Psychological Disorders Study Guide

Percentage of college freshmen with mental health disorder

Around one-third to one-half.

Difference between 'mentally ill' vs. 'person struggling with mental illness'

'Mentally ill' = labels the person. 'Person struggling' = person-first, more respectful and humanizing.

What is a psychological disorder?

A pattern of behavior, emotions, or thoughts that cause significant distress, disability, or danger.

What makes a behavior abnormal?

Behavior is abnormal if it's unusual, distressing, dysfunctional, or dangerous.

4-5 Ds

Deviance, Distress, Dysfunction, Danger (sometimes Duration).

Different types of professionals who diagnose/treat psychopathology

Clinical Psychologists (PhD/PsyD): Therapy, diagnosis, no meds. Psychiatrists (MD): Can prescribe meds. Counselors (MA, MSW): Talk therapy. Social Workers: Therapy + community support. Primary Care Doctors: Sometimes treat mild mental illness.

What is the DSM-5?

Manual that lists and defines all recognized mental disorders.

How can diagnosis be helpful?

Guides treatment, helps communication, validates experiences.

How can diagnosis be problematic?

Stigma, labeling, overdiagnosis, ignores individual differences.

Categorical vs. dimensional models

Categorical = yes/no diagnosis. Dimensional = symptoms exist on a spectrum.

Internalizing vs. externalizing stress

Internalizing = inward (depression, anxiety). Externalizing = outward (aggression, substance abuse).

What is Schizophrenia?

A severe disorder with delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech/behavior, and negative symptoms.

Positive and negative symptoms of Schizophrenia

Positive = Added behaviors (hallucinations, delusions). Negative = Missing normal behaviors (flat affect, lack of speech).

What is a delusion?

A strongly held false belief (e.g., thinking you're being followed).

What is disorganized speech and behavior?

Speech = incoherent, jumping topics. Behavior = bizarre or inappropriate actions.

Examples of negative symptoms

Flat affect, alogia (poverty of speech), avolition (lack of motivation).

Frequency of schizophrenia in the general population

About 1%.

Key facts and stats about schizophrenia

Affects men slightly earlier than women. Often chronic and lifelong. Lower life expectancy (due to health issues and suicide risk).

What is the prodromal phase?

Early warning signs before full psychosis (weird thoughts, withdrawal).

Odds of developing schizophrenia if your identical twin has it

About 48%.

What do these percentages suggest about genetic basis?

Strong genetic component, but environment matters too.

Brain abnormalities in schizophrenia

Enlarged ventricles, reduced frontal lobe activity, abnormal dopamine.

Why considered a brain disorder?

Clear biological brain changes seen in imaging and studies.

Role of dopamine in schizophrenia

Excess dopamine activity linked to positive symptoms.

Evidence schizophrenia could begin in the womb

Prenatal infections, malnutrition, birth complications linked to risk.

Genetic vulnerability (diathesis)

A predisposition to develop a disorder when combined with environmental stress.

Environmental stress

External factors that can trigger or exacerbate psychological disorders.

Drugs used to treat schizophrenia

Antipsychotics (e.g., Risperdal, Abilify).

Prognosis for schizophrenia

Varies: Some recover, many have chronic symptoms; better with early treatment.

Mood disorders

Disorders involving disturbances in emotion (sadness, elation).

Two broad types of mood disorders

Depressive disorders and Bipolar disorders.

Symptoms of a major depressive episode

Sadness, loss of interest, weight/appetite change, sleep problems, fatigue, guilt, suicidal thoughts.

Firm diagnosis requirement

Symptoms must last at least 2 weeks and cause distress/dysfunction.

Lifetime risk for major depressive disorder

Around 16%.

Course of a major depressive episode

May last several months if untreated; often recurrent.

Rate of remission

About 50% recover within 6 months; higher with treatment.

Percentage later diagnosed as bipolar

About 10% initially diagnosed with depression later show bipolar symptoms.

Major clinical concern for individuals with depression

Suicide risk.

Rates of depression across gender identities

Higher rates in women than men.

