Psychology Exam 3 Review

psychological disorders

persistently harmful thoughts, feelings and actions

Deviant

out of the norm

distressful

causes discomfort for the individual

dysfunctional

is maladaptive (unhealthy)

According to the National Comorbidity Survey Replication (NCS-R), approximately, ______________ American adults have experienced the symptoms of a psychological disorder during the previous year.

1 out of 4 (26%)

The NCS-R found that most people in the US with symptoms of a mental disorder ……

received no treatment during the past year. Of those who did, treatment provided was often inadequate

Reason most do not seek mental health treatment

• lack of insurance

• low income

• live in developing countries or rural areas of developed countries where facilities are not available.

• lack of awareness

• fear of being stigmatized

reasons most people manage to weather psychological symptoms without becoming debilitated and needing professional intervention.

mild/moderate symptoms diminish with the passage of time and improvements of the person’s overall situation.

DSM

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental disorders

DSM-5 tr:

• described more than 260 specific psychological disorders

• provides codes for each disorder

• provides symptoms, frequency, typical course and risk factors for each disorder

• describes the specific criteria that must be met for diagnoses.

According to the course text, the DSM has been criticized for using _____________ to draw the line between people with and without a particular disorder

arbitrary cutoffs

Anxiety

an unpleasant emotional state characterized by physical arousal and feelings of tension, apprehension, and worry

anxiety disorders

extreme anxiety is the main diagnostic feature and causes significant disruptions in the person’s cognitive, behavioral, or interpersonal functioning.

Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)

a person is unexplainably and continually in a state of tension, apprehension, and autonomic nervous system arousal.

Physiological symptoms of anxiety

heart palpitations, shortness of breath, dizziness, sweaty palms, feeling edgy and shaking

panic disorder

an anxiety disorder where the anxiety suddenly and frequently escalates into a terrifying panic attack

Panic attack

a sudden episode of extreme anxiety that rapidly escalates in intensity

Triple vulnerabilities model of panic disorder includes

• a biological predisposition toward anxiety

• a low sense of control over potentially life-threatening events

• an oversensitivity to physical sensations

agoraphobia

extreme feat of experiencing a panic attack or other embarrassing or incapacitating symptoms in a public situation and avoidance of situations in which escape might be difficult or help unavailable.

conversion disorder

a type of somatic symptom disorder which involves a pattern in which symptoms of deficits affecting sensory or voluntary motor functions lead one to think that a patent has a medical or neurological condition. (partial paralysis, blindness, deafness, etc.). Does not intentionally produce or fake symptoms and can respond to treatment.

phobias

a persistent and irrational fear of a specific object, situation, or activity

specific phobia (simple phobia)

an excessive, intense and irrational fear of a specific object, situation, or activity that is actively avoided or endured with marked anxiety.

Five Categories of Specific Phobia:

• Fear of situations ( flying, driving, tunnels, bridges, elevators, crowds, enclosed places)

• Fear of features of the natural environment (heights, water, thunderstorms, or lightening)

• Fear of injury or blood (injections, needles, medical or dental procedures)

• Fear of animals and insects ( snakes, spiders, dogs, cats)

• Other (vomiting, choking, clowns)

Social Anxiety Disorders (social phobia)

extreme and irrational fear of being embarrassed, judges or scrutinized by others in social situations

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

disorder in the category of obsessive compulsive and related disorders, characterized by intrusive, repetitive, and unwanted thoughts (obsessions) and/or repetitive behaviors or mental acts that an individual feels driven to perform (compulsions)

Most common types of compulsive rituals

• washing

• checking

• symmetry and precision (ordering/arranging)

• counting

most common types of obsession

• contamination

• pathological doubt

• violent or sexual thoughts

Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

anxiety disorder characterized by exposure to a highly traumatic events which results in recurrent, involuntary and intrusive memories of the event, avoidance of stimuli and situations associated with the events, negative changes in thoughts, moods and emotions, and a persistent state of heightened physical arousal.

Some people are more vulnerable to PTSD because

• vulnerability to PTSD can be inherited

• personal or family history of psychological disorders are more likely to develop PTSD when exposed to an extreme trauma

• magnitude of the trauma

• multiple traumas

traumatic event

experiencing or witnessing severely threatening, uncontrollable events with fear, helplessness or horror. Can produce PTSD.

Acute Stress Disorder

the reaction from traumatic stress from 3 days after the events that can last for up to 4 weeks

Dissociative experience

a break or disruption in consciousness during which awareness, memory and personal identity become separated or divided.

