Psychological Disorders

Schizophrenia definition

severe psychological disorder characterized by highly disordered though processes
individuals w/ this may be referred to as psychotic because they are removed from reality

Schizophrenia positive symptoms

- distortion or excess of normal function
- halluciations, delusions, thought disorders, movement disorders
-referential thinking

schizophrenia negative symptoms

- social withdrawal, behavioral deficits, loss/decrease of normal function
- flat affect- display of little/no emotion
- lacking ability to read emotions of others
- inability to plan, initiate, and engage in goals

Schizophrenia cognitive symptoms

- deficits in executive functioning
- difficulty sustaining attention
- problems holding info in memory
- inability to interpret info/ make decisions

Schizophrenia biological causes

1. structual brain abnormalities
- enlarged ventricles
- deteriorating brain tissue
- smaller prefrontal cortex/ less acivity
- changed distrubution of brain cells
- problems with dopamine
2. genetic predisposition
- greater chance if it runs in the family
3. prenatal abnormalities
- malnutrition or exposure to substances/viruses

Schizophrenia psychological causes

4. Stress
- vulnerability stress model- environment
- abuse, lead paint, lead water

schizophrenia sociocultural causes

- affects course of disorder but not cause
- people w/ this fare better in developing nonindustrialized nations
-friends, marriage, employment \= better outcomes

Schizophrenia treatment

drugs/meds
NO therapy

Generalized anxiety disorder definition

an anxiety disorder marked by persistent anxiety for at least 6 months and in which the individual is unable to specify the reasons for the anxiety
female dominated

generalized anxiety disorder symptoms and behaviors

excessive worry that doesn't stop
motor tension (jumpiness, trembling)
hyperactivity (dizziness, racing heart)
nervousness
fatigue
muscle tension
headaches
stomach problems
difficulty sleeping- insomnia
aches and pains

generalized anxiety disorder treatment

Cognitive-behavioral therapy
medications- Selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors
(SSRIs) and Benzodiazepines
Relaxation techniques

generalized anxiety disorder causes

Biological
- deficiency of GABA
- respiratory system abnormalities

sociocultural
- harsh self-standards
- strict parents
- stressors, traumas

panic disorder definition

anxiety disorder in which the individual experiences recurrent, sudden onsets of intense terror, often without warning and with no specific cause

panic disorder symptoms and behaviors

panic attacks
FEELS LIKE a heart attack
- chest pains, dizziness, pounding heartbeat, shaking, nausea
shortness of breath
trembling
sweating
numbness or tingling skin
hot/cold feeling
feelings of unreality

panic disorder treatment

education about disorder
medications- to eliminate panic attacks
CBT to resolve fears and avoidant habits
talk therapy

panic disorder biological causes

not an emotional problem
- genetic predisposition
- lactate for brain metabolism is elevated
- misfunction of locus ceruleus and associated nerve pathways

panic disorders psychological causes

- overgeneralization of fear
- learned associations (classical conditioning)

obsessive compulsive disorder definition

pyschological disorder in which the individual has anxiety-provoking thoughts that will not go away and/or urges to perform repetitive ritualistic behaviors to prevent or produce a future situation
includes obsessions and compulsions

obsessive compulsive disorder symptoms and behaviors

8-12 hours a day
obsessions- recurrent thoughts
compulsions- recurrent behaviors (checking, counting, cleaning)
dwelling on normal thoughts
fear of being harmed or causing harm
never satisfied (no pleasure from impulses)
knows it is senseless and cannot stop
causes isolation
magical thinking
involuntary thoughts

obsessive compulsive disorder treatment

SSRI
cognitive behavioral therapy
- exposure and response
- patients gradually confront fears
behavior therapy- changing habits
OCD program- disconnecting from compulsions
Brain surgery- placing an electrode in a specific region of the brain for deep brain stimulation
morphine- improving OCD symptoms

obsessive compulsive disorder biological causes

- genetics
- neurotransmitters (low serotonin and dopamine, high glutamate)
- brain hyperactively monitoring behavior
- frontal cortex/basal ganglia very active
- lots of signals to thalamus to generate actions
- short circuits in structures that use info

obsessive compulsive disorder psychological causes

- feeling it is important to fend off a dramatic outcome
- avoidance learning
- negative reinforcement

bipolar disorder definition

(manic depressive)
extreme mood swings that include one or more episodes of mania
an overexcited, unrealistically optimistic state

