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Psychological Disorders

A range of mental health issues that significantly affect individual and societal well-being, often requiring diagnosis and treatment.

Abnormality

A deviation from societal norms of behavior and thought processes, often leading to the classification of a psychological disorder.

Three D's of Abnormality

Distress, dysfunction, and deviance; criteria used to determine whether a behavior is abnormal.

DSM-5

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, a classification system used for diagnosing psychological disorders.

Anxiety Disorders

A group of mental health disorders characterized by excessive and persistent nervousness, fear, and apprehension.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

A psychological disorder characterized by persistent unwanted thoughts (obsessions) and repetitive behaviors (compulsions).

Phobia

An irrational fear of a specific object or situation that leads to avoidance behavior.

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)

A chronic disorder characterized by excessive, uncontrollable worry about various aspects of daily life.

Panic Disorder

A type of anxiety disorder characterized by recurrent and unexpected panic attacks.

Mood Disorders

Mental health disorders that involve disruptions in mood, including major depression and bipolar disorder.

Dopamine Hypothesis

The theory that overactivity of dopamine neurotransmitters in the brain contributes to positive symptoms of schizophrenia.

Schizophrenia

A severe mental disorder characterized by distortions in thinking, perception, emotions, language, and sense of self.

Antisocial Personality Disorder

A personality disorder characterized by a pervasive pattern of disregard for the rights of others and violation of social norms.

Borderline Personality Disorder

A personality disorder marked by instability in interpersonal relationships, self-image, and emotions.

Somatic Symptom Disorders

Disorders characterized by physical symptoms that cannot be fully explained by a medical condition.

Dissociative Disorders

Psychological disorders that involve disruptions or breakdowns of memory, awareness, identity, or perception.

Vulnerability-Stress Model

A psychological framework that suggests psychological disorders result from the interaction between individual vulnerabilities and environmental stress.

Cultural Factors in Mental Disorders

The influence of cultural context on the manifestation, understanding, and treatment of psychological disorders.

Prevalence Rate

The total number of cases of a particular disease or disorder in a population at a given time.

Incidence Rate

The number of new cases of a disease or disorder during a specified time period.

Psychodynamic Perspective

A theory that emphasizes the role of unconscious processes and early life experiences in the development of personality and psychological disorders.

Cognitive-Behavioral Perspective

An approach that focuses on the role of negative thinking patterns and behaviors in the development of psychological disorders.

Expressed Emotion

The emotional reactions and attitudes expressed by family members towards a relative with a mental illness, often linked to relapse rates.