Dissociative disorders

a category of psychological disorders in which extreme and frequent disruptions of awareness, memory, and personal identity impair the ability to function.

two categories of dissociative disorders

1. Dissociative amnesia ( can occur with or without dissociative fugue)

2. Dissociative identity disorder

Dissociative Amnesia

dissociative disorder involving the partial or total inability to recall important personal information. Response to stress, trauma, or an extremely distressing situation.

Dissociative fugue (fyoog)

type of dissociative amnesia involving sudden and unexpected travel away from home, extensive amnesia, and identity confusion.

Dissociative identity disorder (DID)

(multiple personality disorder) involves extensive memory disruptions along with the presence of two or more distinct identities or “personalities.”

Personality Disorders

maladaptive patterns of thoughts, emotions, and interpersonal functioning that are stable over time and across situations, and the deviate from the expectations of the individual’s culture.

Paranoid Personality Disorder

exhibits pervasive mistrust and suspiciousness of others. See others as out to get them or as a threat.

Schizoid Personality Disorder

pervasive detachment from social relationships, emotionally cold and flat, indifferent to praise or criticism from others, preference for solitary activities, lacking close friends, emotionless disengagement.

Schizotypal Personality Disorder

odd thoughts, speech, emotional reactions, mannerisms, and appearance, impaired social and interpersonal functioning.

Histrionic PD

shallow, attention-getting emotions and goes to great lengths to gain others’ praise and reassurance.

Narcissistic PD

exaggerate their own importance, have lots of success fantasies, can’t accept criticism, often responds with rage or shame.

Borderline PD

personality disorder characterized by instability of interpersonal relationships, self-image and emotions, and marked impulsivity.

Biosocial Developmental Theory of BPD

the view that bpd is the outcome of a unique combination of biological, psychological, and environmental factors.

Antisocial Personality Disorder

most troubling personality disorder, exhibits a lack of conscience for wrongdoing, aggressive, ruthless, clever con artists. Pervasive pattern of disregarding and violating the rights of others.

Avoidant Personality Disorder

fearful sensitivity to rejection

Dependent Personality Disorder

excessive need to be taken care of, submissive, clinging, fear of separation, inability to assume responsibility.

Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder

rigid preoccupation with orderliness, personal control, rules pr schedules, that interferes with completing tasks, unreasonable perfectionism.

Mood Disorders

psychological disorders characterized by emotional extremes that come in two forms resulting in disturbed emotions with cause psychological distress and impair daily functioning:

1. Major Depressive Disorder

2. Bipolar Disorder

Major Depressive Disorder

a mood disorder characterized by extreme and persistent feelings of dependency, worthlessness, and hopelessness, causing impaired emotional, cognitive, behavioral, and physical functioning.

Seasonal affective disorder (SAD)

mood disorder with episodes of depression typically occur during the fall and winter and subside during the spring.

Persistent Depressive Disorder (Dysthymic Disorder)

disorder involving chronic feelings of depression that is often less severe than major depressive disorder. Ultimately a chronic case of the blues and usually continues for years.

Depression is of the result of Learned helplessness

self-defeating beliefs after experiencing uncontrollable painful events.

Depressed people tend to explain bad events in terms that are":

• Stable (will last forever)

• Global (effects everything, pervasive negativity and internal pessimism, which often results in suicidal thoughts and preoccupations with death)

• Internal (it’s all my fault)

About ____ of those suffering with major depressive disorder attempt suicide.

10%

The biochemical key is neurotransmitters

messenger molecules that shuttle signals between nerve cells.

Neurotransmitters that are scarce (lower levels) during depression

Norepinephrine and Serotonin

Bipolar Disorder

involving periods of extreme euphoria and excitement and altering periods of normalcy, and sometimes periods of incapacitating depression. (formerly called manic depression)

Euphoric (manic) episodes

a sudden, rapidly escalating emotional state characterized by extreme emotional state characterized by extreme euphoria (mania), excitement, physical energy, and rapid thoughts and speech. Poor sleep and grandiose thinking.

Symptoms of a manic episode

• uncharacteristically euphoric and excitement for several days or longer.

