PSY 1: Chapters 15 & 16 - Pathological Disorders & Treatment

For Week 9: Lecture 2 (Wed. Oct. 29)

mental disorder

a persistent disturbance or dysfunction in behavior, thoughts, or emotions that causes significant distress or impairment

medical model

an approach that conceptualizes abnormal psychological experiences as illnesses that, like physical illnesses, have biological and environmental causes, defined symptoms, and possible cures

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)

a classification system that describes the symptoms used to diagnose each recognized mental disorder and indications how that disorder can be distinguished from other, similar problems

comorbidity

the co-occurence of two or more disorders in a single individual

biopsychosocial perspective

explains mental disorders as a result of interactions among biological, psychological, and social factors

diathesis-stress model

suggests that a person may be predisposed to a psychological disorder that remains unexpressed until triggered by stress

Research Domain Criteria Project (RDoC)

a new initiative that aims to guide the classification and understanding of mental disorders by revealing the basic processes that give rise to them

anxiety disorder

the class of mental disorders in which anxiety is the predominant feature

phobic disorders

disorders characterized by marked, persistent, and excessive fear and avoidance of specific objects, activities, or situations

social phobia

a disorder that involves an irrational fear of being publicly humiliated or embarrasseds

specific phobia

a disorder that involves an irrational fear of a particular object or situation that markedly interferes with an individual’s ability to function

preparedness theory

the idea that people are instinctively predisposed toward certain fears

panic disorder

a disorder characterized by the sudden occurrence of multiple psychological and physiological symptoms that contribute to a feeling of stark terror

agoraphobia

a specific phobia involving a fear of public places

generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)

a disorder characterized by chronic excessive worry accompanied by three or more of the following symptoms: restlessness, fatigue, concentration problems, irritability, muscle tension, and sleep disturbance

obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)

a disorder in which repetitive, intrusive thoughts (obsessions) and ritualistic behaviors (compulsions) designed to fend off those thoughts interfere significantly with an individual’s functioning

posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

a disorder characterized by chronic physiological arousal, recurrent unwanted thoughts or images of the trauma, and avoidance of things that call the traumatic event to mind

mood disorders

mental disorders that have mood disturbance as their predominant feature

major depressive disorder (unipolar depression)

a disorder characterized by a severely depressed mood and/or inability to experience pleasure that lasts 2 or more weeks and is accompanied by feelings of worthlessness, lethargy, and sleep and appetite disturbance

persistent depressive disorder

the same cognitive and bodily problems as in depression are present, but they are less severe and last longer, persisting for at least 2 years

double depression

a moderately depressed mood that persists for at least 2 years and is punctuated by periods of major depression

seasonal affective disorder (SAD)

recurrent depressive episodes in a seasonal pattern

helplessness theory

the idea that individuals who are prone to depression automatically attribute negative experiences to causes that are internal (i.e. their own fault), stable (i.e. unlikely to change), and global (i.e. widespread)

bipolar disorder

a condition characterized by cycles of abnormal, persistent high mood (mania) and low mood (depression)

expressed emotion

a measure of how much hostility, criticism, and emotional over-involvement people communicate when speaking about a family member with a mental disorder

schizophrenia

a disorder characterized by the profound disruption of basic psychological processes; a distorted perception of reality; altered or blunted emotion; and disturbances in thought, motivation, and behavior

positive symptoms

thoughts and behaviors, such as hallucinations and delusions, not seen in those without the disorder

hallucination

a false perceptual experience that has a compelling sense of being real despite the absence of external stimulation

delusion

a false belief, often bizarre and grandiose, that is maintained in spite of its irrationality

negative symptoms

deficits in or disruptions of emotions and behaviors (ex: emotional and social withdrawal; apathy; poverty of speech; and other indications of the absence or insufficiency of normal behavior, motivation, and emotion) that are missing in those with schizophrenia

disorganized symptoms

disruptions or deficits in abilities of speech, movement, and cognition in those with schizophrenia

disorganized speech

a severe disruption of verbal communication in which ideas shift rapidly and incoherently among unrelated topics

grossly disorganized behavior

behavior that is inappropriate for the situation or ineffective in attaining goals, often with specific motor disturbances

catatonic behavior

a marked decrease in all movement or an increase in muscular rigidity and overactivity

cognitive symptoms

deficits in cognitive abilities, specifically executive functioning, attention, and working memory, present in those with schizophrenia

