History of Psychopathology, Classification, Etiology, and Bipolar Disorders

Vocabulary practice flashcards covering historical views of psychopathology, classification models, diagnostic systems, etiology of mood disorders, and treatment modalities.

Psychopathology

Defined as the suffering of the mind and the study of mental illness.

Trephining

A historical supernatural treatment involving opening the skull to treat mental illness.

Phrenitis

One of the $3$ mental disorder categories identified by Hippocrates, defined as brain fever.

Humoral Theory

Galen's theory stating the body contains $4$ liquids (blood, black bile, phlegm, yellow bile) and that an excess of these liquids causes mental illness.

Paresis

A condition causing muscle weakness caused by untreated brain syphilis, leading to death within $2$ to $5$ years after diagnosis.

Catharsis

The emotional release of unconscious thoughts experienced by patients upon waking from hypnosis.

Id

The primal part of personality focused on survival instincts and the pleasure principle without considering reality.

Ego

The rational, conscious, and subconscious part of personality.

Superego

The internal rulebook and moral compass of personality.

Displacement

A defense mechanism involving directing pent-up feelings at another target.

Projection

A defense mechanism involving attributing one's own feelings onto someone else.

Reaction Formation

A defense mechanism involving preventing a feeling by behaving in the opposite way.

Sublimation

A defense mechanism involving channeling emotions into something socially acceptable.

Nosology

The science of classifying diseases.

Categorical Classification

A system that organizes mental illness into distinct black-and-white categories where an individual either has the disorder or does not.

Dimensional Classification

A system that views mental health as a spectrum of symptoms and severity, mapping them along a normal curve.

Prototypical Classification

The DSM's classification approach, which compares symptoms to a prototype using essential and secondary criteria.

Somatoidiology

Causation-based classification that focuses on the underlying physical cause of mental health.

Symptomatology

Symptom-based classification preferred in psychopathology, focusing on observable symptoms and clinical descriptions.

HiTOP

Hierarchical Taxonomy of Psychopathology; an alternative dimensional framework that organizes mental illness along a spectrum of severity (Symptom \rightarrow Syndrome \rightarrow Subfactor \rightarrow Spectrum).

RDoc

Research Domain Criteria; a research framework that connects biological mechanisms, brain systems, and psychological processes to behavior across multiple units of analysis.

Paradigm

A broad framework of methods that guides how clinicians study, understand, and treat human behavior.

Equifinality

A concept in the vulnerability stress model stating that different combinations of risk factors can lead to the same disorder.

Multifinality

A concept in the vulnerability stress model stating that the same risk factors can lead to different clinical outcomes.

Anhedonia

The loss of pleasure in activities, serving as one of the core required symptoms for Major Depressive Disorder.

Independent Stressor

A fateful stressor that happens externally and is completely outside of an individual's control, such as a natural disaster.

Dependent Stressor

A stressor generated at least in part by an individual's own behaviors or personal characteristics.

Depressive Schema

A cognitive pattern that shapes how an individual perceives and interprets the world.

Negative Cognitive Triad

Beck's theory that individuals with depression hold negative thoughts about the self, the world, and the future.

Excessive Reassurance Seeking

An interpersonal pattern in which a depressed person constantly seeks positive reassurance from others, though it fails to relieve their distress.

SSRI

Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor; the most common class of antidepressant medication, which works by preventing the reuptake of serotonin to increase its levels in the synapse.

TCA

Tricyclic Antidepressant; an older medication class that increases serotonin and norepinephrine by blocking their reuptake.

MAOI

Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitor; an antidepressant that increases serotonin, dopamine, and norepinephrine by inhibiting mitochondrial enzymes that break down neurotransmitters.

Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT)

A treatment based on the premise that interpersonal stress leads to depression, focusing on improving relationships and social support.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

A treatment based on the premise that maladaptive thoughts cause depression, focusing on restructuring thoughts to be more positive and realistic.

Mania

A period of abnormally elevated, expansive, or irritable mood accompanied by increased goal-directed energy, lasting at least $7$ consecutive days or requiring hospitalization.

Hypomania

A state characterized by elevated or irritable mood and increased activity that is less severe than mania and lasts for at least $4$ consecutive days without requiring hospitalization.

Bipolar I

A disorder requiring at least one manic episode lasting at least $7$ consecutive days or requiring hospitalization.

Bipolar II

A disorder requiring a history of at least $1$ major depressive episode and at least $1$ hypomanic episode, without any full manic episodes.

Cyclothymia

A bipolar disorder characterized by chronic hypomanic and subthreshold depressive symptoms persisting for at least $2$ years in adults ($1$ year in youth).

Lithium

The gold-standard mood-stabilizing medication for bipolar disorder, statistically proven to lower suicide rates.

Tardive Dyskinesia

A chronic involuntary movement disorder that can occur as a side effect of long-term antipsychotic medication usage.

Interpersonal and Social Rhythms Therapy (IPSRT)

A psychotherapy for bipolar disorder focusing on resolving interpersonal conflicts and maintaining strict daily routines and sleep schedules to prevent relapse.

Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT)

A therapy originally developed for borderline personality disorder that teaches emotional regulation, mindfulness, self-advocacy, and symptom acceptance.