Psychological Disorders

Modules 47, 65-69

psychological disorder

a syndrome marked by a clinically significant disturbance in an individuals cognition, emotion regulation or behavior

The 3 factors to disorders

1. Levels of dysfunction

2. Perception of distress

3. deviation from social norms

Medical Model

treats mental disorders as physical condition that must be diagnosed and treated

diathesis stress model

explains mental disorders as the result of an interaction between an individual’s predisposition vulnerability and environmental stressors

eclectic approac

a combination of the best elements from multiple perspectives

DSM-5

a reliable system used to identify various psychological disorders use by the APA; critics say its too vague of symptoms and could also bias our perceptions of the labeled person

Self-fulfilling prophecies (psychological disorders)

internalized negative stereotype about ones disorder where one limits themselves and assumes they are broken

psychodynamic perspective (psychological disorders)

how psychological disorders can originate from unconscious conflicts coming from childhood experiences

humanistic perspective

how psychological disorders develop due to a lack of support, failing to achieve potential or having incongruent self concept

biopsychsocial perspective

explains how psychological disorders develop from not only genetics but from cognition and our environment

generalized anxiety

excessive and uncontrollable worry that persists for six or more months

panic disorder

unpredictable minute long episodes of panic followed by worry over possible next attack

OCD

unwanted thoughts/obsessions and actions that never go away

PTSD

haunting memories, nightmares, jumpy anxiety and numbers of feelings that linger for four weeks or more after a traumatic experience

phobias

intense, irrational fear of an object, activity or situation

agoraphobia

fear or avoidance of public situations

generalized depression

when a person experiences two or more weeks with 5 or more symptoms in which one is being depressed mood or loss of interest

bipolar disorder

bouncing from one extreme emotion to the next

mania

a hyperactive, wildly optimistic state following depressive episode

schizophrenia

irrationally disrupted perceptions and loss of reality; characterized by delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech and/or diminished inappropriate emotional experience

chronic schizophrenia

schizophrenia that appears late in adolescence, early in adulthood

Acute schizophrenia

schizophrenia that appears at any age and is most likely recoverable

somatic symptom disorder

symptoms take a bodily form w/o apparent physical cause (eg. vomiting, dizziness, pain)

conversion disorder

anxiety converted into physical symptoms that are not compatible with/ recognized medical or neurological conditions

illness anxiety disorder

a person interprets normal physical sensations as symptoms of a disease

dissociative identity disorder

two or more identities control a persons behavior at different times

personality disorder

inflexible and enduring behavior of pattern that impair social functioning

antisocial personality disorder

lack of conscience for wrongdoing usually in men

anorexia nervosa

a person maintains a starvation diet despite being significantly underweight

Bulimia nervose

a personas binge eating is followed by inappropriate weight loss that can cause vomitting or excessive exercise

binge eating disorder

overeating followed by distress, disgust or guilt

Rosehan Study

Showed diagnostic labels can stick and influence perception.