Lecture Notes Flashcards: Psychopathology Concepts

A set of vocabulary-style flashcards covering major concepts from the lecture notes on psychopathology, diagnostic frameworks, therapeutic approaches, cultural models, and specific disorders.

Psychopathology

The study of illnesses of the mind.

Etymology of psychopathology

Psych- mind; Patho- illness; Ology- study.

DSM-5 definition of a mental disorder

Clinically significant syndrome (cluster of symptoms) with underlying dysfunction, usually distress or disability, socially non-normative, and descriptive/categorical.

RDOC (Research Domain Criteria)

Framework to classify mental health problems across neural circuitry, biology, development, and behavior; aims to map disorders beyond simple categories.

Power, Threat, Meaning Framework (PTMF)

A framework that understands distress as understandable responses to power, threats, and meaning, emphasizing distress over labels of disorder.

Realism (in psychopathology)

The view that content of science is real and exists independently of human interpretation.

Internalist perspective

Mental disorders are rooted in internal factors (biology, brain, etc.).

Externalist perspective

Mental disorders depend on external contexts or environments as well as biology.

Constructivism in psychiatry

Mental disorders are socially constructed through language, culture, and practice.

Anti-psychiatry (Szasz)

A critical movement arguing that many mental disorders are labels used to control or stigmatize distress; emphasizes social construction.

Descriptive vs. causal classification (medicine/psychiatry)

Descriptive: based on observable symptoms; Causal: based on underlying causes or mechanisms.

Latent/Essentialist model

Assumes an underlying essence or latent cause for a disorder.

Mechanistic Property Clusters (MPC)

Disorders defined by networks of casual relations rather than a single essence.

Symptom Network Approach

Models disorders as networks of interacting symptoms that influence each other.

Embodiment (3E cognition)

Mind is constituted by brain, body, and environment interactions.

Embedment (3E cognition)

Cognition is embedded in the surrounding world and context.

Enactivism (3E cognition)

Cognition arises through dynamic interaction with the environment.

3E cognition

Embodied, embedded, enactive cognition; cognition rooted in body, world, and action.

Meihana Model

Maori health framework for psychology/psychiatry integrating te whare tapa whā with winds/current external factors.

Te Whare Tapa Whā

Maori model of wellbeing with four dimensions: taha tinana, taha hinengaro, taha wairua, taha whanau (land and environment also influential).

Taha tinana

Physical/physical health dimension.

Taha hinengaro

Mental and emotional wellbeing dimension.

Taha wairua

Spiritual wellbeing dimension.

Taha whanau

Family and social wellbeing dimension.

Whenua

Connection to land; related to identity and wellbeing.

Wairua

Spiritual connectedness and meaning.

Taiao

Natural and physical environment surrounding a person.

Whānau

Family and communal relationships; social context in Māori health.

Iwi Katoa

Health services as an integrated whole within the Meihana framework.

Winds and Currents (Meihana)

External factors (marginalisation, colonisation, racism, migration) that influence wellbeing.

Marginalisation

Systemic factors that reduce access to health and wellbeing resources.

Colonisation

Historical/ongoing processes affecting land, socioeconomics, and health.

Racism

Impact of institutional, interpersonal, and internalised racism on wellbeing.

Migration

Movement and its effects on social support and access to care.

Ahua

Personal indicators of te ao Māori (e.g., te reo Māori, taonga, ta moko).

Tikanga

Cultural protocols and practices guiding behaviour.

Whānau involvement in care

Family roles and support shaping treatment and recovery.

Meihana winds and currents in practice

Considering external social forces when planning care for Māori clients.

Readiness for change (stages)

Precontemplation, contemplation, preparation, action, maintenance—stages of adopting change.

Cultural safety

Care that recognises and respects cultural identities and power dynamics; avoids discrimination.

Cultural competence

Awareness, knowledge, and skills to work effectively with diverse cultures.

I-Thou relationship (Buber)

Therapeutic stance of genuine, mutual, non-objectifying engagement with clients.

Reverence (EPCP)

Deep respect in the therapeutic relationship; healing through relational regard.

Respect-focused therapy

Therapy prioritising respectful, non-judgmental, collaborative engagement.

OCD (Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder)

Presence of obsessions and/or compulsions; time-consuming and distressing.

Obsessions

Recurring, intrusive thoughts/images/urges that are unwanted and distressing.

Compulsions

Repetitive behaviours or mental acts performed to reduce distress or prevent feared outcomes.

Thought-Action Fusion (TAF)

Belief that thinking about an action makes it more likely to happen or is morally equivalent to doing it.

Overestimation of threat

Belief that negative events are more likely than they are; fuels worry and avoidance.

Perfectionism (in OCD context)

High standards and fear of mistakes; can relate to OCD and other disorders.

Control and intolerance of uncertainty

Desire to control thoughts/events; fear of uncertainty fuels worry.

Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP)

CBT technique for OCD: expose to feared stimuli and prevent compulsive responses.

Exposure therapy (CBT)

Systematic exposure to feared cues to reduce avoidance and anxiety.

