Psychological Disorders and Treatment Vocabulary

Flashcards covering key vocabulary and concepts from the lecture notes on psychological disorders and treatment.

Psychological Disorder

A clinically significant disturbance in a person's thoughts, emotions, or behavior that causes distress and reflects dysfunction in mental functioning.

Cultural Relativism

Understanding that an individual's behavior or psychological symptom must be evaluated in the context of their own culture.

Normal Stress

A typical, temporary response to a challenge or demand (e.g., feeling nervous before an exam).

Dysfunctional Emotional Reactions

Intense, prolonged, or inappropriate emotional responses that impair function (e.g., panic attacks over minor issues).

Deinstitutionalization

The process of transferring individuals from large, long-term psychiatric institutions to community-based care and services.

Medical Model

Views mental and physical disorders as diseases with biological causes, emphasizing diagnosis through symptoms and treatment focused on cure.

Bio-Psycho-Social Model (Eclectic Approach)

A comprehensive approach that considers biological, psychological, and social factors in understanding and treating mental health disorders.

DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders)

The APA's guide for diagnosing mental disorders, offering standardized, objective methods for diagnosis and treatment, but also criticized for its limitations and potential biases.

Person-First Language

Emphasizes the individual rather than their condition (e.g., 'a person with schizophrenia' instead of 'a schizophrenic').

Psychotic

Experiencing hallucinations or delusions.

Psychopathic

Manifesting severe anti-social tendencies and a pervasive disregard for the rights of others, often lacking empathy.

Psychologist

Expert diagnosticians with a doctoral degree (PhD, PsyD) who typically do psychological testing/evaluations and therapy; cannot prescribe medication in most places.

Psychiatrist

Medical doctors (MD, DO) who prescribe medication and sometimes do talk-based psychotherapy, focusing on biological aspects of mental health.

Mental Health Disparities

Differences in rates of mental health disorders and access to care among marginalized groups, such as individuals of color, LGBTQ+ individuals, and those experiencing poverty.

Anxiety

Future-focused, gradual increase in arousal; urges to avoid anxiety triggers.

Fear

Present-focused; sudden physiological arousal; situational escape urge.

Co-morbidity

The simultaneous presence of two or more disorders in a person.

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)

Excessive anxiety/worry about multiple events or activities occurring more days than not for 6 months or longer.

Panic Disorder

Repeated and unexpected panic attacks, as well as a fear of the next attack.

Agoraphobia

Avoidance of situations in which one will fear having a panic attack.

Specific Phobia

Marked fear or anxiety about a specific object or situation that provokes immediate fear/anxiety.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

A mental health condition characterized by persistent, intrusive thoughts (obsessions) and/or repetitive, ritualistic behaviors (compulsions) that significantly disrupt daily life.

Obsessions

Recurrent and persistent thoughts, urges, or images that are intrusive and inappropriate and that generally cause distress.

Compulsions

Repetitive behavior or mental rituals that the individuals feel compelled to perform in response to the obsessive thought; rules about compulsions are rigidly applied.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Exposure to actual or threatened death, serious injury, or sexual violence with intrusive symptoms, avoidance, negative alterations, and alterations in arousal/reactivity.

Acute Stress Disorder (ASD)

Symptoms occur within 3 days to 4 weeks after the trauma.

Triggers

Events, objects, sounds, or situations that remind someone of the traumatic event and provoke a strong emotional reaction or symptoms of PTSD.

Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

Based on the theory that people's psychological problems are due to their own illogical beliefs and thoughts (based on the CBT model).

Cognitive Restructuring

Identifying maladaptive automatic thoughts then evaluating and replacing them with more realistic thoughts.

Exposure Therapy

Confronting feared situations/objects can reverse conditioned fear; habituation to anxiety can occur through repeated exposure.

Systematic Desensitization

Beginning with a tiny reminder of feared situations and keep increasing the exposure intensity as the person learns to tolerate the previous level.

Flooding

Exposure therapy technique where all at once.

Mood Disorders

Psychological disorders characterized by emotional extremes.

Bipolar 1 Disorder

Mania, no depression episodes.

Bipolar 2 Disorder

Includes hypomania and depression episodes.

Cyclothymia Disorder

Ongoing mood swings with mild highs and lows for 2+ years; never full mania or depression.

Anhedonia

Inability to experience pleasure.

Rumination

Dwelling persistently on negative thoughts and feelings.

Treatment for Bipolar Disorder

Chemical imbalances so medication is essential!

Eating Disorders

Any range of psychological disorders characterized by abnormal or disturbed eating habits.

Anorexia Nervosa

An eating disorder where an individual purposely loses weight to a point below which is considered healthy.

Bulimia Nervosa

Characterized by recurrent episodes of binging and purging.

Binge Eating Disorder

Involves recurrent episodes of binge eating without any subsequent compensatory behaviors.

ADHD (Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder)

Presents as three different ADHD diagnoses, inattentive subtype, hyperactive subtypes, and combined types.

Autism Spectrum Disorder

There are 2 main areas of impairment, communication and social interaction and restricted, repetitive patterns of behavior, interests, or activities.

Dissociation

Losing touch with reality.

Dissociative Identity Disorder

Previously called multiple personality disorder, perhaps a manifestation of severe trauma response.

Hallucinations

Perceptual experiences not shared by others are a common symptom.

Delusions

Bizarre and paranoid and not in touch with reality.

Substance Use Disorder

A mental disorder where a person continues using a substance despite it causing serious problems in their life (health, work, relationships).

Psychotherapy

A planned emotionally charged confiding interaction between a trained healer and sufferer… Healer seeks to relieve suffers distress and disability.

Iatrogenic Treatments

Treatments that cause harm rather than help, often unintentionally. “Iatrogenic” means the harm comes as a result of medical or psychological intervention.