bipolar disorder symptoms

mania- euphoria and energetic
sleeping too little
impulsivity
restlessness, agitation
flight of ideas, racing thoughts
sexual disinhibition

bipolar disorder treatment

Mood stabilizers
psychoactive drugs

bipolar disorder causes

- neurotransmitters imbalancesd
- inherited traits
- extreme stress
- drug or alcohol abuse
- major life changes

paranoid personality disorder definition

a pervasive distrust and suspicion of others such that their motives are interpreted as malevolent

paranoid personality disorder symptoms and behaviors

paranoia
suspicion
distrust
always alert for danger
social isolation

paranoid personality disorder treatment

psychotherapy
behavioral therapy
Meds - for agitation and anxiety
Antipsychotics- for delusional thoughts

paranoid personality disorder causes

heritability
early adverse experiences (parental abuse & neglect)
substance abuse

narcissistic personality disorder definition

exaggerated sense of self-importance

narcissistic personality disorder symptoms and behaviors

self absorption
demanding constant attention
depression or withdrawal when not enough attention
entitlement
dependent on the evaluations of others
lack of empathy
perfectionism
unstable self esteem

narcissistic personality disorder causes- object relations

lack in sense of self
relation w/ mother determines how child will develop

narcissistic personality disorder causes- psychosegual stages

people stuck on a stage end up being underdeveloped mentally

narcissistic personality disorder treatment

-Difficult to treat: patients not likely to seek help or confront shortcomings
-Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) to deconstruct faulty thinking
-Group therapy
- psychotherapy
- medications for mood swings

antisocial personality disorder definition

psychological personality disorder characterized by guiltlessness, law-breaking, exploitation of others, irresponsibility, and deceit
mainly men

antisocial personality disorder symptoms and behaviors

guiltlessness
law-breaking
exploitation of others
irresponsibility
aggression and violence
failure to conform to social norms
lying for profit or pleasure
impulsivity
irritability
inconsistent work behavior
indifference to other's pain
crime
substance abuse

antisocial personality disorder treatments

difficult because many can trick psychologists
lack of conscience and desire to change
antipsychotics
psychotherapy
cognitive behavioral therapy

antisocial personality disorder psychological causes

feelings of inadequacy they cannot overcome

antisocial personality disorder biological causes

low levels of activation in prefrontal cortex (poor decision making and reasoning)
serotonin levels abnormal
genetics
childhood abuse
lower levels of autonomic nervous system arousal
lower levels of gray matter

dissociative identity disorder definition

multiple personality disorder
the individual has 2 or more distinct personalities each with its own memories, behaviors, and relationships

dissociative identity disorder symptoms

Memory loss (amnesia) of certain time periods, events, people and personal information.
sense of being detached from yourself + your emotions.
perception of the people/things around you as distorted and unreal
A blurred sense of identity

dissociative identity disorder treatment

CBT
family therapy
hypnosis
antidepressants
psychodynamic therapy
psychotherapy

dissociative identity disorder causes

severe sexual/physical abuse during childhood
dissociation from traumatic events
social construction

agoraphobia definition

Persistent fear of any place or circumstance from which escape might be difficult or make you feel out of control

agoraphobia symptoms

isolation
patterns of remaining at home or with others at all times
increased anxiety in crowds
fear of losing control in public spaces
fear of inability to escape or find a secure place
avoiding situations
fear of being alone
possible combination with panic disorder

agoraphobia treatment

CBT
medication
exposure therapy

agoraphobia causes

heritability
Parental behavior- high demandingness and overprotective
many develop agoraphobia following panic disorder
History of adverse experiences
Chronic high anxiety

body dysmorphic disorder definition

preoccupation with an imagined defective body part obsessional thinking, compulsive behaviors.
generally about face/head
no specific gender

body dysmorphic disorder symptoms

imagined slight flaws in the face or head
frequent checking of defect consuming hours in a day (grooming behavior, exercise, dieting, frequent changing of clothes)
embarrassed to talk about it
asking for reassurance

body dysmorphic disorder treatment

medications- SSRIs, prozac
cognitive behavioral therapy
mirror practices- objectively describing their own face
group therapy

body dysmorphic disorder causes

tends to run in families
environment- critical parents

borderline personality disorder definition

a personality disorder characterized by severe mood swings, impulsive behavior, and difficulty forming stable personal relationships.
more of a female disorder

borderline personality disorder symptoms and behaviors

self mutilation
sudden rush of impulsive
experiences pain and remorse for actions
self-destructive behavior
extreme instability + unpredictability
manipulation in relationships
defective sense of identity
fear of being alone
dysphoria- distress triggered by events or loss
magical thinking
splitting defense

