Psychopathology: Historical Views, Assessment, Theoretical Perspectives, Anxiety and Related Disorders

Flashcards covering historical views of abnormal behavior, key figures, assessment methods, theoretical perspectives in psychopathology, and specific anxiety, obsessive-compulsive, and trauma-related disorders.

Hippocrates

Greek physician (460-377B.C) referred to as the father of modern medicine, who denied gods and demons intervened in illness, believed dreams were important in understanding a patient’s personality, and emphasized natural causes of diseases and brain pathology.

Chung Ching

Referred to as the Hippocrates of China, he had similar views on mental illness, believing harsh environments worsened the condition.

China’s “Dark Ages” for mental disorders

A period (later part of the 2nd to early 9th century) when Chinese views on mental disorders regressed, attributing causes to supernatural forces, though it was never as severe or long-lasting as in the West.

Supernatural explanations (Middle Ages)

Believed to be the cause of mental disorders during the Middle Ages, with treatments primarily involving rituals and superstitions.

Humanism

A re-emerged scientific questioning during the later part of the Middle Ages that emphasized the importance of human interests and concern.

Asylums

Sanctuaries or places of refuge meant solely for the care of the mentally ill.

Monastery of St. Mary of Bethlem

The first asylum in Europe, made an asylum by King Henry VIII in London in 1547, later called 'Bedlam' due to its deplorable conditions.

Lunatics’ Tower

A notorious circular building constructed in Vienna in 1784, intended as a showplace for the mentally ill, reflecting the belief that patients needed to choose rationality over insanity.

Philippe Pinel

In charge of 'La Bicetre' asylum in Paris, he replaced harsh treatments with humane ones, leading to dramatic improvements in patient care.

William Tuke

An English Quaker who established the York Retreat, known for its peaceful environment and humane treatment of the mentally ill.

York Retreat

An institution established by William Tuke, known for its peaceful environment and compassionate treatment of the mentally ill.

Humanitarian approach

A revolutionary method of compassionate treatment for mental patients, pioneered by Pinel and Tuke, that spread throughout the Western world.

Lunacy Inquiry Act (1842)

An act that required effective inspections of asylums and houses every 4 months.

Country Asylums Act (1845)

An act that required every county to provide asylum to 'paupers and lunatics,' promoting more humane treatment.

Benjamin Rush

Considered the Founder of American Psychiatry, he signed the Declaration of Independence and promoted the scientific study of psychological disorders.

Moral Management

A method of treatment focused on the patient’s social, individual, and occupational needs, which was later abandoned in the 19th century due to factors like prejudice, poor training, and the rise of the Mental Hygiene Movement.

Mental Hygiene Movement

A treatment method that focused on the physical comfort of the patient, offering no help for their mental problems, thus condemning individuals to helplessness and dependency.

Biomedical Science (perspective on mental disorders)

The belief that mental disorders eventually yield to biological explanations and biologically based treatments, considering psychological and social environments irrelevant, and focusing only on comfort until cures were discovered.

The Snake Pit (book)

A 1946 semi-autobiographical novel by Mary Jane Ward that called attention to the plight of mental patients and fueled concern for improving conditions in mental hospitals.

Deinstitutionalization

Efforts made by the end of the 20th century to close psychiatric hospitals and return patients to the community, based on the belief that new medications and outpatient treatment were sufficient, though many patients did not fare well and contributed to the homeless population.

Abnormal

Literally means 'away from the normal'.

Suffering (mental disorder component)

Experiencing psychological pain such as depression or anxiety.

Maladaptiveness (mental disorder component)

Exhibition of unhealthy behaviors.

Statistical Deviancy

Behavior that is statistically rare.

Violations of the Standards of Society

Behavior that violates social norms and morals and is statistically deviant.

Social Discomfort

When social rules are violated, causing discomfort to those around you.

Irrationality and Unpredictability

Behavior that doesn’t make any sense.

Dangerousness (mental disorder component)

Posing a danger to oneself or others.

Spiritual (Historical View)

The earliest approach to explaining psychological disorders, positing that behavioral disturbance is the result of possession by evil spirits.