CBT core principle

Emotions and behaviours are influenced by cognitions (thoughts/beliefs).

CBT components

Psychoeducation, problem-solving, relaxation, cognitive restructuring, exposure, and behavioural experiments.

SUDS (Subjective Units of Distress Scale)

A scale (0-100) used to rate distress during exposure tasks.

OCD: common obsessions

Contamination, doubt, symmetry, superstition, harm, etc.

OCD: common compulsions

Washing, checking, ordering, mental rituals.

Panic Attack (DSM-5)

Abrupt surge of intense fear or discomfort reaching a peak within minutes with 4+ symptoms.

Panic Disorder (DSM-5)

Recurrent unexpected panic attacks with 1+ month of worry about attacks or avoidance behavior.

Agoraphobia

Marked fear of public places/situations with avoidance or extensive distress.

Specific Phobia

Marked fear about a specific object or situation; avoidance or distress; impairment for ≥6 months.

Social Anxiety Disorder

Marked fear of social/evaluative situations with avoidance or distress.

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)

Excessive worry for ≥6 months with physical symptoms and impairment.

Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) for anxiety

Empirically supported therapy focusing on thoughts, emotions, and behaviours; often includes exposure.

Cognition-behaviour-emotion interplay (ABC model)

A-B-C: Activating event, Beliefs, Consequences; used in CBT formulation.

Panic Disorder vs Panic Attacks

Panic attacks are not a disorder by themselves; panic disorder is recurrent attacks with anticipatory anxiety/avoidance.

Dopamine hypothesis (psychosis)

Abnormal dopamine pathways linked to positive symptoms; antipsychotics modulate dopamine.

NMDA/GABA/serotonin in psychosis

Other neurotransmitter systems implicated in psychosis (NMDA antagonists can induce symptoms; GABA/serotonin involved).

HPA axis in psychosis

Hypothalamus-Pituitary-Adrenal axis dysregulation; elevated baseline cortisol and blunted stress response.

Prodrome

Pre-psychotic phase with subtle changes before full onset.

Attenuated Positive Symptoms (APS)

Subthreshold psychotic symptoms indicating high risk for psychosis.

Ultra-High Risk (UHR) criteria

CHR criteria including GRFD, APS, or BLIPS indicating high likelihood of developing psychosis.

Early Intervention in psychosis

Strategies to treat quickly after first episode to improve long-term outcomes.

Trauma and psychosis

Trauma exposure increases risk of psychosis; related to HPA axis changes and brain development.

Cannabis and psychosis risk

Cannabis use, especially early life, raises risk for psychosis; dose-dependent and interacts with genetics.

Stress-Diathesis model

Disorder results from interaction between vulnerability (diathesis) and stressors.

Cultural safety vs competence (NZ context)

Practicing in a way that recognises and respects cultures; ongoing development of skills.

Relapse prevention in psychosis

Strategies to maintain recovery, manage stress, and support adherence.

Early psychosis care settings

Community teams, inpatient units, forensic settings, and specialized early intervention services.

CBT for psychosis structure

Collaborative formulation, psychoeducation, normalisation, acceptance, cognitive strategies, coping, relapse management.

Psychopathology

The study of illnesses of the mind.

Etymology of psychopathology

Psych- mind; Patho- illness; Ology- study.

DSM-5 definition of a mental disorder

Clinically significant syndrome (cluster of symptoms) with underlying dysfunction, usually distress or disability, socially non-normative, and descriptive/categorical.

Purpose of the DSM-5

To provide a standardized system for classifying mental disorders, facilitate communication among clinicians and researchers, guide treatment decisions, and support mental health research.

RDOC (Research Domain Criteria)

Framework to classify mental health problems across neural circuitry, biology, development, and behavior; aims to map disorders beyond simple categories.

Power, Threat, Meaning Framework (PTMF)

A framework that understands distress as understandable responses to power, threats, and meaning, emphasizing distress over labels of disorder.

Realism (in psychopathology)

The view that content of science is real and exists independently of human interpretation.

Internalist perspective

Mental disorders are rooted in internal factors (biology, brain, etc.).

Externalist perspective

Mental disorders depend on external contexts or environments as well as biology.

Constructivism in psychiatry

Mental disorders are socially constructed through language, culture, and practice.

Anti-psychiatry (Szasz)

A critical movement arguing that many mental disorders are labels used to control or stigmatize distress; emphasizes social construction.

Descriptive vs. causal classification (medicine/psychiatry)

Descriptive: based on observable symptoms; Causal: based on underlying causes or mechanisms.

Latent/Essentialist model

Assumes an underlying essence or latent cause for a disorder.

Mechanistic Property Clusters (MPC)

Disorders defined by networks of casual relations rather than a single essence.

Symptom Network Approach

Models disorders as networks of interacting symptoms that influence each other.

Embodiment (3E cognition)

Mind is constituted by brain, body, and environment interactions.

Embedment (3E cognition)

Cognition is embedded in the surrounding world and context.