Studied by 30 people
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
organic disorders
mental disorders do to a condition
Epigenetics
the study of environmental influences on gene expression that occur without a gene change
Biological Influences
evolution, brain structure and chemistry, and individual genes
Psychological Influences
stress, trauma, learned helplessness, and mood related perceptions and memories
Socioculture Influences
roles, expectations, and definitions of normality and disorder
DSM-5
the American Psychiatric Association’s and Statistic Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition; a wildly used used for classifying psychological disorders
What defines a psychological disorder
Clinically significant disturbance in an individuals cognition, emotion, regulation, and behavior
signs of a psychological disorder
Disordered thoughts, emotions, or behaviors that are dysfunctional or maladaptive, interfering with normal daily life
what does the medical model assume
that psychological disorders are mental illnesses with physical causes that can be diagnosed, treated, and, in some cases cured
what does the biopsychosocial assume
that three sets of influences-biological, psychological, and social-cultural— interact to produce specific psychological disorders
Culture-specific disorders, the vulnerability stress model, and epigenetics
all provide insight into the ways in which biology and environment interact to make it more or less likely that a psychological disorder will develop
What is the DSM-5
The American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition. It contains diagnostic labels and descriptions that provide a common language and shared concepts for communication and research.
How does the DSM-5 help clinicians
Classification helps psychiatrists and psychologists to predict a disorder's future course, suggest treatment, and prompt research into its causes
Nature
behavior is determined by the genes we inherit
Nurture
our environment, upbringing, and life experiences influence our behavior
Nature and Nurture
our genetic makeup provides a foundation which the environment acts on, both factors are essential for understanding the human cognition
Classifications if a disordered behavior
deviant, distressing, dysfunctional
Diathesis-stress model
Individual characteristics combine w/ environmental stressors to increase or decrease the likelihood of developing a psychological disorder
anxiety
a feeling of unease or worry that something bad is about to happen
anxiety disorders
Psychological disorders characterized by stressing, persistent anxiety, or maladaptive behaviors that reduce anxiety
social anxiety disorder
intense fear and avoidance or social situations, the person many avoid social situations entirely
Generalized anxiety disorder
person is continuously tense, apprehensive, and in a state of automatic nervous system arrousal/excessive and uncontrollable worry
more common in women
at least six months or more
Symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder
Distractible
Irritable
Sleep Deprived
trembling, twitching eyelids, sweating, and fidgeting
headaches
Gastrointestinal problems
Panic Disorder
marked by unpredictable minutes long episodes of intense dread in which. a person may experience terror, chest pain, choking, or other frightening sensation; usually followed by another worry-attack
Symptoms of Panic Disorder
Recurrent, unexpected panic attacks of a month
persistent concern about having another
Agoraphobia
/
fear or avoidance of a situations such as crowds or wide open spaces, from which escape might be difficult
Phobia
a persistent, irrational fear and avoidance of a specific object, activity, or situation
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
characterized by unreasonable thoughts and fears (obsessions) that lead to compulsive behaviors.
obsessions
thoughts
Compulsions
actions
OCD cycle
obsession (intrusive thought) → anxiety or stress → compulsive ritual → relief
Brain of an OCD patient
high rate of metabolic activity in frontal lobe
Body Dysmorphic Disorder
Preoccupation with an imagined or exaggerated defect in personal appearance
Hoarding Disorder
persistent difficulty parting or discarding possessions because of a perceived need to save them
Trichotillomania
recurrent irresistible urges to pull out hair from your scalp, eyebrows, or other areas of the body
Excoriation Disorder
repeated picking at ones own skin, which results in skin lesions
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
characterized by haunting memories, nightmares, hyper-vigilance, social withdrawal, jump anxiety, numbness, and/or insomnia that lingers for four weeks or more after a traumatic experiences
Post-Traumatic Growth
theory that people who endure psychological struggle following adversity can often see positive growth afterward
Behavioral Perspective of Anxiety
fears are learned and then reinforced
Biological Perspective of Anxiety
anxiety disorders run in families
genes regulate the level of neurotransmitters in our brain
Cognitive Perspective of Anxiety
what we remember
whaat we pay attention to
how we interpret stimuli
Evolutionary Perspective of Anxiety
fear and anxiety can aid in our survival (sometimes)
certain fears are harder to extinguish and easier to condition
Major Depressive Disorder
a person experiences (in the absence of drugs or other medical conditions) 2 or more weeks with at least five of the symptoms and at least one of which must be: depressed mood or loss of interest or pleasure
Symptoms of Depression
thinking repeatedly of death or suicide
problems thinking or concentrating
feeling worthless
lack of energy
Sluggish
Challenges regulating sleep
challenges managing appetite and weight
dramatic reduced interest/enjoyment in most activities, most of the time
depressed mood most of the time
Persistent Depressive Disorder
milder form of depression that lasts two or more years
Bipolar Disorder
when a person alternates between the hopelessness and lethargy of depression and the overexcited state of mania
Mania
hyperactive, wildly optimistic state in which dangerously poor judgments are common
Hypomania
less severe form of mania
Bipolar I
have to have experienced at least one full manic episode
Bipolar II
Experienced a hypomanic episode, but never a full manic one
Biological Perspective and Depression
depression involves a genetic predisposition