• unable to sleep but boundless energy

• wildly inflated self-esteem, supreme self-confidence (often grandiose plans for obtaining wealth, power and fame and sometimes delusional)

• rapid speech (thoughts race faster)

• easily triggered flight of ideas (shifts of topics)

• grandiose, agitated or verbally abusive when questioned

Consequences

• run up bills

• disappear for weeks

• sexual promiscuous

• commit illegal acts

Cyclothymic Disorder

mood disorder characterized by moderate but frequent mood swings that are not severe enough to qualify as bipolar disorder

Onset of Depressive and Bipolar disorders

• genetic predisposition

• differences in the activation of structures in the brain

• disruptions in brain chemistry (abnormal levels of neurotransmitters)

• stress

• cigarette smoking

Schizophrenia

psychological disorder in which the ability to function is impaired by severely distorted beliefs, perceptions, and though processes

Characteristics of Schizophrenia

1. Disorganized thinking

2. Disturbed Perceptions

3. Inappropriate Thought Processes

Disorganized thinking

thoughts which are fragmented, bizarre, and distorted by false beliefs (delusions)

Delusions

false beliefs that persists despite compelling contradictory evidence

Delusions of reference

reflect the person’s false conviction that other people’s behavior and ordinary events are somehow personally related to them. ( They are talking about me, the TV is talking to me, etc.)

Delusions of grandeur

belief that the person is extremely powerful

Delusions of persecution

believe others are plotting against them or trying to harm them or someone close to them.

Delusions of being controlled

belief that outside forces ( aliens, government, random people ) are trying to exert control of them

Somatic

the belief that the person has a physical defect or medical problem.

Jealous Delusions

cause a person to believe that their partner is unfaithful and constantly look for evidence that their belief is true

Mixed or Unspecified Delusions

mixed delusions means that the person has multiple types of delusions, but none are more common than another

Disturbed Perceptions

perceive things that are not there (hallucinations)

Inappropriate Thought Processes Actions

deficits in behavioral or emotional functioning

flat affect

emotionless expression

Catatonic

remain motionless for hours on end followed by agitation

Alogia

greatly reduced production of speech with limited/brief, empty comments

Avolition

inability to initiate or persist in even simple forms of goal-directed behaviors ( dressing, bathing, engaging in social activates)

Categories of symptoms in Schizophrenia include

Positive and Negative symptoms

Positive Symptoms

experience delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech, inappropriate behaviors. The presence of inappropriate behaviors

Negative Symptoms

toneless voices, flat affect (emotionless face), rigid bodies, alogia, and avolition. Reduced emotionless expression. The absence of appropriate behavior

Causality

excess of receptors for dopamine, believed to cause increased positive symptoms

genetic factors

beyond question

psychological therapy or psychotherapy

is a planned, emotionally charged, confiding interaction between a trained therapist and someone who suffers from psychological difficulties

Most common therapeutic mentalities

• psychoanalytic perspective

• humanistic perspective

• psychodynamic perspective

• behavioral perspective

• cognitive perspective

• cognitive behavioral perspective (CBT)

• Positive Psychology

Techniques in psychoanalysis include:

free association and dream analysis

free association

the patient spontaneously reports all her thoughts, mental images, and feelings while lying on a couch

Resistance

the patient’s conscious or unconscious attempts to block the process of revealing repressed memories and conflicts

interpretations

explanations of the unconscious meaning of the patient’s behavior, thoughts, feelings or dreams

Transference

the patient transfer’s emotions and desires originally associated with significant persons in the patient’s life unconsciously onto the psychanalyst.

Short-term psychodynamic therapies

type of psychotherapy that is based on psychoanalytic theory but differs in that it is typically time-limited/short term, has specific goals, and involves an active, rather than neutral, role of the therapist

interpersonal therapy (IPT)

a type of psychodynamic psychotherapy that focuses on current relationships and is based on the assumption that symptoms are caused and maintained by interpersonal problems.

IPT focuses on 4 categories of personal problems

1. Unresolved grief: problems dealing with the death of significant others

2. Role disputes: repetitive conflicts with significant others (spouse, family, coworker)

3. Role transitions: problems involving major life changes (marriage, divorce, retirement)

4. Role transitions: absent or faulty social skills that limit the ability to start or maintain healthy relationships with others.

Humanistic Therapies

emphasizes people’s potential for self fulfillment. Focus is on the present, conscious, and talking immediate responsibly

Client Centered Therapy

focuses on the person’s conscious self-perceptions rather than on the therapist’s interpretations

According to Carl Rogers’ Humanistic approach, the client centered therapist ideally should demonstrate

active listening with genuineness, unconditional acceptance, and empathy

Behavior Therapies

applies learning principles to eliminate a troubling behavior. Often use systematic desensitization and virtual reality exposure to treat disorders