Explaining and Classifying Psychological Disorders

Psychological disorder

A pattern of thoughts, feelings, or behaviors that cause significant distress, dysfunction, or deviate from cultural norms.

Dysfunction

When a person's mental state interferes with daily life, like work, school, or relationships.

Distress

Emotional or mental suffering that a person feels due to their symptoms.

Maladaptive

Behaviors or thoughts that make it hard to cope with life or function normally.

Maladaptive thoughts

Negative or harmful ways of thinking that lead to problems.

Maladaptive behaviors

Actions that make things worse instead of better.

Maladaptive relationships

Unhealthy social connections that increase stress or cause harm.

Stigma

Negative attitudes or discrimination toward people with mental illness.

Diagnostic Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)

A handbook used by mental health professionals in the U.S. to diagnose disorders.

World Health Organization (WHO)

A global health organization that develops the ICD and tracks health worldwide.

American Psychiatric Association

The professional group that publishes the DSM and trains psychiatrists in the U.S.

International Classification for Mental Disorders (ICD)

Global system created by the WHO to classify mental and physical disorders.

Biological perspective of disorders

Explains mental illness as caused by physical or genetic issues (like brain chemistry).

Behavioral perspective of disorders

Explains disorders as learned behaviors from reinforcement or punishment.

Cognitive perspective of disorders

Focuses on negative thoughts, beliefs, or emotional patterns as the cause.

Evolutionary perspective of disorders

Explains disorders as outdated survival mechanisms.

Humanistic perspective of disorders

Views mental illness as caused by a lack of purpose or unmet potential.

Psychodynamic perspective of disorders

Says disorders come from unconscious conflicts, often rooted in childhood.

Social cultural perspective of disorders

Explains mental illness through social and cultural pressures.

Eclectic perspective of disorders

Uses ideas from multiple perspectives to treat or explain a disorder.

Medical model of psychological disorders

Views mental disorders like physical illnesses - with symptoms, causes, and treatments.

Diathesis-stress model

Says people inherit a vulnerability (diathesis) that can turn into a disorder if triggered by stress.

Diathesis

An inherited predisposition for a mental disorder. Example: Having a parent with bipolar disorder.

Stress

Environmental or life triggers that can activate mental disorders. Example: Divorce, trauma, or job loss.

Biopsychosocial model

Says mental illness is caused by biological, psychological, and social factors together.

Epigenetics

The study of how life experiences can turn genes on or off without changing the DNA.

Neurodevelopmental disorders

Disorders that start during childhood and affect development, behavior, or learning.

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

A developmental disorder with issues in social interaction, communication, and repetitive behaviors.

Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

A disorder marked by problems with attention, hyperactivity, and impulsiveness.

Psychotic disorders

Mental disorders involving a break from reality, such as hallucinations or delusions.

Schizophrenic spectrum disorders

A group of disorders involving delusions, hallucinations, disorganized thinking, movement issues, and negative symptoms.

Schizophrenia

A severe psychotic disorder that may involve delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech, and lack of emotional expression.

Acute schizophrenia

Schizophrenia with a sudden onset and intense symptoms.

Chronic schizophrenia

Schizophrenia that develops slowly and lasts a long time.

Dopamine hypothesis

The theory that schizophrenia is caused in part by too much dopamine activity.

Positive symptoms

Symptoms that are added to normal behavior, like hallucinations or delusions.

Delusions

False beliefs that aren't based in reality.

Delusions of grandeur

Believing you're more important than you are.

Delusions of persecution

Believing others are plotting against or trying to harm you.

Hallucinations

Perceiving things that aren't actually there, like sights or sounds.

Auditory hallucination

Hearing things (like voices) that aren't real.

Visual hallucination

Seeing things that don't exist.

Tactile hallucination

Feeling things on your body that aren't there.

Word salad

Jumbled or nonsensical speech.

Disorganized speech

Talking in ways that don't make sense or follow logical order. Example: Jumping between unrelated topics.

Disorganized thought

Inability to organize thoughts clearly. Example: Saying things that confuse others due to unclear thinking.

Disorganized motor behavior

Unusual or purposeless movements. Example: Random pacing, repetitive gestures, or freezing.

Negative symptoms

Normal behaviors that are missing, like emotion or motivation. Example: Not showing facial expression (flat affect).

Catatonic stupor

Lack of movement or response; person may appear frozen. Example: Sitting in the same position for hours, unresponsive.

Flat affect

Showing little or no emotion. Example: Talking about death without any sadness in voice or face.

Depressive disorders

Disorders marked by long periods of sadness, hopelessness, or loss of interest. Memory trick: 'Depress' = push down - your mood and energy are pushed down.

Major depressive disorder

Severe depression lasting at least two weeks, affecting daily life. Example: Losing interest in all activities, even ones you loved.

Persistent depressive disorder

Less severe than major depression but lasts for at least two years. Example: A long-term low mood or 'chronic sadness.'

Biopsychosocial causes of depressive disorders

Caused by a mix of biology (genes/brain), psychology (thinking), and social (life events). Example: Genetic risk + negative thinking + isolation.

