PSY1011: Psychological Disorders Lecture Notes

Flashcards based on lecture notes about psychological disorders.

Mental Health

A state of emotional and social wellbeing in which individuals realize their own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and can contribute to their community; Capacity to behave in ways that promote emotional and social wellbeing

Mental Health Problems

A wide range of emotional, social and behavioural abnormalities that affect people throughout their lives, such as cognitive impairment, anxiety, and depressive symptoms.

Mental Disorder

Clinically recognizable set of symptoms and behaviors, which usually need treatments (including hospitalization at times) to be alleviated; Serious departure from normal functioning

Psychopathology

Problematic patterns of thought, feeling or behaviour that disrupt an individual's sense of wellbeing or social or occupational functioning.

Deviance (related to mental disorder)

Deviating from the majority, violating social norms, or being statistically infrequent or ‘rare’

Distress (related to mental disorder)

Experience of personal suffering or anxiety due to the behaviour

Dysfunction (related to mental disorder)

Not being able to perform in daily life

ICD-11

Developed by WHO, attempts to classify all physical and mental diseases, largely consistent with the DSM-V, Officially used in Australia’s health system, ICD-11 advanced preview released in June 2018 and took effect as of 2022

DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders)

Published by American Psychiatric Association, attempts to classify all mental disorders

Criticisms of Classification of Mental Disorders

Stigma against mental illness; categories do not capture the uniqueness of a person

Inter-rater reliability

Extent to which clinicians agree on the diagnosis

Categorical Classification (DSM-5)

If you have minimum number of symptoms, you are diagnosed with disorder. If one short, you are not.

Dimensional Classification

Rank on a continuous quantitative dimension - Degree to which a symptom is present

Amok

A dissociative episode in which there is a period of brooding followed by a violent and sometimes homicidal outburst. The episode tends to be triggered by an insult and is found primarily among men.

Ghost sickness

An extreme preoccupation with death and those who have died, found among certain Native American tribes.

Drat

A term used in India to refer to severe anxiety about the discharge of semen.

Koru

Reported in South and East Asia, an episode of intense anxiety about the possibility that the penis or nipples will recede into the body, possibly leading to death.

Shenjing shuairuo (neurasthenia)

A common diagnosis in China, a syndrome characterized by fatigue, dizziness, headaches, pain, poor concentration, sleep problems, and memory loss.

Taijin kyofusho

The fear that one could offend others through inappropriate eye contact, blushing, a perceived body deformation, or one's own foul body odor.

Hikikomori (withdrawal)

This refers to a syndrome observed in Japan, Taiwan, and South Korea in which an individual, most often an adolescent boy or young adult man, shuts himself into a room (e.g., bedroom) for a period of 6 months or more.

Major Depressive Disorder

5+ of these symptoms over the same 2-week period, causing significant distress or impairment: Depressed mood; Diminished pleasure/interest; Weight change; Sleep issues; Psychomotor agitation; Fatigue; Worthlessness/guilt; Concentration issues; Thoughts of death/suicide

Persistent Depressive Disorder (Dysthymia)

Depressed mood more often than not for past 2 years, exhibiting 2+ symptoms: Appetite changes; Sleep issues; Low energy; Low self-esteem; Poor concentration; Feelings of hopelessness

Bipolar I Disorder

Manic episode is a distinct elevated/irritable period with increased energy lasting at least a week (unless hospitalised first), with 3+ symptoms: Inflated self-esteem/grandiosity; Decreased need for sleep; More talkative; Flight of ideas/racing thoughts; Distractibility; Increased activity; Risky behaviors

Bipolar II Disorder

Hypomanic episode is a distinct elevated/irritable period with increased energy lasting at least 4 consecutive days, with 3+ symptoms: Inflated self-esteem; Decreased need for sleep; More talkative; Flight of ideas/racing thoughts; Distractibility; Increased activity; Risky behaviors

Anxiety

A generalized feeling of fear and apprehension; may be related to a particular event or object and is often accompanied by increased physiological arousal.

Fear

The emotional response to real or perceived threat

Anxiety

Anticipation of future threat

Specific Phobia

Marked fear or anxiety for an object or situation in which the fear is almost always immediate, intense, and disproportional to any real danger. It also needs to be persistent (6+ months) and cause impairment to functioning

Social Anxiety Disorder (Social Phobia)

Marked fear/anxiety about one or more social situations in which the individual is fearful of being exposed to scrutiny by others, be negatively evaluated, intensely experienced, and disproportionate to any actual threat posed.

