Psychological Diagnoses Exam 2

What is a characteristic statement that someone with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) might make?

"I worry about everything, all the time, and it's really hard to control"

How would someone from the behavioral perspective describe the development of a phobia compared to someone who takes a biological or cognitive perspective?

Behavioral Perspective - views phobias as learned responses through classical conditioning

Biological Perspective - views phobias as brain abnormalities

Fear

an unpleasant emotion triggered by the perception of a real or potential threat

Anxiety

a complex emotional state characterized by feelings of unease, worry, and apprehension

Panic

a sudden and intense episode of overwhelming fear or anxiety, accompanied by physical symptoms

What is the behavioral perspective about how phobias are developed?

learned responses to specific stumli

What are the three different ways someone can acquire a phobia?

direct learning, observational learning, and informational learning

What are the main components of exposure therapy?

psychoeducation, building a fear hierarchy, and practicing exposures (imaginal or in vivo)

What type of therapy includes directly challenging and restructuring thoughts?

cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT)

What are some of the psychological hypotheses regarding the onset of a panic attack?

cognitive theory and anxiety sensitivity theory

What are the diagnostic criteria for panic disorder?

recurrent, unexpected panic attacks, followed by at least a month of persistent concern about further attacks or significant behavioral changes to avoid them

PTSD

a mental health condition that develops after experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event

Generalized Anxiety Disorder

a mental health condition characterized by persistent and excessive worry about everyday things, which difficult to control and causes significant distress or impairment in daily life

Example of Panic Disorder

a person is sitting in a crowded bus when they suddenly experiences a racing heart, shortness of breath, and a feeling of impending doom

Example of Specific Phobia

having a fear of spiders (arachnophobia)

What is the Yerkes-Dodson Law?

posits that performance increases with arousal (stress or motivation) but only up to a certain point; beyond that, performance decreases as arousal becomes excessive

Example of Agoraphobia

being in a large crowd or airport

What are common factors that contribute to anxiety disorders?

stressful life events, trauma, genetics, environmental

What is the two-factor theory as it relates to fear acquisition?

fear is initially classically conditioned and then maintained by avoidant conditioning

What type of avoidance is the type of avoidance when someone is trying to avoid feeling internal and bodily sensations?

somatic/experiential avoidance

According to a behavioral perspective, most anxiety disorders are maintained through which type of operant contingency?

negative reinforcement

Acute Stress Disorder

a short-term mental health condition that can occur within the first month after experiencing a traumatic event

Adjustment Disorder

a lengthy, abnormal, and excessively negative reaction to an identifiable life stressor

What are the qualifications for criteria A of PTSD?

a person must have been exposed to actual or threatened death, serious injury, or sexual violence, either directly, by witnessing it, or by learning of it occurring to a close family member or friend

What are the psychological treatments for PTSD?

trauma-focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Exposure Therapy, Cognitive Processing Therapy, and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)

What do you do for an in vivo exposure?

directly facing a feared object, situation, or activity in real life

What do you do for a imaginal exposure?

vividly imagining a feared situation or memory

Symptoms of PTSD

intrusive memories, avoidance, negative changes in thinking and mood, and changes in physical and emotional reactions

Obsession

a persistent, intrusive, and unwanted thought or urge

Example of Obsession

fear of germs, always washing hands or avoiding touching objects

Compulsion

a repetitive, ritualistic behavior or mental act that a person feels driven to perform in response to an obsession or anxiety

Example of Compulsion

hoarding or check doors

What is the most effective psychological treatment approach for obsessive-compulsive disorder?

Exposure and Response Prevention (ERP)

What is an obsessive-compulsive disorder that involves recurrent pulling out of one's hair resulting in hair loss even after repeated attempts to stop?

trichotillomania

Example of Body Dysmorphic Disorder

spending a lot of time comparing your looks with other peoples

OCD

an anxiety disorder characterized by unwanted repetitive thoughts (obsessions) and/or actions (compulsions)

Health Illness Anxiety Disorder

a mental health condition characterized by excessive and persistent worry about having or developing a serious medical illness

What happens during an episode of derealization?

a person experiences a sense of detachment from their surroundings, as if the world is unreal or dreamlike, and they may feel like they are watching events unfold from a distance

What happens during an episode of depersonalization?

individuals experience a sense of detachment from their own thoughts, feelings, or body, as if they are observing themselves from outside

What are the symptoms of somatic symptom disorder?

pain, weakness, shortness of breath, fatigue

Example of Factitious Disorder

a person intentionally exaggerating or fabricating symptoms of illness, like claiming to have a stomachache

Factitious Disorder by Proxy

a form of child abuse, the mentally ill parent will falsify an illness in a child by making up or inducing symptoms

Malingering

exaggerate or feign illness in order to escape duty or work

Many of the somatic symptom disorders share a common feature of anxiety that is focused on what?

physical symptoms and the perceived seriousness of those symptoms

What is conversion disorder? Are these individuals purposely faking?

a mental health condition where psychological stress manifests as physical symptoms like paralysis or blindness, but these symptoms are not intentionally faked

Bipolar II Disorder

mental health condition characterized by alternating episodes of depression and hypomania

Bipolar I Disorder

mental health condition characterized by significant and alternating episodes of mania (extreme highs) and depression (extreme lows)

Cyclothymia

disorder that consists of mood swings from moderate depression to hypomania, does not meet criteria for bipolar disorder

How long does a major depressive episode last for?

6 to 12 months

Example of Major Depressive Episode

a persistent and pervasive low mood that significantly interferes with daily functioning

For which disorder must you have symptoms for 2 years before you can make a diagnosis?

Persistent Depressive Disorder (PDD)

MDD (Major Depressive Disorder)

mental health condition characterized by persistent feelings of sadness, hopelessness, and loss of interest in activities

PDD (Persistent Depressive Disorder)

more mild but chronic (longer lasting) form of depression

DMDD (Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder)

childhood mental health condition, persistent irritability and frequent tantrums

What is double depression?

a condition where someone experiences both dysthymia (a chronic, low-grade depression) and, superimposed on that, major depressive episodes

Example of a Manic Episode

feeling weird or jumpy, feeling as though you don't need much sleep

Why is lithium used as a drug treatment for bipolar related disorders? Why is it referred to as a mood stabilizer?

it helps reduce the severity and frequency of manic and depressive episodes

When might someone use electroconvulsive therapy for depression?

when other treatments, like medication and therapy, haven't been effective, or when severe depression poses a life-threatening risk, such as suicide

What are the three areas of depressive cognitive triad?

negative thoughts about the self, the world, and the future