Psychological Disorders

psychopathology

sickness or disorder of the mind

etiology

factors that contribute to the development of a disorder

psychological disorder

psychological dysfunction associated with distress or impairment in functioning and a response that is not typically or culturally expected

categorical approach

classifies disorders by symptoms; implies the person either has a psychological disorder based on the list of symptoms, or does not

mental disorder

a syndrome characterized by clinically significant disturbances in an individual’s cognition, emotion regulation, or behavior which reflects a dysfunction in psychological, biological, or developmental processes underlying mental functioning

dimensional approach

considers psychological disorders along a continuum on which people vary in degree rather than in kind; symptoms of psychopathology occur along a continuum

research domain critetia method (RDoC)

defines basic domains of functioning (attention, social communication, anxiety) and considers them across multiple levels of analyses, intended to guide research, not classify disorders for treatment

comorbidity

the co-occurrence of two or more distinct psychological disorders in a single person at the same time

p-factor (general psychopathology factor)

a single, underlying dimension representing an individuals’s overall liability to develop any mental disorder

diatheses-stress model

an individual can have an underlying vulnerability to a psychological disorder (biological or environmental); impact of both vulnerability + stress exposure

sociocultural model

pathology is a result of interaction between individuals and culture

family systems model

problems within an individual indicates problems within the family

cognitive-behavioral approach

views psychopathology as a result of learned, maladaptive thoughts and beliefs

anxiety disorders

excessive fear and anxiety in the absence of true danger

general anxiety disorder (GAD)

a diffusive state of constant anxiety not associated with any specific thing or object; constant, chronic, and pervasive anxiety and incessant worry

social anxiety disorder (social phobia)

fear of being negatively evaluated by others in a social setting

specific phobia

extreme irrational intense fear of a specific object or situation

agoraphobia

fear of being in situations in which escape may be difficult or impossible, leading to panic attacks

depressive disorders

presence of sad, irritated, or empty mood

major depressive disorder (MDD)

severe negative moods or a lack of interest in normally pleasurable activities everyday for at least 2 weeks; one or more major depressive episodes (MDE) must occur

persistent depressive disorder (PDD; dysthymia)

mild to moderate chronic, long-term form of depression; symptoms are generally milder or moderate compared to major depressive disorder

cognitive triad

people suffering from depression perceive themselves, their situations, and the future negatively

learned helplessness

people come to see themselves as unable to have any control over their lives

bipolar disorder (manic-depressive disorder)

alternating states of mania and depression (manic and major dperessive episodes)

bipolar I

extreme elevated moods during manic episodes and frequent depressive episodes as well

bipolar II

alternating periods of extremely depressed and mildly (less extreme) elevated moods (hypomania)

post-traumatic stress disorder

a psychological disorder that involves frequent and recurring unwanted thoughts related to trauma, including nightmares, intrusive memories, and flashbacks

trauma

a prolonged psychological and physiological response to a distressing event, often one that profoundly violates the person’s beleif about the world

schizophrenia

alterations in thoughts, perceptions, or consciousness, resulting in psychosis

negative symptoms

symptoms of schizophrenia marked by deficits in functioning such as apathy, lack of emotion, and slowed speech and movement

psychosis

a split or disconnect from reality

hallucinations

false sensory perceptions hat are experienced without an external source

delusions

false, persistent beliefs based on incorrect inferences about reality

disorganized behavior

strange and bizarre movements, self-care, and behavior

catatonic behavior

decrease in responsiveness to the environment, immobilized around others

echolalia

mindless repetition of words

obsessive compulsive disorder

frequent impulsive thoughts and compulsive actions

obsessions

recurrent, intrusive and unwanted thoughts, ideas, or mental images that increase anxiety

compulsons

acts that individuals with OCD feel driven to do, repeated over and over to reduce anxiety

anorexia nervosa

an intense fear of gaining weight, a disturbed body image, a refusal to maintain body weight, and the use of extreme measures to lose weight, restriction of food and energy intake

bulimia nervosa

cycles of dieting, habitually binge eating, and purging behaviors (self-induced vomiting, fasting, and excessive exercise)

binge-eating

quickly consuming a unusually large amount of food, to the point of physical discomfort, guilt, and embarrassment, without the compensatory behaviors (that define bulimia ex. purging)

dissociative amnesia

a person forgets an event happened or loses awareness of a substantial block of time

dissociative fugue

loss of memory accompanied by travel to another location, sometimes the assumption of a new identity, likely not remembering the events occurred during the fugue state

dissociative identity disorder

the occurrence of two or more distinct identities in the same individual, along with memory gaps in which the person does not recall everyday events

cluster A personality disorders

odd or eccentric behaviors (paranoid, schizoid, schizotypal)

cluster B personality disorders

dramatic, emotional, erratic behaviors (antisocial, borderline, histrionic, narcisstic)

cluster C personality disorders

anxious or fearful behaviors (avoidant, dependent, obsessive compulsive)

borderline persoanlity disorder

disturbances in identity, affect, and impulse control; instability in interpersonal domains, fear of abandonment, and impulsivity

antisocial personality disorder

engage in socially undesirable behavior, are hedonistic (seek immediate gratification), are impulsive, and lack empathy; pattern of exploiting/violating the rights of others with no remorse for their actions

psychopathy

more extreme than antisocial disorder, willing to hurt others

autism spectrum disorder

developmental disorder characterized by deficits in social interaction, impaired communication, restricted interests (repetitive or obsessive), and hyposensitivity to pain, sound, and touch

attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)

restlessness, inattentiveness, and impulsivity; difficulty managing executive functions like planning, organizing, or regulating emotions

mania

an elevated mood/intense energy that feels like being “on top of the world”