Clinical Psychology

Mental Disorders

Conditions that cause impairment in functioning and distress to the individual and/or others.

Abnormal

Deviating from the norm or average.

Out of touch with reality

Having a distorted perception of reality.

Moderate depression

A level of depression that is not severe but still affects an individual's thoughts, emotions, and behaviors.

Self-enhancement bias

The tendency to view oneself in a positive light and overestimate one's abilities.

Illusion of control

Believing that one has more control over events than is actually the case.

Balanced assessments of future events

Having a realistic and objective perspective on future outcomes.

Maladaptive

Behaviors or patterns that interfere with an individual's ability to function effectively.

Stigma

Negative attitudes and beliefs associated with mental health problems.

Mental health problem

A condition that affects a person's thinking, feeling, or behavior and may require professional intervention.

Nature vs

The debate about the relative influence of genetics (nature) and environment (nurture) on human development and behavior.

Diathesis-Stress

A current perspective on the causes of mental illness that suggests a combination of genetic predisposition (diathesis) and exposure to life events or stressors.

Mood Disorders

Mental disorders characterized by disturbances in mood, such as depression or bipolar disorder.

Anxiety Disorders

Mental disorders characterized by excessive and persistent worry, fear, or anxiety.

Eating Disorders

Mental disorders characterized by abnormal eating behaviors and distorted body image, such as anorexia nervosa or bulimia nervosa.

Psychotic Disorders

Mental disorders characterized by a loss of touch with reality, such as schizophrenia.

Personality Disorders

Mental disorders characterized by enduring patterns of thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that deviate from cultural expectations.

Substance Related Disorders

Mental disorders related to the misuse or dependence on substances, such as drugs or alcohol.

Cognitive Disorders

Mental disorders characterized by cognitive impairments, such as dementia or Alzheimer's disease.

Developmental Disorders

Mental disorders that typically manifest in childhood and affect a person's development and functioning, such as autism spectrum disorder.

Physical Disorders

Medical conditions that have psychological symptoms or impact mental health.

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)

A manual used by mental health professionals to classify and diagnose mental disorders.

Axes in DSM-IV-TR

The five axes used in the DSM-IV-TR to categorize different aspects of a person's mental health, including clinical disorders, personality disorders, medical conditions, social/environmental factors, and general assessment of functioning.

DSM-5-TR

The current version of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, published in 2022.

Prototypical symptoms

The characteristic symptoms used to describe each specific mental disorder in the DSM.

Diagnoses

The specific labels given to individuals based on their symptoms and meeting the criteria outlined in the DSM.

Non-axial assessment

The removal of the previous system of axes in the DSM-5, which categorized different aspects of mental health.

Psychosocial and environmental factors

Factors related to an individual's social and environmental context that may contribute to the development or maintenance of mental disorders.

Disability

Impairments that limit an individual's ability to perform certain activities or participate fully in society.

Trauma- and Stressor-Related Disorders

A new chapter in the DSM-5 that includes disorders related to exposure to traumatic or stressful events.

Hoarding disorder

A newly recognized mental disorder characterized by persistent difficulty discarding or parting with possessions, regardless of their actual value.

Binge eating disorder

A newly recognized mental disorder characterized by recurrent episodes of eating large quantities of food in a short period of time, accompanied by a sense of loss of control.

Autism spectrum disorder

A revised diagnosis in the DSM-5 that includes what was formerly known as Autistic Disorder, Asperger's Syndrome, Pervasive Developmental Disorder, and Childhood Disintegrative Disorder.

Prognosis

The predicted course and outcome of a mental disorder.

Treatment

Interventions aimed at alleviating symptoms and improving functioning in individuals with mental disorders.

Psychoanalysis/Psychodynamic Therapy

A therapeutic approach that focuses on unconscious conflicts and early childhood experiences as the root causes of mental disorders.

Unconscious conflicts

Inner conflicts between different parts of the mind, such as the id, ego, and superego, that are not consciously accessible.

Insight

The process of gaining self-awareness and understanding of one's unconscious conflicts and their impact on thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.

Humanistic Therapy

A therapeutic approach that emphasizes the individual's innate worth and potential for personal growth and self-actualization.

Client-Centered Therapy

A type of humanistic therapy where the client takes the lead in therapy sessions, and the therapist provides unconditional positive regard and empathy.

Behavioural and Cognitive-Behavioural Therapies

Therapeutic approaches that focus on changing maladaptive behaviors and thought patterns.

Systematic Desensitization

A behavioral therapy technique used to treat phobias and fears by gradually exposing the individual to the feared stimulus while promoting relaxation.

Cognitive Behavioural Therapy

A therapeutic approach that focuses on the interconnectedness of thoughts, feelings, sensations, and behaviors and aims to change negative thinking patterns.

Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT)

A short-term treatment for severe depression that involves the administration of electric shocks to the brain.

Psychosurgery

Brain surgery performed to treat mental disorders, particularly in cases where there is no organic damage.

Drug therapy

The use of medications to treat mental disorders, such as antipsychotics or antidepressants.

Anxiety Disorders

Psychological disorders characterized by excessive anxiety and physiological reactions, such as accelerated heart rate.

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

An anxiety disorder characterized by recurrent thoughts (obsessions) and ritualized behaviors (compulsions) aimed at reducing anxiety.

Panic Disorder

An anxiety disorder characterized by sudden and recurrent panic attacks, accompanied by intense fear and physical symptoms.

Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

An anxiety disorder that develops after experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event, causing intrusive thoughts, nightmares, and avoidance behaviors.

Phobias

Irrational fears of specific objects or situations, such as spiders (arachnophobia) or open spaces (agoraphobia).

Generalized Anxiety Disorder

An anxiety disorder characterized by excessive and uncontrollable worry about various aspects of life.

Somatoform Disorders

Disorders where physical symptoms suggest a medical condition, but no evidence of such condition is found by a physician.

Dissociative Disorders

Disorders characterized by a disruption in consciousness, leading to changes in one's sense of identity, memory loss, or the presence of multiple personalities.

Personality Disorders

Enduring and inflexible behavior patterns that differ from social expectations and cause impaired functioning and distress to self and others.

Schizophrenic Disorders

A group of disorders characterized by positive symptoms (delusions, hallucinations) and negative symptoms (emotional flatness, withdrawal) as well as cognitive difficulties.

Mood Disorders

Psychological disorders characterized by abnormal elevations or lowering of a person's mood, such as mania or depression.