Trephining

An effort to release evil spirits from a person’s head by cutting holes in the skull.

Exorcism (Historical View)

Considered a physical and mental practice of torture aimed at expelling evil spirits.

Biological causes (of abnormal behavior)

Genetic and environmental influences on physical functioning, including inherited factors, harmful environmental stimuli, brain damage, and toxic substances.

Psychological Causes (of abnormal behavior)

Disturbances in thoughts and feelings, past learning experiences, maladaptive thought patterns, and difficulty coping with stress.

Sociocultural Causes (of abnormal behavior)

Influences from family, friends, institutions, and policies, such as discrimination, abuse, and poverty.

The Biopsychosocial Perspective

The interaction in which biological, psychological, and sociocultural factors play a role in the development of an individual’s viewpoint and behavioral patterns over time.

Mental Disorder

A behavioral or psychological syndrome (or pattern) present in an individual that reflects some kind of underlying psychobiological dysfunction and results in clinically significant distress, disability, or impairment in key areas of functioning.

DSM-5-TR

The newest text revision of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, published by the American Psychiatric Association, containing standard terms and definitions of psychological disorders.

International Classification of Diseases (ICD)

The diagnostic system used by most mental health professionals outside of the US and Canada, published by the World Health Organization (WHO).

Stigma

A label that causes certain people to be regarded as different, defective, and set apart from mainstream society.

Stereotyping

Automatic beliefs based on minimal information about a person or group.

Labeling (downsides of classification)

When a person is classified based on a diagnosis instead of focusing on the disorder itself.

Epidemiology

The study of the distribution of diseases, disorders, or health-related behaviors in a specific population.

Mental health epidemiology

The study specifically focused on the distribution of mental disorders.

Prevalence

Refers to the number of active cases of a disorder in a population during any given period of time (e.g., point, 1-year, and lifetime).

Incidence

Refers to the number of new cases that occur over a given period of time, typically 1 year.

Mental Health Professionals

Individuals who provide care and treatment for mental health disorders, including psychiatrists, psychologists, licensed clinical social workers, and psychiatric nurses, among others.

Clinician

The person providing psychological treatment or services.

Client/Patient

Individuals using mental health services.

Research (in abnormal psychology)

A major component in the field used to learn about symptoms, prevalence, duration (acute or chronic), etiology, associated problems, and best treatments for disorders.

Acute (disorder duration)

Short in duration.

Chronic (disorder duration)

Long in duration.

Etiology

The causes of a disorder.

Principle diagnosis

The disorder considered the primary reason an individual seeks professional help.

Comorbid

When an individual has two or more simultaneous disorders.

Differential Diagnosis

The process of ruling out alternative diagnoses.

Treatment (modality)

A form of therapeutic process, a crucial component of the treatment plan, which can include individual, family, group, inpatient, and outpatient programs.

Psychological Assessment

A procedure by which clinicians provide a formal evaluation using psychological tests, observation, and interviews to gather scorable information about a client’s psychological functioning.

Clinical diagnosis (assessment)

A general 'summary classification' of a patient’s symptoms following a clearly defined system such as the DSM-5.

Clinical Interview

A series of questions administered by clinicians in face-to-face interaction with the client.

Unstructured interview

A series of open-ended questions aimed at determining the client’s reasons for being in treatment, symptoms, health status, family background, and life history.

Structured interview

A standardized series of assessment questions with a predetermined wording and order.

The Structured Clinical Interview for DSM-5 (SCID-5- RV and SCID-5-CV)

The most widely used clinical interview for diagnosing disorders based on the DSM-5.

Reliability

The degree to which an assessment measure produces the same result each time it’s used to measure the same thing.

Validity

The degree to which the instrument actually measures what it is supposed to measure.

Standardization

The process by which an instrument is administered, scored, and interpreted consistently, clearly specifying a test’s instructions and scoring methods.

General Physical Examination

A general check-up and collection of medical history as part of an overall assessment.

Mental Status Examination

An assessment of a client's current state of mind.

Neurological Examination

The process of gathering information about a client’s brain functioning based on personality tests and other methods.

