interactions

Tricyclic

Older medication with risks including overdose, memory impairment, and confusion

Atypical

A varied group of medications with different structures and mechanisms

ECT

uses electrical stimulation to induce controlled seizure under modern medical

Cognitive approaches

Identify and challenge dysfunctional thoughts

Test the validity of interpretations of events

Change negative beliefs about the self and world

Behavioral Approaches

Self-monitoring

Self-reinforcement

Social skills training

Manic Episode

Involves a distinct period of abnormally elevated, expansive, or irritable mood and increased energy or activity

At least three symptoms are required, four if the mood is only irritable

Inflated self-esteem

grandiosity or an exaggerated sense of ability

Decreased need for sleep

feeling rested with very little sleep

Increased talkativeness

talking more than usual or pressured speech

Racing thoughts

Flight of ideas or rapidly moving thoughts

Distractability

attention easily pulled away

Increased activity

more goal-directed activity or psychomotor agitation

Risky behavior

excessive involvement in high-risk activities

Mania

at least one week

abnormally elevated, expansive, or irritable; increased energy

may cause major impairment

required for Bipolar I

Hypomania

Four consecutive days

Similar types of mood and energy changes in mania

More organized behavior

Associated with Bipolar II when impaired with depressive episodes

Bipolar I

requires at least one manic episode

major depressive episodes are common but are not required for the diagnosis

Bipolar II

involves hypomanic episodes and major depressive episodes without a history or a manic episode

Cylothymia

involves hypomanic symptoms and depressive symptoms that do not meet full episode criteria, over two years

Suicide risk

Involving overwhelming psychological pain combined with hopelessness that the pain will stop

Suicide risk: previous attempt

a history of attempts is an important predictor of future risk

Suicide risk: access to letha lmeans

increased danger

Suicide risk: male gender

Higher suicide death rates

Suicide risk: hopelessness

May believe their future cannot improve

Suicide risk: mood disorders and schizophrenia

Increase risk

Protective factors: family support

provides connection and emotional support

Protective factors: employment

can offer purpose, routine, and regular contact with others

Protective factors: treatment

Regular contact with therapist or other mental health professional

Protective factors: future goals

Gives someone a reason to look forward and maintain hope

Anorexia nervosa

severe restriction of food intake, significantly low body weight, and fear or gaining weight or a disturbance in how body weight and shape are perceived

Restricting Type

No recurrent binge eating or purging during the previous three months

Weight loss primarily through dieting, fasting, or excessive exercise

Binge eating

Recurrent binge eating or purging during the previous three months

May involve binge eating followed by vomiting or misuse of laxative, diurectics, or enemas

Bulimia nervosa

Repeated binge eating followed by inappropriate compensatory behaviors intended to prevent weight gain

Avoidant food intake disorder

Avoiding or restricting food because of limited interest in eating or aversion to sensory characteristics, rather than primarily because of weight or body-shape concerns

Pica

Persistent eating of non-food, non-nutritive substances for at least one month

Rumination Disordr

Repeated regurgitation of food for more than one month

• food may be rechewed, swallowed again, or spit out

  • the regurgitation is not attributable to a gastrointestinal or other medical condition

Sleep apnea

Breathing temporarily ceases during sleep

Hypopnea

Airflow is reduced because breathing is slow or shallow

Hypoventilation

Abnormal blood levels of oxygen and carbon dioxide due to inadequate ventilation

Circadian rhythm sleep-wake disorder

a persistent mismatch between the person’s internal 24-hour sleep-wake cycle and the schedule required by their environment

Restless leg syndrom

an urge to move the legs, often accompanied by uncomfortable sensations

Sleepwalking

The person may sit up, walk, or eat while asleep

• eyes open

  • could speak

Sleep terrors

The person abruptly awakens or appears to awaken, often screaming

Nightmare disorder

Repeated frightening dreams that cause awakening

REM sleep behavioral disorder

Repeated episodes of complex movements or vocalizations during REM sleep

Encopresis

Repeated passage of feces in inappropriate places in a person at least four years old developmentally

Enuresis

Repeated urination into bed or clothing, whether voluntary or involuntary