PSY 2301 Mental Disorders

What is abnormal behavior?

Abnormal behavior refers to patterns of emotion, thought, and action that are considered atypical or undesirable, often leading to distress or impairment.

What is the DSM-5?

The DSM-5, or Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, is a classification system that provides standardized criteria for the diagnosis of mental disorders. Includes symptoms, exact criteria, typical course of each disorder.

What is the diathesis-stress model?

The diathesis-stress model posits that psychological disorders develop due to a combination of genetic vulnerability (diathesis) and environmental stressors.

What are the symptoms of Generalized Anxiety Disorder?

• Chronic, excessive, global, and persistent symptoms of anxiety

• Also known as free floating anxiety

  • Must occur more days than not for at least 6 months

  • Difficult to control the worry

  • Symptoms: Muscle tension, restlessness, sleep disturbance, irritability, fatigue, difficulty concentrating

How does Panic Disorder differ from a panic attack?

Panic Attack:

• Sudden episode of extreme anxiety that rapidly escalates in intensity

• Pounding heart, rapid breathing, breathlessness, choking, sweat, trembling, lightheadedness, chills, hot flashes

• Feeling like will “go crazy” or having a heart attack or dying

Panic Disorder:

• Anxiety disorder with frequent and unexpected panic attacks

• Tends to run in famillies

• Unusually sensitive to signs of physical arousal

• Tend to misinterpret physical signs as dangerous or catastrophic: Become even more attuned to physical arousal cues after first attack, setting up pattern

What is Agoraphobia?

• Extreme and irrational fear of experiencing a panic attack in a public situation and being unable to escape/get help

• After a panic attack

  • Persistent concern about having additional attacks

  • Worry about implications of attack (losing control, going crazy, having a heart attack)

  • Significant change in behavior related to attacks

What are the symptoms of Social Anxiety Disorder?

Symptoms include intense fear of social situations, worry about being humiliated or judged, and avoidance of social interaction.

What are the symptoms of Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)?

Anxiety triggered by instrusive, repetitive thoughts and urges to perform certain actions.

Obsessions: Thoughts and cause anxiety

Compulsions: Behaviors, prevent or reduce anxiety

What is Body Dysmorphic Disorder?

Body Dysmorphic Disorder involves an obsessive focus on perceived flaws in physical appearance, leading to distress and functional impairment.

What is Hoarding Disorder?

Hoarding Disorder is characterized by persistent difficulty discarding or parting with possessions, leading to clutter that disrupts living spaces.

What is PTSD?

Chronic and persistent symptoms of anxiety developed in response to extreme physical or psychological trauma

Core symptoms: Intrusive recall, avoidance triggers, numbing, hyperarousal

What are the symptoms of Major Depressive Disorder?

• Characterized by extreme and persistent feelings of sadness, worthlessness, and hopelessness

• 2 weeks or longer

  • Emotion: Overwhelming sadness

  • Behavior: Blank facial expression, withdrawal, unpredictable crying spells

  • Cognition: Memory impairment, sluggish thought, trouble concentrating

  • Physical: Loss of energy, vague aches, and pains

• Most common of all disorders

• Women have a 1 in 4 lifetime risk

• Men have a 1 in 8 lifetime risk

What are the subtypes of Major Depressive Disorder?

Subtypes include Seasonal pattern (Seasonal Affective Disorder) and Peripartum onset (during pregnancy or after giving birth).

What is Dysthymic Disorder?

• Chronic, low-grade feelings of depression produce discomfort but does not seriously impair ability to function

• Double depression: one or more episodes of major depression on top of ongoing dysthymia

What is Bipolar Disorder?

• Depression alternating with periods of extreme euphoria and excitement

• Manic Episode:

  • Extreme euphoria, excitement, and physical energy

  • Rapid thoughts and speech

  • Very little sleep

  • Frenzied, goal-oriented behavior

  • Wildly inflated self-esteem and grandiose ideas

  • High distractibility, triggering flight of ideas

• Starts in 20s

• Most cases are recurring

  • Rapid cycling: 4+ episodes in a year

• Lithium is used to treat

What is Cyclothymic Disorder?

