Understanding Psychological Disorders and Their Impact

Mental Illness

1 in 2 Canadians face mental illness by 40.

Disease Burden

Collective costs of mental health issues.

Economic Disease Burden

51 billion dollars/year lost in healthcare.

Wait Times

Healthcare wait times can exceed 6 months.

Lost Productivity

Increased absenteeism due to mental health issues.

Progressive Attitudes

Changing perceptions towards mental health support.

Continuum of Mental Health

Spectrum from normal to abnormal mental states.

Abnormal Behavior

Indicators of psychological disorder through deviance.

Deviance

Violation of social norms indicating abnormal behavior.

Maladaptive Behavior

Impairment in life areas due to behavior.

Personal Distress

Emotional torment from mental health issues.

Diagnostic System

Framework for diagnosing psychological disorders.

DSM-5

Manual detailing symptoms and treatments for disorders.

Med Student Syndrome

Hypervigilance about personal health post-symptom learning.

Epidemiology

Study of disorder distribution in populations.

Prevalence

Percentage of population with a disorder at a time.

Etiology

Study of causes and development of disorders.

Prognosis

Forecast of an illness's probable course.

Stigmatization

Reduced status due to perceived deficiencies.

Anxiety Disorders

Disorders characterized by excessive apprehension and anxiety.

Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Free-floating anxiety across multiple life areas.

Specific Phobia

Irrational fear of specific objects or situations.

Anxiety

Fear linked to a specific stimulus or situation.

Adaptive Fear

Fear that aids survival and species continuation.

Impairment

Difficulty functioning in daily tasks due to fear.

Phobia

Intense fear that disrupts normal functioning.

Animal Type Phobia

Fear of specific animals, e.g., dogs.

Natural Environment Type Phobia

Fear of natural elements, e.g., heights.

Blood-Injection-Injury Type Phobia

Fear of medical procedures like needles.

Situational Type Phobia

Fear of specific situations, e.g., elevators.

Other Type Phobia

Fear of unspecified stimuli, e.g., vomiting.

Conditioning

Learning fear through negative experiences.

Vicarious Learning

Learning fear by observing others' experiences.

Panic Disorder

Recurrent, unexpected panic attacks.

Panic Attack Symptoms

Includes heart rate increase and dizziness.

Anticipatory Anxiety

Fear of future panic attacks.

Social Anxiety Disorder

Fear of humiliation in social situations.

Diagnosis Duration

Symptoms must persist for 6 months.

Agoraphobia

Fear of public spaces due to panic risk.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Characterized by obsessions and compulsions.

Obsessive Component

Unwanted, intrusive thoughts causing distress.

Compulsive Component

Rituals performed to alleviate obsession anxiety.

Ritual Types

Includes checking, washing, and repeating behaviors.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Anxiety after experiencing a major trauma.

Genetic Factors

Heritability plays a role in anxiety disorders.

Childhood Trauma

Early adverse experiences contribute to anxiety.

Anxiety

Experiencing heightened arousal post-event.

Stressor

Event causing psychological trauma symptoms.

Intrusion Symptoms

Reexperiencing trauma through nightmares or flashbacks.

Avoidance

Motivation to evade trauma reminders and triggers.

Negative Cognitions

Adopting negative attitudes towards self and others.

Survivor Guilt

Feeling guilt for surviving when others did not.

Alterations in Arousal

Increased irritability or aggression post-trauma.

Heightened Startle Response

Exaggerated reaction to unexpected stimuli.

Duration of Symptoms

Symptoms must persist for at least one month.

Complex PTSD

Not in DSM-V; involves severe emotional dysregulation.

Affective Dysregulation

Excessive reactivity to negative emotional stimuli.

Negative Sense of Self

Persistent feelings of shame, guilt, and worthlessness.

Bipolar I Disorder

Characterized by mania and possible major depression.

Bipolar II Disorder

Hypomania and depression, requiring depressive episodes.

Cyclothymic Disorder

Chronic mood fluctuations without severe episodes.

Major Depressive Disorder

Intense depression lasting at least two weeks.

Persistent Depressive Disorder

Chronic, less intense depression lasting over two years.

Seasonal Affective Disorder

Depression linked to seasonal changes.

Postpartum Depression

Depression occurring after childbirth.

Mean Episodes of Depression

Average of 5-6 depressive episodes in a lifetime.

Dissociative PTSD

PTSD with dissociative symptoms, complicating diagnosis.

Natural Disaster Trauma

Less likely to cause PTSD than human trauma.

Cyclothymia

Milder mood disorder with hypomania and depressive symptoms.

Seasonal Affective Disorder

Depression linked to seasonal changes and light exposure.

Winter Blues

Mild depression during winter months, varies by latitude.

Postpartum Depression

Depression in new mothers, affecting 10-15% of cases.

Genetic Factors

Hereditary influences on the development of mood disorders.

Concordance

Percentage of relatives sharing the same disorder.

Neurotransmitter Imbalances

Chemical imbalances, primarily serotonin, linked to depression.

Cognitive Triad

Negative views of self, world, and future in depression.

Learned Helplessness

Perception of lack of control leads to depression.

Attributional Style

Patterns of explaining life events, optimistic vs pessimistic.

Internal Attribution

Blaming oneself for negative events in depression.

Stable Attribution

Belief that negative circumstances will always persist.

Global Attribution

Viewing negative events as affecting all aspects of life.

Rumination

Excessive focus on symptoms, worsening depression severity.

Ideal Self vs Actual Self

Discrepancy causing psychological symptoms, including depression.

Social Media Impact

Over 3 hours daily linked to poorer mental health.

Riehm et al. Study

Research on social media's effects on teen mental health.

Ambivalence in Motherhood

New mothers may feel overwhelmed, not joyful.

Stigma of Postpartum Depression

Negative societal beliefs hinder diagnosis and treatment.

Brain Imaging Techniques

Methods to assess brain activity related to depression.

Evolving Serotonin Hypothesis

Recent doubts about serotonin's sole role in depression.

Psychological Discrepancy Reduction

Goal to align ideal and actual self to alleviate symptoms.

Social Media Consumption

Timing and context affect social media impact.

Online Activity Nature

Type of activities influences mood and well-being.

Dissociative Disorder

Psychological disturbances causing loss of reality.

Dissociative Amnesia

Sudden, extensive memory loss beyond normal forgetfulness.

Selective Amnesia

Memory loss related to specific events or people.

Dissociative Fugue

Amnesia with travel and new identity establishment.

Dissociative Identity Disorder

Presence of two or more distinct personalities.

Host Personality

Most frequently manifested personality in DID.

Alters

Less frequent personalities in dissociative identity disorder.

Trauma Dissociation Theory

Trauma causes personality fragmentation into alters.