Panic Disorder

Recurrent, unexpected panic attacks which evoke an abrupt surge of intense fear/anxiety, reaching a peak within 10 minutes. At least one attack must be followed by fear of future attacks or maladaptive behavioural change.

Agoraphobia

Marked fear/anxiety about 2+ of the following situations: public transport, open spaces, enclosed spaces, standing in line/crowds, and being outside of home alone. Person worries escape will be difficult and the fear is disproportional to any real threat.

Generalised Anxiety Disorder (GAD)

Excessive anxiety/worry for more than 6 months about any number of issues, and has difficulty controlling this worry. Accompanied by 3+ symptoms: restlessness, easily fatigued, difficulty concentrating, irritability, muscle tension, sleep disturbance.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Requires presence of obsessions (i.e. persistent & unwanted thoughts, urges or images), compulsions (i.e. repetitive behaviours or mental acts), or both. They must be time consuming, or cause significant distress or impairment.

Body Dysmorphic Disorder

Preoccupation with 1+ flaws in physical appearance not observable to others. Individual engages in repetitive behaviours or mental acts in response, coupled with significant distress or impairment.

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

A. Exposure to actual or threatened death or serious injury or sexual violence. B. Individual experiences 1+ of: Recurrent, intrusive distressing memories; Distressing dreams; Dissociative reactions (e.g. flashbacks); Intense prolonged psychological distress; Marked physiological reactions to internal or external cues.

Schizophrenia

2+ of the following symptoms present for a significant period during a 1-month timeframe: Delusions; Hallucinations; Disorganised speech; Grossly disorganised or catatonic behaviour; Negative symptoms

Cluster A Personality Disorders

Odd, eccentric

Cluster B Personality Disorders

Dramatic, erratic

Cluster C Personality Disorders

Anxious, fearful

Paranoid Personality Disorder

Pervasive distrust and suspiciousness of others

Schizoid Personality Disorder

Detachment from social relationships and restricted range of emotions in interpersonal settings

Schizotypal Personality Disorder

Interpersonal deficits marked by discomfort and reduced capacity for intimate relationships & cognitive or perceptual distortions

Antisocial Personality Disorder

Disregard for others and violation of their rights

Borderline Personality Disorder

Marked impulsivity and instability in relationships, self-image and affects

Histrionic Personality Disorder

Excessive emotionality and attention seeking

Narcissistic Personality Disorder

Grandiosity, need for admiration, lack of empathy

Avoidant Personality Disorder

Social inhibition, feelings of inadequacy, hypersensitivity to negative evaluation

Dependent Personality Disorder

Excessive need to be taken care of, leading to submissive and clinging behaviours and fear of separation

Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder

Preoccupation with orderliness, perfectionism, and mental and interpersonal control at the expense of flexibility, openness, and efficiency

Psychodynamic Perspective

Importance of the sub and unconscious and personal experiences

Psychodynamic Case Formulation

A set of hypotheses about the patient's personality structure and the meaning of the symptom

Cognitive–behavioural Perspective

Integrating an understanding of classical and operant conditioning with a cognitive– social perspective

Systems Approach

Looks for the roots of psychopathology in the broader social context

Family Systems Model

Views an individual's symptoms as symptoms of dysfunction in the family

Family Homeostatic Mechanisms

Family members use methods to preserve equilibrium in a family

Neural Circuits

Looks for the roots of mental disorders in the brain's circuitry

Biological Model

Genetics, Brain anatomy, Chemical composition

Psychological Model

Considers the mind (not just the body or the brain); Psychological process; Emotions, cognitions, behaviours etc.

Sociocultural perspective

Context is important; Factors beyond the ‘individual’; Age, gender, SES, living conditions etc.

Diathesis

Range of biological, psychological or social factors contribute; Predisposition; Risk

Stressor

Environmental stressors; Trigger for poor mental health

Diathesis-Stress Model

Integrates nature and nurture; Proposes that people with an underlying vulnerability (called a diathesis) may exhibit symptoms under stressful circumstances.