• Moderate but frequent mood swings for 2+ years

• Not severe enough to quality for bipolar

What are the symptoms of Paranoid Personality Disorder?

• Distrust and suspisciousness of the motives of others without sufficient basis

  • Occurs most often in men

  • Inappropriate outbursts

  • Blaming other for own shortcomings

  • Pathological jealousy

  • Co-occurs with schizotypal and avoidant personality disorders

What are the symptoms of Antisocial Personality Disorder?

• Pervasive pattern of disregarding and violating the rights of others

• First signs in childhood or early adolescence with school/legal problems (conduct disorder in children)

• No remorse for deceiving and manipulating others for personal gain

What are the symptoms of Narcissistic Personality Disorder?

• Exaggerated sense of self-importance

• Sense of entitlement and require constant, excessive admiration

• Expect to be recognized as superior even without achievements warranting it

• Exaggerate achievements and talents

• Preoccupied with fantasies about success, power, brilliance, beauty or the perfect mate

• Expect special favors and unquestioning compliance

• Take advantage of others

• Be envious of others and believe others envy them

What are the symptoms of Borderline Personality Disorder?

• Instability in relationships, self-image, and emotions, and significant impulsivity

  • Feelings of emptiness

  • Intense fear of abandonment

  • Self-destructiveness

  • Idealizing to contept

  • Seeing everyone in absolutes

• Most common diagnosed personality disorder, affecting 10 million Americans, ¾ of whom are women

• Associated with physical, emotional, or sexual abuse as a child or neglect by both parents

What are Dissociative Disorders?

• Extreme and frequent disruptions of awareness, memory, and personal identity

What is Dissociative Amnesia?

Dissociative Amnesia is the inability to recall important autobiographical information, usually following trauma or stress.

What is Dissociative Fugue?

• sudden and unexpected travel from home

• amnesia

• identity confusion

What is Dissociative Identity Disorder?

Dissociative Identity Disorder (formerly multiple personality disorder) is characterized by the presence of two or more distinct personality states.

• Not separate people but distinct “system of mind”

• Almost have amnesia and other memory problems

• Most have been physically/sexually abused (90%)

• Dissociation is a form of coping

What are the causes of schizophrenia?

Causes:

• Genetic Factors

• Paternal age (older father, greater risk)

• Viral infection (flu in pregnancy or early infancy)

• Brain chemistry (dopamine hypothesis: schizophrenia related to excess activity of dopamine in the brain)

What neurotransmitters are involved in psychological disorders?

Neurotransmitters such as serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine are involved in various psychological disorders, influencing mood, anxiety, and cognition.

Anxiety Disorder

Maladaptive Anxiety:

• Irrational: Exaggerated or nonexistent threat and disproportionate response

• Uncontrollable: Cannot flip “false alarm” switch

• Disruptive: Interferes with relationships, school, or other normal activities

Positive symptoms of schizophrenia

• Positive symptoms

  • Excesses

  • Delusions of reference: Other people constantly talking about them or everything is related to them

  • Delusions of grandeur: Believe they are extremely important, powerful, or wealthy

  • Delusions of persecution: Believe that others are plotting against or trying to harm them or someone close to them

Negative Symptoms of Schizophrenia

Deficits:

• Flat affect

• Alogia - Reduced production of speech

• Avolition - Inability to initiate or persist in goal-directed behaviors

• DIsorganization - Severely disorganized thought processes, speech, and behavior

Paranoid Schizophrenia

• Most common type

• Delusions of grandeur/persecution

• Often auditory hallucinations with angry themes

• Almost no cognitive impairment, disorganized behavior, or negative symptoms

Catatonic Schizophrenia

• Highly disturbed movements or actions

• Extreme agitation

• Immobility, bizarre postures/grimaces

• Waxy flexbility

Disorganized Schizophrenia

• Extremely disorganized behavior

• Flat affect (lack of emotional response to situations and events)

Undifferentiated

Combination of positive and negative symptoms