borderline personality disorder treatment

Cognitive behavioral therapy
psychotherapy - for impulsivity, alcohol and drug abuse medications- antidepressants + antipsychotics to stabilize mood and impulsivity

borderline personality disorder biological causes

different limbic system activity- drive (aggression)

borderline personality disorder environmental causes

childhood neglect
emotional deprivation
physical, sexual, or emotional abuse

post-traumatic stress disorder definition

psychological disorder that develops through exposure to a traumatic event
symptoms can appear immediately after trauma or months later

post-traumatic stress disorder symptoms and behaviors

flashbacks- reliving the event
loss of touch w/ reality
avoiding talking about it w/ others
emotional numbing
anxiety
excessive arousal- inability to sleep
memory and concentration problems
impulsivity

post-traumatic stress disorder treatment

Psychotherapy
Antidepressantss
antipsychotics
SSRIs
CBT

post-traumatic stress disorder causes

the trauma itself
family history of psychological disorders
cultural backgrounds
genetic predisposition

Is insanity a legal term or psychological term?

legal

how does social media affect mental health

high number of social medias leads to higher levels of anxiety/depression only if the teen has FOMO
attaching stress to social media is worse
more social medias \= isolation/loneliness

abnormal behavior

behavior that is deviant, maladaptive, or personally distressful over a relatively long period of time

deviant

behavior that does not conform to social standards

maladaptive

interferes w/ a person's ability to function effectively in the world

personal distress

The person engaging in the behavior finds it troubling

what three factors must a psychological disorder have

deviant, maladaptive, personal distress
(only 1/2 is just abnormal)

four approaches to psychological disorders

biological
psychological
sociocultural
biopsychosocial

biopsychosocial

behavior influenced by biological psychological, and sociocultural factors

vulnerability stress model

biopsychosocial explanation
suggests that pre-existing conditions may put a person at risk of developing a psychological disorder

diagnosing

problem- not the same for everyone

stigma

mark of shame that may cause others to avoid or act negatively toward a person

Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI)

most widely used
for insurance/legal

DSM

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
major classification of psychological disorders in the US
if it is not here, it does not exist
Goal: identify, define, treat

Criticisms of DSM

overly biological view
overdiagnosis
self-fullfilling prophecy
compounding of serious mental disorders (everything being labeled as a disorder)
misuse of diagnosis (political/social use)
relies on social norms

common anxiety disorers

GAD
simple phobia
panic disorder
social anxiety disorder

2 disorders not classified as anxiety but involve the anxiety experience

OCD (obsessive-compulsive)
PTSD (trauma/stress related)

specific phobia

anxiety disorder where individual experiences an irrational, overwhelming, persistent fear of a specific object or situation

what causes phobias

experiences, memories, and learned associations (classical conditioning)

social anxiety disorder

social phobia
anxiety where a person has an intense fear of being humiliated or embarrassed in social situations

mood disorders

depressive disorders and bipolar disorders

depressive disorders

unrelenting lack of pleasure in life

major depressive disorder

significant depressive episode and depressed characterics, such as lethargy and hopelessness for at least 2 weeks

MDD symptoms

impairment of daily functioning
depressed mood
reduced interest/pleasure
weight loss/gain
increased/decreased appetite
sleep problems (hypersomnia or insomnia)
fatigue
worthless/guilty feelings
problems thinking or making decisions
thoughts of death
no history of manic episodes

persistent depressive disorder

depressed mood for over 2 months

bipolar disorder

extreme mood swings that include one or more episodes of mania, an overexcited, unrealistically optimistic state

mania

euphoria and energetic mood
sleeping little
impulsivity

bipolar disorder I

extreme manic episodes w/ hallucinations

bipolar disorder II

milder version
less extreme level of euphoria

increased metabolic activity is linked to what mood disorder

mania (bipolar)

decreased metabolic activity is linked to what mood disorder

depression

Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder

depressive disorder in children who show persistent irritability and recurrent episodes of out of control behavior

attributions

attempts to explain an event's cause with internal, stable, and global causes (depression)

internal attributions

"my fault"

stable attributions

"I'll fail again and again"

global attributions

"failing shows I won't do good ever again"

social anxiety biological causes

genetics
neural circuitry in thalamus, amygdala, and cerebral cortex
neurotransmitters- serotonin

social anxiety social causes

overprotective parenting
learning experiences in social context

the disease with a thousand faces

OCD