Current approaches to psychopathology

Biopsychosocial model

Mental disorders due to the interactions between biological, psychological, and social forces.

Bio

Genes, hardware, chemicals, agriculture.

Psycho

Behavior, cognitions.

Social

Social network, environment, culture.

Holism

Seeing something as more than the sum of its parts; includes also interactions between parts.

Social learning (Albert Bandura)

Also known as modeling/observational learning.

Modeling/observational learning

People learn not only from doing, but also from observing others.

Media violence

Explains overwhelming evidence that exposure to media violence increases aggression in children.

Solomon Asch

Social psychologist who studied how people are influenced by group pressure.

Social conformity

Showed that people often conform to group pressure even when the answer is obviously wrong.

Normative influence

Wanting to fit in and avoid rejection.

Informational influence

Assuming the group knows something you don't.

Social support

Associated with increased resilience to psychological disorders/increased length of life.

LGBT community and mental health

Disruptions in relationships caused by homophobia/transphobia are associated with a higher risk of mental health disorders.

Minority stress model

Members of minority groups who experience being treated as undervalued exhibit higher rates of depression and related disorders.

Cisgender women

Higher rates of depression and eating disorders.

Cisgender men

Higher rates of aggressive and developmental disorders.

Transgender individuals

Typically, higher rates of mental health disorders than cisgender people.

Cultural syndromes

Patterns of unusual behaviors and/or distress described only in specific communities.

Evidence based practice (EBP)

Using available research data to select treatment interventions likely to work for a specific client with specific issues.

Empirically supported treatments (EST)

What is considered an EST is best determined through use of randomized controlled trials (RCTs).

Randomized controlled trials (RCTs)

Involves randomly assigning subjects to receive one of a number of possible interventions.

Genes

Molecules of DNA on chromosomes found within cell nuclei.

Diathesis stress model

An individual inherits the genetic potential to develop a disorder, which emerges when certain conditions are met.

Genotype

Set of traits contained in your genetic code.

Phenotype

Traits actually expressed.

Central nervous system (CNS)

Brain and spinal cord.

Peripheral nervous system (PNS)

Communicates between CNS and body.

Fight or flight response (FFR)

Stimulates the endocrine system, increases heart rate/respiration, decreases digestion immune function.

Reticular activating system (RAS)

Regulates wakefulness, sleep-wake transitions, and attention.

Caudate nucleus

Involved in directing motor behavior; impairment associated with OCD.

Hypothalamus

Involved in instinctive behavior (sleep, hunger, sex, basic emotions).

Cortisol

Manages stress, regulates metabolism, and promotes healing short term; can cause damage with long-term exposure.

Endocrine system

Includes thyroid which controls metabolism; impairment can produce behavioral and mood changes.

Hypothyroidism

Can mimic depressive disorders.

Hyperthyroidism

Can mimic anxiety or bipolar disorders.

Limbic system

Found between brain stem and cerebral cortex.

Amygdala

Involved in emotionally-motivated behavior (e.g. aggression).

Hippocampus

Involved in memory; transfers short-term to long-term memory.

Frontal cortex

Responsible for executive functions and complex functions like planning, reasoning, language art, and mathematics.

Executive functions

Involved in impulse control, attention, self-monitoring of behavior, and organization of information.

Brain chemistry

Neurotransmitters: chemicals that cause communication between neurons.

Acetylcholine

Involved in movement (including in PNS), sleep, learning, and memory; affected by many psychiatric medications causing side effects.

Serotonin

Affects information processing (e.g. mood, behavior and thought processes); high levels associated with pro-social behavior and reduced sexual desire.

Low serotonin levels

Associated with depression and impulsive behavior (e.g. aggression, suicide, eating and sexual binges).

Dopamine

Involved in movement/activation of other neurotransmitters; high levels associated with schizophrenia.

GABA (gamma amino butyric acid)

Inhibition; low levels associated with anxiety.

Agonists

Increase the neurotransmitter's action (e.g. pain killers).

Antagonist

Decrease or block the neurotransmitter's action (e.g. naloxone).

Maturation

Physical development due to maturation with age; disorders may emerge, remit, differ in expression, or emerge due to physical deterioration.

Schizophrenia

A disorder that may emerge due to maturation.

ADHD

A disorder that may remit with maturation.

Dementia

A disorder that may emerge due to physical deterioration.