Psychological Disorders Flashcards

Vocabulary flashcards based on lecture notes about psychological disorders.

Abnormal Behavior

Actions, thoughts, and feelings that are distressing or harmful.

Insanity

Legal concept; not guilty by reason of mental illness.

Psychopathology

Sickness or disorder of the mind.

Diathesis-stress model

Underlying vulnerability coupled with a precipitating event contributes to the onset of mental disorders.

Assessment

Assessment of a person’s mental functions and actions allows psychologists to categorize the individual’s thoughts, emotions, and behaviors

DSM-5

A standard classification of mental disorders used by mental health professionals in the United States.

Comorbidity

The co-occurrence of two or more disorders in a single individual.

Phobia

An intense, unrealistic fear focused on some object or situation that the individual will often go to great pains to avoid.

Social Phobia

Characterized by extreme and persistent fear or anxiety and avoidance of social situations in which the person could potentially be evaluated negatively by others

Generalized anxiety disorder

Vague, uneasy sense of tension and apprehension also known as free-floating anxiety.

Panic anxiety disorder

Sharp, intensely uncomfortable attacks of anxiety marked by recurrent abrupt experiences of unexpected intense fear accompanied by physical symptoms

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Exposure to death, threats of death, or sexual violation resulting in re-experiencing the event, numbing, and changes in physiological arousal.

Obsessions

Anxiety-provoking thoughts that will not go away

Compulsions

Irresistible urges to engage in behaviors e.g., repeatedly touching a spot on one’s shoulder, washing one’s hands, checking the locks on doors

Hoarding

Persistent difficulty discarding or parting with personal possessions, even those of apparently useless or limited value.

Major depression

Depressed mood and/or loss of interest or pleasure in most or all activities.

Bipolar disorder

Periods of mania usually alternate irregularly with periods of severe depression.

Bipolar I disorder

Mood disorder characterized by extremely elevated moods during manic episodes.

Bipolar II disorder

Mood disorder characterized by alternating periods of extremely depressed and mildly elevated moods.

Schizophrenia

A psychological disorder characterized by extreme alterations in thought, in perceptions, and /or in consciousness, resulting in a break from reality, so the person experiences psychosis.

Delusions

False beliefs based on incorrect inferences about reality

Hallucinations

False sensory perceptions that are experienced without an external source.

Disorganized speech

Speaking in an incoherent way that involves frequently changing topics and saying strange or inappropriate things.

Disorganized behavior

Acting in strange or unusual ways, including strange movement of limbs and inappropriate self-care, such as failing to dress properly or bathe

Negative symptoms

Symptoms of schizophrenia that are marked by deficits in functioning, such as apathy, lack of emotion, and slowed speech and movement.

Personality Disorders

Personalities that have developed improperly, beginning early in life, disturbing to the person or to others, very difficult to treat

Paranoid personality disorder

Pervasive pattern of mistrust and suspiciousness regarding others' motives

Schizoid personality disorder

Socially isolated, emotionally cold, indifferent to others

Schizotypal personality disorder

Peculiar thoughts and behaviors; poor interpersonal relationships

Antisocial personality disorder

Failure to conform to social or legal codes; lack of anxiety and guilt; irresponsible behaviors

Borderline personality disorder

Intense fluctuations in mood, self-image, and interpersonal relationships

Histrionic personality disorder

Self-dramatization, exaggerated emotional expression, and seductive, provocative or attention-seeking behaviors

Narcissistic personality disorder

Exaggerated sense of self-importance; exploitative behavior; lack of empathy

Avoidant personality disorder

Pervasive social inhibition; fear of rejection and humiliation

Dependent personality disorder

Excessive dependence on others; inability to assume responsibilities; submissive

Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder

Perfectionism; controlling interpersonal behavior; devotion to details; rigidity

Autism spectrum disorder

A developmental disorder characterized by deficits in social interaction, by impaired communication, and by restricted, repetitive behavior and interests

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)

A disorder characterized by excessive activity or fidgeting, inattentiveness, and impulsivity

DSM-I

The first edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.

Classification system

The process of identifying and grouping mental disorders based on their symptoms and characteristics.

Anxiety

Feelings of apprehension, dread, or unease that can occur in response to stress.

Rape Trauma Syndrome

A syndrome characterized by flashbacks, nightmares, and intrusive thoughts related to a traumatic event.

Mania

Euphoric state or exaggerated sense of well-being.

Negative Cognitive Triad

A pattern of negative thoughts about oneself, the world, and the future.

Positive symptoms

Symptoms of schizophrenia that are marked by excesses in functioning, such as delusions, hallucinations, and disorganized speech or behavior.

sensory perception

A false perception in which a person has a sensory experience (e.g., seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, or feeling something) without an external source.

Impulsivity

Problems with impulse control, or regulating behavior.

Genetics

Runs in families, and genetics clearly plays a role in the development of the disorder.

Learning Tip Table 14.1

The table that helps you understand the limitations of the four specific criteria for determining when emotions, thoughts, and/or behaviors are disordered.

DSM-5 Symptoms for Schizophrenia

A diagnosis of schizophrenia requires a person to show two or more of these symptoms, including at least one of the first three symptoms listed.