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Psychological Disorder

A pattern of thoughts, feelings, or behaviors that is deviant, distressing, and dysfunctional, interfering with daily functioning.

DSM-5-TR

The manual used by psychologists to diagnose mental disorders, providing standardized criteria and published by the American Psychiatric Association.

World Health Organization (WHO)

A global health organization that oversees international public health and publishes the ICD, classifying diseases and mental disorders.

Definition of Abnormality (AB)

Defined using deviance, distress, dysfunction, and sometimes danger, known as the '4 Ds' of abnormality.

Rosenhan Study

A study demonstrating that mentally healthy individuals could be diagnosed as mentally ill, raising concerns about psychiatric diagnosis reliability.

Maladaptive Behavior

Interferes with a person’s ability to function effectively and prevents adjustment to everyday demands.

Personal Distress

Emotional suffering such as anxiety or depression; behavior may be considered abnormal if it causes significant distress.

Atypical Behavior

Behavior that is statistically rare or socially unusual; unusual behavior is not always disordered.

Biological Approach

Explains disorders through genetics, brain structure, and neurotransmitters, often supporting medication use.

History of Treatment

Early treatments included trephination and asylums, while modern treatment focuses on therapy, medication, and humane care.

Dorothea Dix

Advocated for better conditions for the mentally ill and helped reform asylums in the 1800s.

Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT)

A treatment using controlled electrical currents to induce seizures, mainly for severe depression when other treatments fail.

Social/Cultural Approach

Explains disorders as influenced by social expectations and cultural norms, with varying definitions of abnormal based on culture.

Biopsychosocial Model

Explains disorders using biological, psychological, and social factors, being the most widely accepted modern approach.

Insanity vs. Responsibility

Debate whether mentally ill individuals should be held legally responsible for crimes; mental illness does not automatically remove responsibility.

Insanity Defense

Legal argument that a defendant could not distinguish right from wrong, which is rarely successful in court.

John Hinckley

Attempted to assassinate President Reagan, found not guilty by reason of insanity, leading to stricter insanity laws.

Andrea Yates

Killed her children while experiencing severe postpartum psychosis, found not guilty by reason of insanity.

Kenneth Bianchi

Serial killer who pretended to have Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID), highlighting how mental illness can be faked.

Criticism of DSM

Criticized for overdiagnosis and labeling, with concerns that it can stigmatize individuals.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

A developmental disorder involving social communication difficulties and restricted or repetitive behaviors.

Temple Grandin

Scientist with autism who advocates for understanding ASD, emphasizing strengths and different thinking styles.

Somatic Symptom Disorder

Involves physical symptoms without a clear medical cause; the symptoms are real and distressing.

Anxiety Disorder

Involves excessive fear or worry that interferes with daily functioning.

Phobias

Intense, irrational fears of specific objects or situations leading to avoidance behavior.

Social Anxiety Disorder

Fear of social situations and judgment, with worry about embarrassment.

Agoraphobia

Fear of situations where escape may be difficult, including crowds or open spaces.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

Involves obsessions, intrusive thoughts, and compulsions, repetitive behaviors used to reduce anxiety.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Develops after trauma, includes flashbacks and avoidance, and heightened arousal.

Treatment

Includes psychotherapy, medication, or both, aiming to reduce symptoms and improve functioning.

Resilience

Ability to cope with stress and adversity, protecting against mental illness.

Depression

Marked by persistent sadness and loss of interest, affecting mood, thoughts, and behavior.

Learned Helplessness

Occurs when individuals feel powerless, strongly linked to depression.

Bipolar Disorder

Involves alternating manic and depressive episodes with extreme mood shifts.

Dissociative Amnesia

Involves memory loss due to trauma or stress, with personal information forgotten.

Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID)

Involves two or more distinct identities, often linked to severe childhood trauma.

Schizophrenia

A severe disorder involving delusions and hallucinations, affecting about 1% of people.

Paranoia

Involves delusions of persecution or conspiracy, common in schizophrenia.

Catatonic Schizophrenia

Involves extreme motor disturbances, including immobility or agitation.

Disorganized Thoughts

Involves illogical or incoherent thinking, with fragmented speech.

Hyperphrenic Schizophrenia

Marked by exaggerated emotions and highly disorganized behavior.

Onset (Schizophrenia)

Typically begins in late adolescence or early adulthood, with gradual onset.

Positive Symptoms

Add abnormal behaviors, such as hallucinations and delusions.

Negative Symptoms

Involve absence of normal behaviors, like lack of emotion or motivation.

Causes (Schizophrenia)

Include genetic predisposition and brain abnormalities, with prenatal factors involved.

Antisocial Personality Disorder (ASPD)

Involves disregard for others’ rights, with individuals lacking remorse.

Sociopath vs. Psychopath

Sociopaths are impulsive and emotional, whereas psychopaths are calculated and unemotional.

Serial Murderers

Kill multiple victims over time with cooling-off periods between murders.

Causes of Serial Murder

Include biological factors, trauma, and environment; no single cause explains behavior.

Why They Don’t Get Caught

Involves planning and manipulation with careful victim selection.

Edmund Kemper

Highly intelligent serial killer displaying antisocial traits.

Dennis Rader

Known as BTK, he sought control and attention while taunting police.

John Gacy

Targeted young men by using trust and authority.

Ted Bundy

Used charm to gain victims’ trust and was highly manipulative.

Jeffrey Dahmer

Suffered from severe psychological disturbances and experienced extreme social isolation.

Anorexia Nervosa

Involves extreme restriction of food intake with an intense fear of weight gain.

Bulimia Nervosa

Involves binge eating followed by purging; weight is often normal.

Binge Eating Disorder

Involves repeated binge eating without purging behavior.

Munchausen by Proxy

A caregiver causes illness in another person for attention or sympathy.

Somatic Dissociative Disorder

Psychological stress causes physical symptoms with no medical explanation.

Psychoanalysis

Focuses on unconscious conflicts, developed by Freud.

Free Association

Clients say whatever comes to mind to reveal unconscious thoughts.

Humanistic Therapy

Emphasizes growth and self-acceptance, focusing on free will.

Carl Rogers

Founded client-centered therapy, emphasizing acceptance.

Active Listening

Therapists reflect and restate client thoughts to show understanding.

Client-Centered Therapy

Non-directive therapy focusing on self-growth.

Unconditional Positive Regard

Clients are accepted without judgment, promoting growth.

Empathy

Understanding another’s feelings, strengthening the therapeutic relationship.

Gestalt Therapy

Emphasizes present awareness and personal responsibility.

Group Therapy

Involves multiple clients supporting each other.

Aversive Conditioning

Pairs unwanted behavior with discomfort, reducing the behavior.

Rational-Emotive Therapy

Challenges irrational beliefs; changing thoughts changes emotions.

Behavioral Therapy

Uses conditioning principles to focus on observable behavior.

Frontal Lobotomy

A historical surgical treatment damaging the frontal lobes.

Psychotherapeutic Drugs

Medications used to treat mental disorders, including antidepressants and antipsychotics.