Characteristics of depressive disorders

Include sadness, lack of energy, changes in sleep or appetite, and feeling worthless. Memory trick: SIGECAPS - Sleep, Interest, Guilt, Energy, Concentration, Appetite, Psychomotor, Suicidal thoughts.

Bipolar disorders - characteristics and causes

Involve mood swings from depression to mania; caused by genetic, brain, or life stressors. Example: Feeling unstoppable one week, and hopeless the next.

Mania

A state of high energy, racing thoughts, risky behaviors, and little need for sleep. Memory tip: 'Mania = Motor on MAX.'

Depression

Low energy, sadness, and lack of interest in life. Example: Sleeping all day and withdrawing from friends.

Bipolar I

Full manic episodes that may include psychosis, and often depression too. Example: A person may spend recklessly, speak rapidly, and then crash into depression.

Bipolar II

Hypomania (less intense mania) with major depression. Example: Energetic but not reckless during high mood.

Anxiety disorders - characteristics and causes

Marked by intense fear, worry, and behavior changes; caused by learning, thinking errors, or genetics. Example: Avoiding social events out of fear of embarrassment.

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)

Constant, uncontrollable worry about many things. Example: Always feeling nervous, even when nothing is wrong.

Culture bound general anxiety disorder (Ataque de nervios)

Culture-specific anxiety with crying, trembling, and shouting; mostly in Caribbean cultures. Example: Someone has an emotional breakdown under stress.

Culture bound social anxiety disorder (Taijin Kyofusho)

Fear of offending others with appearance or behavior; common in Japan. Example: Worrying your breath offends others.

Phobias - characteristics and causes

Intense fear of a specific object/situation; caused by learning or biology. Example: Fear of snakes, even in pictures.

Acrophobia

Fear of heights. Memory tip: 'A' = altitude.

Arachnophobia

Fear of spiders. Memory tip: 'Arachnid' = spider.

Agoraphobia

Fear of public places or situations where escape feels hard. Example: Avoiding crowds or open areas.

Panic disorder

Having sudden, intense panic attacks without warning.

Panic disorder

Having sudden, intense panic attacks without warning. Example: Racing heart, shortness of breath, and dread.

Panic attack

A short period of intense fear with physical symptoms like chest pain or dizziness. Example: Feeling like you're having a heart attack.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Involves obsessions (unwanted thoughts) and compulsions (repetitive behaviors); caused by thinking errors or brain differences. Example: Needing to wash hands repeatedly due to fear of germs.

Obsessions

Unwanted thoughts that keep coming back. Example: Thinking your hands are always dirty.

Compulsions

Actions done to relieve anxiety from obsessions. Example: Washing hands 30 times a day.

Dissociative disorders

Involve a split or disconnection from memory, identity, or consciousness; often linked to trauma. Example: Forgetting who you are after a traumatic event.

Dissociations

Feeling disconnected from reality, self, or memories. Example: Watching yourself from outside your body.

Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID)

Having two or more separate identities or personalities. Example: Switching between different names or voices.

Dissociative amnesia

Memory loss for personal information, usually after stress or trauma. Example: Forgetting where you lived during a traumatic time.

Trauma and stressor-related disorders

Develop after exposure to traumatic or stressful events; caused by trauma, stress, and sometimes brain chemistry. Example: Flashbacks or nightmares after a car accident.

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

A disorder triggered by a traumatic event, with flashbacks, nightmares, and anxiety. Example: A soldier re-lives combat experiences.

Hypervigilance

Always being on alert for danger. Example: Constantly scanning the room for threats.

Flashbacks

Reliving a traumatic event as if it's happening again. Example: Hearing a loud bang and thinking you're back in a war zone.

Insomnia

Trouble falling or staying asleep. Example: Staying awake all night due to fear or stress.

Emotional detachment

Feeling numb or disconnected from emotions. Example: Not feeling anything after hearing sad news.

Hostility

Irritability or aggression toward others. Example: Lashing out at loved ones without reason.

Feeding and eating disorders

Involve unhealthy eating habits or behaviors; often tied to body image, control, or psychological distress. Example: Skipping meals to feel thinner.

Anorexia nervosa

An intense fear of gaining weight, leading to extreme food restriction. Example: Eating very little and being dangerously underweight.

Bulimia nervosa

Binge eating followed by purging (vomiting, fasting, or over-exercising). Example: Eating a large amount of food, then throwing up.

Personality disorders

Long-lasting patterns of behavior that are different from societal expectations and cause problems. Example: Struggling to maintain relationships due to rigid behavior.

Cluster A personality disorders

Odd or eccentric behaviors (paranoid, schizoid, schizotypal). Example: Thinking people are always watching you.

Cluster B personality disorders

Dramatic, emotional, or unpredictable behaviors (antisocial, borderline, narcissistic, histrionic). Example: Intense mood swings or manipulative behavior.

Cluster C personality disorders

Anxious or fearful behaviors (avoidant, dependent, obsessive-compulsive). Example: Avoiding social situations due to fear of rejection.

Antisocial personality disorder

Lack of empathy or remorse; often violates others' rights. Example: Repeatedly lying, stealing, or hurting others without guilt.

Borderline personality disorder

Extreme emotional instability, fear of abandonment, and impulsive behavior. Example: Quickly switching from loving someone to hating them.