Biochemical imbalances → to much or to little of certain neurotransmitters
Biological Perspective and Bipolar Disorder
runs in families
diminished brain activity during times of depression
more brain activity during periods of mania
altered brain structure
Social-Cognitive Perspective and Depression
self defeating beliefs → intensely negative assumptions about themselves, their situation, and their future
negative explanatory style → who or what they blame for their failures
rumination → compulsive fretting and overthinking problems and their causes
comparisons → “comparisons are the thief of joy”
Suicide
Urges arise when people feel disconnected from society
when they see themselves as a burden to others
when they feel trapped in an inescapable situation
Nonsuicidal Self Injury
self harm
in place of suicide → not intending to end their life
pain distracts from the intense negative thoughts
Psychosis
a severe mental condition in which thoughts and emotions are so affected that contact is lost with external reality
Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorder
characterized by delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech, and diminished inappropriate emotional expressions
“Positive” symptoms of schizophrenia
Hallucinations & delusions
speak in disorganized deluded ways
Exhibit inappropriate laughter, tears, or rage
“negative” symptoms of schizophrenia
Absence of emotion in their voices
Expressionist faces
unmoving (mute and rigid) bodies
Hallucinations
seeing, feeling, tasting, or smelling things that only exist in their minds→false perceptions
delusions
disorganized, fragmented thinking, often distorted by false beliefs
Disorganized Speech
thoughts spill out in no logical order
Paranoid
Mainly positive symptoms
blur the line between what is real and not real
hard to live a normal life
Catatonic
striking moter behavior
Significant reductions in voluntary movement or hyperactivity and agitation
Chronic Schizophrenia
slow developing process
recovery is unlikely
Acute Schizophrenia
typical in well adjusted people
develops rapidly after particular life stressors
recovery is more likely
Brain Abnormalities w/ Schizophrenia
chemical imbalance
over production of dopamine
abnormal brain activity and brain structure
Prenatal Environment and Risk for Schizophrenia
low birth weight
maternal diabetes
older parental age
oxygen deprivation during delivery
mid-pregnancy viral infection could effect brain fetal development
genetic factors of schizophrenia
10% chance if a sibling or parent have it
50% chance if a twin has it
groups of disorders influenced by certain genes
Environmental triggers of schizophrenia
family and social factors alone can’t influence
social withdrawal before other abnormal behavior before the onset of the disorder
birth complications
separation from parents
short attention span
poor muscle coordination
emotional unpredictability
poor social skills
childhood abuse
Somatic Symptom Disorder
psychological disorder in which the symptoms take on a bodily function form with out an apparent physical cause
Conversion Disorder
a person experiences very specific physical symptoms that are not compatible/recognized medical or neurological conditions
Illness Anxiety Disorder
a person interperates normal physical sensations as symptoms of a disease
Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID)
rare disorder in which a person exhibits two or more distinct and altering personalities
Disassociation
defense mechanism in which
impulses are kept apart
Threatening ideas and feelings are separate from the rest of the psyche
A Fuge State
rare mood disorder
wild fluctuations from mania to depression
Personality Disorders
long standing, inflexible personality traits that impair social functioning
more like “styles of life” rather than severe mental disorders
anxiety-prone personality disorders
fearful sensitivity to rejection
avoidant personality disorder
eccentric/odd personality disorders
emotionless disengagement
schizotypical personality disorder
dramatic/impulsive personality disorders
borderline personality disorder
narcissistic personality disorder
antisocial personality disorder
Antisocial Personality Disorder
lack of consciousness for wrongdoings, even towards friends and family members
may be aggressive and ruthless
sometimes clever con artists
usually men
anorexia nervosa
maintains a starvation diet
significantly underweight
sometimes accompanied by excessive exercise
usually adolescent girls
bulimia nervosa
when a person’s eating (usually high calorie food) is followed up by inappropriate weight loss behavior
fasting
vomiting
taking a laxative
excessive exercise
binge-eating disorders
significant binge-eating episodes followed by distress, disgust, or guilt
without the compensatory behavior that marks bulimia
Sociocultural influences of eating disorders
high achieving & competitive families → anorexia
How society and culture perceive weight
Psychotherapy
Psychological techniques
between trained therapists and a patient seeking to overcome psychological difficulties or achieve personal growth
may explore a clients early relationships
Biomedical Therapy
Prescribed treatments or medications that acts directly on the person’s physiology
Eclectic approach
a blend of therapies
reepression
basic defense mechanism
keeps us fro saying anxiety arousing thoughts, feelings, and memories
free association
allows clients to speak for themselves
allows therapists to figure out a client’s unconscious motives & desires
Resistance
hint that anxiety lurks and you are defending against sensitive material
interpretation
may illuminate underlying wishes, feelings, and conflicts you are avoiding
transference
exposing such feelings may lead to insight in current relationships
Psychodynamic Therapy Today
helps people understand their symptoms by focusing on important relationships
Client-Centered Therapy/Person-Centered Therapy
active listening
genuine, accepting, empathetic environment
facilitate personal growth
active listening
empathetic listening in which the listener, echos. restates, and clarifies
Unconditional Positive Regard
caring, non-judgmental attitude supposed to help with clients developing self-awareness and self-acceptance
Behavioral Therapy
applies the learning principals to the ellimintation of unwanted behaviors
Note 
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