AP psych unit 5: disorders

Positive Psychology

The scientific study of human strengths and virtues focusing on human flourishing and optimal functioning.

3 Keys to Happiness:

resilience, well-being, gratitude

Resilience

The process of adapting well in the face of adversity, trauma, tragedy, threats or significant sources of stress

Well-being

A state of happiness and contentment, with low levels of distress, overall good physical and mental health and outlook, or good quality of life

Gratitude

The action of appreciating what an individual receives, whether tangible or intangible; a state of being thankful

Signature strengths

Personal attributes that can support thriving; they have been divided into a classification system that includes six virtues

Health Psychology

A branch of psychology that addresses issues of physical health and wellness as they apply to behavior and mental processes

Stress

The process by which we perceive and respond to certain events, called stressors, that we appraise as threatening or challenging.

Stressors

something that causes stress that have three categories

stressors' categories

daily hassles, significant life changes, catastrophes.

Eustress

The positive stress response, involving optimal levels of stimulation; a type of stress that results from challenging but attainable and enjoyable or worthwhile tasks (i.e. participating in an athletic event, giving a speech).

Distress

The negative stress response, often involving negative affect and physiological reactivity; a type of stress from being overwhelmed by demands, losses, or perceived threats

General Adaptation Syndrome (GAS)

The body's adaptive response to stress in three phases: 1) Alarm, 2) Resistance, and 3) Exhaustion (it's in this last phase in which people become the most vulnerable to illness)

Physical effects of stress

Stress is a factor in heightened susceptibility to disorders and disease. Stress has been linked to physiological issues such as hypertension, headaches and immune suppression.

Hypertension

High blood pressure, a risk factor for cardiovascular disease

Immune suppression

A weakening of the body's ability to fight disease; created by a reduction in lymphocytes that normally help the body resist pathogens

Coping

Alleviating stress using emotional, cognitive or behavioral methods. Negative ways to cope with stress include withdrawing and paralysis.

Problem-focused coping

Seeing stress as a problem to be solved and working solutions until one is found. It involves taking action to deal with the source of stress itself.

Emotion-focused coping

Managing emotional reactions to stress as a means of coping. Strategies that are emotion-focused may include deep breathing, meditation, or taking medication aimed at reducing stressful emotional responses.

Tend and befriend

This theory proposes that some people react to stress by tending to their own needs and/or the needs of others, and seeking connection with others. This phenomenon seems to occur mostly in women.

Psychological disorder

A syndrome marked by a clinically significant disturbance in an individual's cognition, regulation of emotion or behavior.

Factors used to identify psychological disorders:

levels of dysfunction, perception of distress, deviation from social norms

Level of dysfunction

This particular criteria of diagnosis involves the abnormal mental processes and behavior significantly interfering with everyday tasks and living your life

Stigma

The negative social attitude attached to a characteristic of an individual; persons diagnosed with psychological disorders are often unfairly judged and face discrimination as a result of this.

DSM-5

The American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition; a widely used system for classifying psychological disorders. Diagnostic classification aims to: describe disorders, predict future course, imply appropriate treatment, and stimulate research into causes

International Classification of Diseases (ICD)

A classification of health conditions compiled by the World Health Organization (WHO); includes psychological disorders as well as physical diseases. These classification systems are updated regularly to be responsive to new research and practice advances.

How each of the different psychological approaches view psychological disorders:

eclectic approach, biospychsocial model, diathesis- stress model

Eclectic approach

Using more than one psychological perspective when diagnosing and treating clients (what most psychologists do)

Biopsychosocial model

Assumes that any psychological problem potentially involves a combination of biological, psychological and sociocultural factors

Diathesis-stress model

Assumes that psychological disorders develop due to a genetic vulnerability in combination with stressful life experiences

Neurodevelopmental disorders

A group of disorders with onset occurring during the developmental period. Symptoms of focus on whether the person is exhibiting behaviors appropriate for their age or maturity range.

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)

A psychological disorder marked by the appearance by age 7 of one or more of three key symptoms: extreme inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity

Autism spectrum disorder (ASD)

A neurodevelopmental disorder that appears in childhood and is marked by significant deficiencies in communication and social interaction, and by rigidly fixated interests and repetitive behaviors.

symptoms of autism→

Poor communication among brain regions that normally work together to let us take another's viewpoint, impaired theory of mind, differing levels of severity, normal intelligence but lack some communication skills and the ability to filter out unimportant stimuli, most severe impairments may impair all language ability

Schizophrenic spectrum disorders

A group of severe disorders characterized by issues in one or most of the following five areas: delusions, disoraginzed thinking or speech, hallecinations, and disorgainzed motor behavior

Delusions

False beliefs, often or persecution or grandeur, that may accompany psychotic disorders

Disorganized thinking or speech

A positive symptom that may manifest as speaking in ways such as speaking in a word salad (stringing together words in nonsensical ways)

Positive symptoms

Symptoms of schizophrenia that are excesses of behavior or occur in addition to normal behavior; hallucinations, delusions, and distorted thinking

Hallucinations

False sensory experiences, such as seeing or hearing something in the absence of an external visual or auditory stimulus

Disorganized motor behavior

May manifest as catatonia. Catatonia, or disordered movement, may be experienced as excitement ( a positive symptom manifestation) or stupor (lack of movement- a negative symptom)

Negative symptoms

Symptoms of schizophrenia that are marked by deficits in functioning, such as apathy, lack of emotion, and slowed speech and movement

delusions of persecution

a fixed false belief that others are threatening or conspiring against them- can lead to paranoia

delusions of grandeur

a fixed false belief that one is most powerful or important than one actually is

Theories on causes

There aren't any confirmed causes, but there are certain risk factors for developing the condition, potentially related to teratogens/virus exposure during pregnancy or imbalances with certain neurotransmitters (dopamine hypothesis)

Dopamine hypothesis

A hyper responsive dopamine system may intensify brain signals in schizophrenia, creating positive symptoms such as hallucinations and paranoia

Major depressive disorder

A disorder in which a person experiences, in the absence of drugs or a medical condition, 2 or more weeks of significantly low moods, feelings of worthlessness, and diminished interest or pleasure in most activities

Persistent depressive disorder

A form of depression that is not as severe as MDD, but is more continuous (less episodic)

Bipolar disorders

Bipolar disorders are characterized by periods of mania and periods of depression. "Bipolar cycling" involves experiencing periods of depression and mania in alternating periods that can last various amounts of time.

Mania

A period characterized by elevated, expansive, or irritable mood lasting at least a week and often including increases in activity or psychomotor agitation, talkativeness, flight of ideas or racing thoughts, inflated self esteem or grandiosity, risk-taking, and decreased need for sleep

Hypomania

A state of elevated mood, increased energy, and increased activity that lasts for at least four consecutive days (milder form of mania)

Bipolar I

A more severe version of the disorder marked by full manic and major depressive episodes

Bipolar II

A less severe form of bipolar in which people move between depression and a milder hypomania