Lecture Notes on Mental Health

Flashcards covering key concepts and terms from the lecture notes on biological, psychological, and social aspects of mental disorders, treatments, and related topics.

Evolutionary perspective on personality

Suggests the Big Five traits exist because they aided survival and evolution in social creatures.

Social Media and Personality Prediction

Facebook can predict Big Five personality traits better than coworkers, friends, and family, and nearly as well as spouses.

Insanity Defense

A legal defense rarely used and rarely successful, requiring the defendant to admit guilt.

Mental Disorder and Violence Rates

Individuals with mental disorders are more likely to be victims of violent crime and under-contribute to crime statistics.

Symptoms vs. Disorder

Abnormal behaviors become symptoms of a disorder, but are not the disorder itself.

DSM-5 Organization

Uses a spectrum organization, differing from the categorical organization of DSM-IV.

Age of Onset for Depression

Typically, the first depressive episode occurs before age 40.

Recurrence of Depression

It is common for individuals to experience multiple depressive episodes, lasting about 6 months to 1 year.

Brain Activity in Depressed Individuals

Brain activity slows, particularly in emotional areas.

Bipolar Disorder Prevalence

Affects approximately 2.8% of the population.

Bipolar Disorder and Creativity

Associated with bursts of creativity, potentially seen in many great artists and thinkers.

Heritability of Bipolar Disorder and Schizophrenia

Both disorders have a strong genetic component.

Disordered Cognitions in Anxiety

Anxieties are rooted in problems processing information, such as misinterpreting harmless situations, hyperfocusing on threats, and selective recall.

Origins of Anxiety Disorders

Can be learned and influenced by an overactive anterior cingulate cortex.

Anterior Cingulate Cortex and Anxiety

Monitors behaviors and checks for errors; tends to be overactive in people with anxiety.

Genetics and Schizophrenia

If both parents have schizophrenia, there's ~45% likelihood their child will develop the disorder.

Dopamine and Schizophrenia

Too much dopamine is observed in schizophrenic patients; unclear if it's a cause or symptom.

Odd-Eccentric Personality Disorders

Characterized by difficulty relating to others and feeling different.

Suicide: Geographic Differences

England, Italy, and Spain have about half the suicide rate of Canada, Australia, and the US; rates vary across Europe.

Suicide: Racial Differences

White and Native Americans are twice as likely to commit suicide compared to Black, Hispanic, or Asian Americans.

Suicide: Gender Differences

Women attempt suicide more often, but men are more likely to die by suicide, often using guns.

Suicide: Age Differences

Highest suicide rate is among individuals 85 and higher.

Suicide: Other Group Differences

Higher rates among the rich, nonreligious, unmarried, LGBTQ individuals without family support, and those with alcohol abuse problems.

Suicide: Temporal Differences

Most suicides occur on Wednesdays in April and May.

Suicide: Exposure

Those who had someone in their social circle die by suicide are more likely to die by suicide themselves.

Dorothea Dix

Activist for psychiatric patients who exposed poor treatment of patients.

Anna O & Josef Breuer

First clinical patient diagnosed with hysteria (likely meningitis); Freud drew from Breuer's work.

Brodmann's Area 25

More active in depressed people; electrical stimulation may relieve symptoms.

Virtual Reality in Therapy

Helps people with phobias through systematic desensitization and with social situations.

Group Therapy

Involves learning and getting therapies from group members, providing a safety net.

Barriers to Therapy

Lack of insurance, cost concerns, time investment, and stigma.

Psychiatrist Role

Only professional who can prescribe medication, but generally does not do therapy.

Treatment Time for Depression

Typically takes around four weeks to see significant changes in depressive symptoms.

Shared Side Effect of Depression Medication

Increased suicidal risk due to increased energy before mood changes.

Antipsychotics and Symptoms

Work better on positive symptoms (hallucinations, illusions) than negative symptoms.

Adherence to Antipsychotics

Difficult because some delusions feel good, and patients don't want them taken away.

Time Delay for Antipsychotics

Most pills take about a week to work; injectable forms work quicker but have greater side effects.

Tardive Dyskinesia

Side effect of most antipsychotics (dopamine antagonists), causing lack of muscle control and Parkinson's-like symptoms.