Psychological Disorders Study Guide

Psychological disorder

A psychological disorder is a condition characterized by deviant, distressful, and dysfunctional patterns of thoughts, feelings, or behaviors.

Medical model

The medical model is an approach that conceptualizes psychological disorders as illnesses that have biological causes and can be diagnosed and treated like physical illnesses.

DSM-5 reliability

The DSM-5 is reliable due to its standardized criteria for diagnosing mental disorders. However, it does not provide etiology or treatment guidelines.

David Rosenhan (1973) - diagnostic labels

David Rosenhan's study highlighted the impact of diagnostic labels on perceptions and treatment within psychiatric settings.

Judicial systems – insanity

The judicial system may consider the insanity defense for individuals with mental disorders who are unable to understand the consequences of their actions.

Anxiety disorder behaviors

Anxiety disorder behaviors encompass a range of symptoms such as excessive worry, fear, and avoidance that characterize various anxiety disorders.

Generalized anxiety disorder and depression

Generalized anxiety disorder and depression are common comorbid conditions that often co-occur and share symptoms like persistent negative mood and cognitive distortions.

Free-floating anxiety

Free-floating anxiety refers to a pervasive sense of unease or apprehension without a specific trigger or cause.

Panic attacks

Panic attacks are sudden episodes of intense fear or discomfort accompanied by physical symptoms like rapid heartbeat and shortness of breath.

Specific phobia

A specific phobia is an intense, irrational fear of a specific object or situation that leads to avoidance behaviors.

Social anxiety disorder

Social anxiety disorder involves an intense fear of social situations and scrutiny by others, leading to avoidance of social interactions.

Obsession; compulsion

Obsessions are intrusive, unwanted thoughts, while compulsions are repetitive behaviors or mental acts performed to alleviate anxiety related to obsessions in obsessive-compulsive disorder.

PTSD

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a mental health condition triggered by a traumatic event, leading to symptoms like flashbacks, nightmares, and hypervigilance.

Post-traumatic growth

Post-traumatic growth refers to positive psychological changes experienced as a result of struggling with highly challenging life crises.

Reinforcement by anxiety reduction

Reinforcement by anxiety reduction occurs when avoidance behaviors are reinforced by the reduction of anxiety or discomfort.

Phobia - observational learning

Phobias can be acquired through observational learning, where an individual learns to fear an object or situation by observing others' fearful reactions.

Mood disorders

Mood disorders are mental health conditions characterized by disturbances in mood, such as major depressive disorder and bipolar disorder.

“The common cold” of psychological disorders

Depression is often referred to as "the common cold" of psychological disorders due to its high prevalence and impact on individuals' daily functioning.

Mania - bipolar disorder

Mania is a distinct period of elevated, expansive, or irritable mood in bipolar disorder, often accompanied by increased energy and risky behaviors.

Depression - self-blaming

Depression can involve self-blaming thoughts and feelings of worthlessness or guilt that contribute to the maintenance of depressive symptoms.

Social-cognitive perspective

The social-cognitive perspective emphasizes the interaction between personal factors, environmental influences, and cognitive processes in shaping behavior and mental health.

Schizophrenia - Hallucination; delusion

Schizophrenia is a severe mental disorder characterized by hallucinations (perceiving things that are not there) and delusions (false beliefs).

Somatic symptom disorder

Somatic symptom disorder involves excessive and distressing thoughts, feelings, or behaviors related to physical symptoms, leading to significant impairment.

Conversion disorder

Conversion disorder involves neurological symptoms such as paralysis or blindness that cannot be explained by medical conditions, often linked to psychological stressors.

Illness anxiety disorder

Illness anxiety disorder, formerly known as hypochondriasis, involves excessive worry about having a serious medical condition despite reassurance from medical professionals.

Dissociative disorders - memory

Dissociative disorders involve disruptions in memory, identity, consciousness, or perception of the environment, often linked to severe trauma or stress.

Dissociative identity disorder - role-playing

Dissociative identity disorder involves the presence of two or more distinct identities or personality states within one individual, not due to role-playing.

Anorexia nervosa

Anorexia nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by restriction of food intake, intense fear of gaining weight, and distorted body image.

Bulimia nervosa

Bulimia nervosa is an eating disorder characterized by recurrent episodes of binge eating followed by compensatory behaviors like purging or excessive exercise.

Binge-eating disorder

Binge-eating disorder involves recurrent episodes of consuming large amounts of food in a discrete period, often accompanied by feelings of loss of control.

Personality disorders - anxiety, eccentric