Biological basis of depression

Genetic risk, neurotransmitter imbalances (serotonin, norepinephrine), brain structure differences.

HPA axis response in unipolar depression

Overactive stress response; excessive cortisol production.

Thinking patterns characteristic of depression

Negative thinking, rumination, hopelessness.

Learned helplessness

Feeling powerless to change situation after repeated failures.

Prevalence rate of bipolar disorder

About 1%.

Symptoms of Bipolar disorder and mania

Bipolar: Mood swings from depression to mania. Mania: High energy, grandiosity, little sleep, impulsive behavior.

Difference between Bipolar 1 and Bipolar 2

Bipolar 1 = full manic episodes. Bipolar 2 = hypomania + major depression.

Psychological disorder most genetically influenced

Bipolar disorder (strong genetic link).

Biological therapies vs. psychological treatments

Biological = meds, brain stimulation. Psychological = therapy, counseling.

Treatments for unipolar and bipolar depression

Unipolar = SSRIs, CBT, therapy. Bipolar = Mood stabilizers (Lithium), antipsychotics.

Non-drug treatments for depression

CBT, psychotherapy, exercise, light therapy (for SAD).

Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) usage

Used for severe, treatment-resistant depression.

Main symptoms of anxiety

Excessive worry, restlessness, irritability, sleep issues.

Symptoms of a phobia

Intense, irrational fear of a specific object/situation.

Social anxiety disorder

Fear of being judged or embarrassed in social situations.

Panic disorder and agoraphobia

Panic disorder = sudden panic attacks.

Panic disorder

sudden panic attacks.

Agoraphobia

fear of being in places where escape is hard.

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)

Chronic, excessive worry about many things.

Obsessions

intrusive thoughts.

Compulsions

repetitive behaviors to reduce anxiety.

Obsession vs. compulsion

Obsession = intrusive thought. Compulsion = behavior to neutralize obsession.

Personality disorder

Enduring, inflexible patterns of behavior causing distress or impairment.

Characteristics of personality disorders

Rigid, maladaptive, long-standing behavior patterns.

Antisocial personality disorder

Lack of empathy, deceitful, aggressive, disregard for others' rights.

Borderline personality disorder

Instability in relationships, self-image, and emotions; impulsivity.

Early treatments for psychological disorder

Trephination (drilling skulls), asylums, brutal conditions.

Classical psychoanalysis

Freud's therapy based on uncovering unconscious conflicts.

Free association

saying whatever comes to mind.

Interpretation

therapist explains hidden meanings.

Resistance

blocking anxiety-provoking material.

Transference

projecting feelings onto the therapist.

Cognitive and Cognitive-Behavioral approaches

Focus on changing negative thought patterns (cognitive) and combining it with behavior change (CBT).

Behavioral approaches and strategies

Focus on modifying behavior directly (exposure therapy, reinforcement).

Assumptions behind behavioral treatment

Behavior is learned and can be unlearned.

Humanistic therapy

(Carl Rogers) Emphasizes personal growth, unconditional positive regard, empathy.

Consciousness

Awareness of yourself and your environment.

Properties and components of consciousness

Subjectivity, unity, selectivity, and transience (changing focus).

Hard and easy questions of consciousness

Easy = How brain activity produces behaviors. Hard = Why/how subjective experience arises.

Measuring consciousness in vegetative state

Using brain scans (fMRI) to detect brain activity patterns.

Results of Owen (2006)

Patients could imagine tasks (like playing tennis) showing awareness.

Blindsight

Ability to respond to visual stimuli without conscious seeing.

Split brain

Cutting corpus callosum; each brain hemisphere acts separately.

Circadian rhythm

24-hour biological clock regulating sleep and wake cycles.

Stages of sleep

Different brainwave patterns; deep sleep (NREM) vs. dream sleep (REM).

REM sleep

Rapid eye movement; vivid dreaming, brain active, body paralyzed.

Different drug types and effects

Depressants = slow brain activity (alcohol). Stimulants = increase brain activity (caffeine, cocaine). Psychedelics = alter perception (LSD, psilocybin).

Multitasking effectiveness

No, it reduces performance and efficiency.