Chapter 15: Psychological Disorders

abnormal psychology

the scientific study of psychological disorders

International Classification of Diseases (ICD)

the system used by most countries to classify psychological disorders; published by the World Health Organization and currently in its 10th edition (ICD-10)

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)

the leading classification system for psychological disorders in Canada; DSM-5 is the current version

diagnosis

a clinician's determination that a person's cluster of symptoms represents a particular disorder

comorbidity

the condition in which a person's symptoms qualify him for two or more diagnoses

selective perception

seeing only the negative features of an event

magnification

exaggerating the importance of undesirable events

overgeneralization

drawing broad negative conclusions on the basis of a single insignificant event

family systems theory

a theory holding that each family has its own implicit rules, relationship structure, and communication patterns that shape the behaviour of the individual members

developmental psychopathology

the study of how problem behaviours evolve as a function of a person's genes and early experiences, and how these early issues affect the person at later life stages

risk factors

biological and environmental factors that contribute to problem outcomes

equifinality

the idea that different children can start from different points and wind up at the same outcome

multifinality

the idea that children can start from the same point and wind up at any number of different outcomes

resilience

the ability to recover from or avoid the serious effects of negative circumstances

depression

a persistent sad state in which life seems dark and its challenges overwhelming

major depressive disorder

a disorder characterized by a depressed mood that is significantly disabling and is not caused by such factors as drugs or a general medical condition

mania

a persistent state of euphoria or frenzied energy

bipolar disorder

a mood disorder in which periods of mania alternate with periods of depression

dysthymic disorder

a less disabling but chronic form of depression

cyclothymic disorder

a less severe (at least in terms of the mania) but chronic form of bipolor disorder

cognitive triad

a pattern of thinking in which individuals repeatedly interpret their experiences, themselves, an their futures in negative ways that lead them to feel depressed

automatic thoughts

specific upsetting thoughts that arise unbidden

generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)

an anxiety disorder in which people feel excessive anxiety and worry under most circumstances

social anxiety disorder

an anxiety disorder in which people feel severe, persistent, and irrational fears of social or performance situations in which embarrassment may occur

phobia

a persistent and unreasonable fear of a particular object, activity, or situation

panic attack

periodic, short bouts of panic

panic disorder

an anxiety disorder characterized by recurrent and unpredictable panic attacks that occur without apparent provocation

agoraphobia

a phobia that makes people avoid public places or situations in which escape might be difficult or help unavailable should panic symptoms develop

obsessions

persistent thoughts, ideas, impulses, or images that seem to invade a person's consciousness

compulsions

irrational repetitive and rigid behaviours or mental acts that people feel compelled to perform to prevent or reduce anxiety

obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)

a mental disorder associated with repeated, abnormal, anxiety-provoking thoughts and/or repeated rigid behaviours

acute stress disorder

an anxiety disorder in which fear and related symptoms are experienced soon after a traumatic event and last less than a month

posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

an anxiety disorder in which fear and related symptoms continue to be experienced long after a traumatic event

schizophrenia

a mental disorder characterized by disorganized thoughts, lack of contact with reality, and sometimes hallucinations

psychosis

loss of contact with reality

positive symptoms

in the case of schizophrenia, symptoms that seem to represent pathological excesses in behaviour, including delusions, disorganized thinking and speech, hallucinations, and inappropriate affect

delusions

blatantly false beliefs that are held firmly despite evidence to the contrary

loose associations or derailment

a common thought disorder o schizophrenia, characterized by rapid shifts from one topic to another

hallucinations

imagined sights, sounds, or other sensory events experienced as if they were real

negative symptoms

in the case of schizophrenia, symptoms that seem to reflect pathological deficits, including poverty of speech, flat affect, loss of volition, and social withdrawal

catatonia

extreme psychomotor symptoms of schizophrenia, including catatonic stupor, catatonic rigidity, and catatonic posturing

antipsychotic drugs

medications that help remove the symptoms of schizophrenia

somatic symptom and related disorders

excessive thought, feelings, and behaviours related to somatic symptoms

dissociative disorder

a psychological disorder characterized by major loss of memory without a clear physical cause; types include dissociative amnesia, dissociative fugue, and dissociative identity disorder

personality disorder

an inflexible patter of inner experience and outward behaviour that causes distress or difficulty with daily functioning

antisocial personality disorder

a personality disorder characterized by extreme and callous disregard for the feelings and rights of others

borderline personality disorder

a personality disorder characterized by severe instability in emotions and self-concept and high levels of volatility