dopamine hypothesis

the idea that schizophrenia involves an excess of dopamine activity

autism spectrum disorder (ASD)

a condition beginning in early childhood in which a person shows persistent communication deficits as well as restricted and repetitive patterns of behaviors, interests, or activities

attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)

a persistent pattern of severe problems with inattention and/or hyperactivity or impulsiveness that cause significant impairments in functioning

conduct disorder

a persistent pattern of deviant behavior involving aggression toward people or animals, destruction of property, deceitfulness or theft, or serious rule violations

personality disorders

enduring patterns of thinking, feeling, or relating to others or controlling impulses that deviate from cultural expectations and cause distress or impaired functioning

antisocial personality disorder (APD)

a pervasive pattern of disregard for and violation of the rights of others that begins in childhood or early adolescence and continues into adulthood

suicide

intentional self-inflicted death

suicide attempt

engagement in potentially harmful behavior with some intention of dying

non-suicidal self-injury (NSSI)

direct, deliberate destruction of body tissue in the absence of any intent to die

psychotherapy

an interaction between a socially sanctioned clinician and someone suffering from a psychological problem, with the goal of providing support or relief from the problem

eclectic psychotherapy

a form of psychotherapy that involves drawing on techniques from different forms of therapy, depending on the client and the problem

psychodynamic psychotherapies

therapies that explore childhood events and encourage individuals to use this understanding to develop insight into their psychological problems

interpersonal psychotherapy (IPT)

a form of psychotherapy that focuses on helping clients improve current relationships

person-centered therapy (client-centered therapy)

a form of psychotherapy that assumes that all individuals have a tendency toward growth and that this growth can be facilitated by acceptance and genuine reactions from the therapist

gestalt therapy

a form of psychotherapy whose goal is helping the client become aware of their thoughts, behaviors, experiences, and feelings and to “own” or take responsibility for them

behavior therapy

a type of therapy that assumes that disordered behavior is learned and that symptom relief is achieved through changing overt, maladaptive behaviors into more constructive behaviors

token economy

a form of behavior therapy that involves giving clients “tokens” for desired behaviors that they can later trade for rewards

exposure therapy

an approach to treatment of the client that involves confronting an emotion-arousing stimulus directly and repeatedly, ultimately leading to a decrease in the emotional response

cognitive therapy

focuses on helping a client identify and correct any distorted thinking about self, others, or the world

cognitive restructuing

a therapeutic approach that teaches clients to question the automatic beliefs, assumptions, and predictions that often lead to negative emotions to replace negative thinking with more realistic and positive beliefs

mindfulness meditation

teaches an individual to be fully present in each moment; to be aware of their thoughts, feelings, and sensations; and to detect symptoms before they become a problem

cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)

a blend of cognitive and behavioral therapeutic strategies

group therapy

a type of therapy in which multiple participants (who often do not know each other at the outset) work on their individual problems in a group atmosphere

antipsychotic drugs

medications that are used to treat schizophrenia and related psychotic disorders

psychopharmacology

the study of drug effects on psychological states and symptoms

anti-anxiety medications

drugs that help reduce a person’s experience of fear or anxiety

antidepressants

a class of drugs that help lift people’s moods

phototherapy

a therapy that involves repeated exposure to bright light

electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)

a treatment that involves inducing a brief seizure by delivering an electrical shock to the brain

transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)

a treatment that involves placing a powerful pulsed magnet over a person’s scalp to alter neuronal activity in the brain

psychosurgery

surgical destruction of specific brain areas

placebo

an inert substance or procedure that has been applied with the expectation that it will produce a healing response

iatrogenic illness

a disorder or symptom that occurs as a result of a medical or psychotherapeutic treatment itself

Explain why the DSM has become a more credible diagnostic tool over the course of revisions to each edition.

• more specific/detailed diagnostic criteria

• cultural considerations

Identify the fundamental ideas behind the medical model, the biopsychosocial perspective, and the diathesis-stress model.

• medical model

  • diagnosis to determine distinctive cause of illness

  • common prognosis for each category of mental disorder

  • con: oversimplification

• biopsychosocial perspective

  • overlap of of biological, psychological, and social causes

• diathesis-stress model

  • caused by both internal (biological/psychological) and external (environmental) factors

  • diathesis (internal disposition) and stress (external trigger)