Unit 7 Test: Clinical Psychology - Disorders

social anxiety disorder

intense fear and avoidance of social situations

generalized anxiety disorder

continually present anxiety, constant apprehensive, hyper-anxious, and tense state

panic disorder

regularly occurring panic attacks that cause physiological effects (chest pain, difficulty breathing)

agoraphobia

fear or avoidance of public situations where panic might strike

phobias

really tense or irrational fears of a specific object or experience

obsessive-compulsive-disorder (OCD)

unwanted repetitive thoughts (obsessions) and actions/responses (compulsions)

posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

haunting memories, nightmares, social withdrawal, jumpy anxiety, numbness of feeling, and/or insomnia that lingers after a traumatic experience

biological casual factors of anxiety disorders

some genes influence disorders by regulating brain levels of neurotransmitters

behavioral casual factors of anxiety disorders

anxious or traumatized people learn to associate their anxiety with certain cues → stimulus generalization + negative reinforcement

cognitive casual factors of anxiety disorders

our thoughts, memories, interpretations, and expectations, influences our feelings of anxiety

major depressive disorder

a state of hopelessness and lethargy lasting several weeks or months

persistent depressive disorder (dysthymia)

similar to major depressive disorder, but with milder symptoms that last a longer period of time

bipolar disorder

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

biological explanations of depressive disorders

genetic predispositions, neurochemical imbalances, nutritional deficits

behavioral explanations of depressive disorders

diet, drugs, stress, and other environmental influences lay down epigenetic marks - molecular genetic tags that can turn certain genes on or off

cognitive explanations of depressive disorders

expecting the worst, depressed people's self-defeating beliefs and their negative explanatory style feed depression

schizophrenia

a disorder characterized by delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech, and/or diminished, inappropriate emotional expression

positive symptoms of schizophrenia

hallucinations, delusions, disorganized speech

negative symptoms of schizophrenia

social withdrawal, inappropriate emotional responses, deficient theory of mind

chronic schizophrenia

gradual onset schizophrenia, permanent / long-term, sometimes responses to medications

acute schizophrenia

immediate schizophrenia, short-term → all at once but not permanent, can be controlled by medications

biological explanations for schizophrenia

excessive dopamine receptors (so, most medications are dopamine inhibitors)

prenatal events, such as low birth weight, maternal diabetes, older paternal age, and oxygen deprivation

genetic heritability → higher chance of diagnosis if a sibling or parent has the disorder

dissociative identity disorder

a person exhibits two or more distinct and alternating personalities

antisocial personality disorder

a person exhibits a lack of conscience for wrongdoing

anorexia nervosa

an eating disorder in which a person excessively diets → starvation

bulimia nervosa

an eating disorder in which a person alternates binge eating and purging in response to excessive stress and/or anxiety

binge eating disorder

an eating disorder in which a person excessively stress eats → has significant binge-eating episodes

autism spectrum disorder

a disorder marked by significant deficiencies in communication and social interaction, and by rigidly fixated interests and repetitive behaviors

ADHD

a disorder marked by the appearance of one or more of three key symptoms: extreme inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity