AP Psych Unit 5.3-5.4ab Vocab

Medical Model

the concept that diseases - in this case, psychological disorders- have physical causes that can be diagnosed, treated, and, in most cases, cured, often through treatment in a hospital

Diathesis-stress model

the concept that genetic predispositions (diathesis) combine with environmental stressors (stress) to influence psychological disorder

epigenetics

“above” or “in addition to” genetics; the study of the molecular mechanisms by which environments can influence genetic expression (without a DNA change)

DSM-5-TR

the American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition, Text Revision; a widely used system for classifying psychological disorders

Anxiety Disorders

a group of disorders characterized by excessive fear and anxiety and related maladaptive behaviors

social anxiety disorder

intense fear and avoidance of social situations

generalized anxiety disorder

an anxiety disorder in which a person is continually tense, apprehensive, and in a state of automatic nervous system arousal

Panic Disorder

an anxiety disorder marked by unpredictable, minutes-long episodes of intense dread in which a person may experience terror and accompanying chest pain, choking, or other frightening sensations; often followed worry over a possible next attack

Agoraphobia

fear or avoidance of situations, such as crowds or wide open places, where one may experience a loss of control and panic

specific phobia

an anxiety disorder marked by a persistent, irrational fear and avoidance of a specific object, activity, or situation

Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)

a disorder characterized by unwanted repetitive thoughts, actions, or both

hoarding disorder

a persistent difficulty parting with possessions, regardless of their value

posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

a disorder characterized by haunting memories, nightmares, hypervigilance, avoidance of trauma-related stimuli, social withdrawal, jump anxiety, numbness of feeling, and/or insomnia that lingers for four weeks or more after a traumatic experience

trauma- and stressor-related disorders

a group of disorders in which exposure to a traumatic or stressful event is followed by psychological distress

depressive disorders

a group of disorders characterized by an enduring sad, empty, or irritable mood, along with physical and cognitive changes that affect a person’s ability to function

bipolar disorders

a group of disorders in which a person alternates between the hopelessness and lethargy of depression and the overexcited state of mania

major depressive disorder

a disorder in which a person experiences five or more symptoms lasting two or more weeks, in the absence of drug use or a medical condition, at least one of which must e either depressed mood or loss of interest or pleasure

persistent depressive disorder

a disorder in which people experience a depressed mood on more days than not for at least two years

bipolar I disorder

the most severe form, in which people experience a euphoric, talkative, highly energetic, and overly ambitious stat that lasts a week or longer

mania

a hyperactive, wildly optimistic state in which dangerously poor judgment is common

bipolar II disorder

a less severe form of bipolar in which people mobe between depression and a milder hypomania

rumination

compulsive fretting; berthing our problems and their causes

Psychological Disorder

A disturbance in a people’s thoughts, emotions, or behaviors that causes distress or suffering