Electroencephalogram (EEG)

A neuropsychological assessment tool that records brain wave patterns.

Axial tomography (CAT) scan

An anatomical brain scan that reveals images and diseased parts of the brain.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)

A neuropsychological assessment tool that provides sharper images of the brain.

Positron emission tomography (PET) scan

A neuropsychological assessment tool that provides metabolic portraits, showing how substances like glucose are metabolized by the brain and other organs.

Functional MRI (fMRI)

A neuropsychological assessment tool that measures changes in blood flow and other changes in specific areas of brain tissue.

The Halstead-Reitan battery

A common set of neuropsychological tests used to assess psychological competencies.

Halstead Category test

Part of the Halstead-Reitan battery, measures ability to learn and remember.

Tactual Performance test

Part of the Halstead-Reitan battery, measures motor speed, ability to learn and use cues, and response to the unfamiliar.

Rhythm test

Part of the Halstead-Reitan battery, measures attention and sustained concentration.

Speech Sounds Perception test

Part of the Halstead-Reitan battery, determines an individual's ability to identify spoken words, concentration, attention, and comprehension.

Finger Oscillation test

Part of the Halstead-Reitan battery, measures the speed at which an individual can depress a lever with the index finger.

Psychological Tests

Scientifically developed standardized sets of procedures or tasks for obtaining samples of behavior.

Intelligence tests

Tests for measuring the intellectual abilities of children and adults.

Personality tests

Psychological tests including projective and self-report (objective) methods used to assess personality.

Stanford-Binet Intelligence test

A widely used intelligence test for children that provides a deviation intelligence (IQ) score in relation to others of similar age and gender.

WISC-IV (The Wechsler Intelligence scale for Children-Revised)

A widely used intelligence test for children.

WAIS-IV (The Wechsler Adult Intelligence Scale-Revised)

A widely used intelligence test for adults.

Projective Personality tests

Unstructured personality tests that rely on various ambiguous stimuli, such as inkblots or vague pictures, rather than verbal questions, to uncover unconscious motivations.

The Rorschach Inkblot Test

A projective personality test using inkblots to uncover unconscious motivations, developed by Hermann Rorschach.

The Thematic Apperception Test (TAT)

A projective personality test developed in 1935, consisting of a series of ambiguous pictures for which the subject is instructed to make up stories.

Self-Reports (Objective Personality Tests)

Structured personality tests, typically questionnaires, self-report inventories, or rating scales with carefully phrased questions and specified alternative responses, completed independently.

MMPI (Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory)

A common self-report questionnaire consisting of 550 items covering physical condition, psychological states, and moral and social attitudes.

Behavioral Assessment

A method of recording actions rather than responses to rating scales or questions to identify and measure target behaviors.

Target behavior

The specific behavior that a client and clinician wish to change.

In Vivo observation

A method of recording behavior in its natural context, such as a classroom or home.

Analog observations

A method of recording behavior in a clinician’s office or lab specifically designed for observing the target behavior.

Self-monitoring

A self-report technique where the client keeps records of the frequency of their own behavior.

Behavioral interviewing

An assessment method involving asking questions about the frequency, antecedents (what comes before), and consequences (what comes after) of a behavior.

Multicultural Assessment

An assessment process that takes into account the client’s cultural, ethnic, and racial background, often requiring re-evaluation of instruments for understanding across diverse populations.

Theoretical perspective (psychology)

An orientation to understanding the causes of human behavior and the treatment of abnormality, including biological, psychological (psychodynamic, behavioral, cognitive, humanistic), and sociocultural viewpoints.

Biological perspective (abnormal psychology)

The belief that abnormalities in the body’s functioning are responsible for symptoms of psychological disorders, focusing on neurotransmitter/hormonal abnormalities, genetic vulnerabilities, temperament, and brain dysfunction.

Neurotransmitter and hormonal abnormalities

Disturbances in the brain and central nervous system involving chemical messengers that are a main focus of the biological perspective in psychopathology, including norepinephrine, dopamine, serotonin, glutamate, and GABA.