Psych Disorders

Level of dysfunction

Interferes in a way that impacts how they want to live their life (eg. spending time with friends & going to work).

Perception of distress

A feeling of worry that induces anxiety (eg. not cleaning your room causes anxiety)

Deviation from social norms

Doesn’t match society’s typical behavior (ex. cleaning your room several times a day).

Psychopathology

The scientific study of the origins, symptoms, and development of psychological disorders (study of the “sickness of the mind”).

Medical model/biological perspective

Mental disorders have physical causes that can be diagnosed, treated, and in most cases cured, often through hospital treatment.

Biopsychosocial model

Mental disorders are a result of interactions among biological, psychological, and social factors. Different individuals may experience a similar psychological disorder for different reasons.

Diathesis-stress model

Emphasizes how individual vulnerabilities interact with external stressors or circumstances or produce specific mental disorders.

• A person may be predisposed to a mental disorder that remains unexpressed until triggered by stress (challenges faced in our lives).

Psychotherapist

Has a PhD; works with clients as a talk therapist.

Psychiatrist

Has a medical degree (MD); may prescribe medication. Generally operates from the medical model.

American Psychiatric Association (APA)

This association developed the DSM of mental disorders!

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)

This manual standardized criteria and descriptions of symptoms for each disorder. Serves as a common language for clinicians to communicate about patient diagnoses.

International Classification of Mental Disorders (ICD)

Used by the World Health Organization; consistent language among 117 countries.

David Rosenhan’s Experiment

Aimed to test how well psychologists could reliably diagnose mental disorders and what the patient experience was like. This experiment and paper published in 1970 led to changes to the DSM and care.

Anxiety disorders

Class of disorders marked by feelings of excessive apprehension and fear. These disorders compromise attentional control and have a significant comorbidity with depression.

Generalized anxiety disorder

Chronic excessive worry that erodes self-confidence so that simple decisions are fraught with dire consequences. Symptoms happen most days and last for 6+ months.

• Physical manifestations may include perspiration, twitching, trembling, and high blood pressure.

Phobic disorder

Exaggerated, unrealistic fear or an avoidance of a specific situation, activity, or object. Symptoms must limit a person’s ability to function and last for at least 6 months.

Social anxiety disorder

Fear or avoidance of social situations that involve possible scrutiny and negative evaluation by others.

Panic disorder

Recurring sudden panic attacks (rapid-onset), periods of intense fear, and feelings of impending doom. This disorder is accompanied by physiological symptoms including a racing heart rate, chest pain, shortness of breath and dizziness.

• Involves fear of the next attack and can lead to agoraphobia.

Agoraphobia

Anxiety disorder characterized by intense fear and avoidance of situations where escape may be difficult or help unavailable.

Culture-bound syndrome

A pattern of mental illness, distress, and/or symptoms that is unique to a certain ethnic or cultural population and doesn’t conform to standard classifications of psychiatric disorders.

Ataque de Nervios (ADN)

An attack of the nerves; characterized by symptoms such as trembling, convulsions, uncontrollable screaming, and shouting feelings of loss of control. Also described as an idiom of distress common in the Caribbean region and Americas.

Taijin kyofusho (TKS)

A social anxiety disorder involving an intense fear of offending or embarrassing others. Also known as “anthropophobia”/“phobia of interpersonal relations”; mainly diagnosed in Japan.

Phobic disorders

An umbrella term for disorders involving fear of animals, natural environment, blood/injury/medical issues, specific situations, and more.

Preparedness theory

Idea that people are instinctively predisposed toward certain fears.

Acrophobia

Fear of heights

Arachnophobia

Fear of spiders

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

Characterized by repetitive, intrusive thoughts and ritualistic behaviors designed to fend off those thoughts. Classified separately from anxiety disorders.

Hoarding Disorder

Difficulty getting rid of or parting with possessions due to a perceived need to save the items. Attempts to part with possessions create distress and lead to decisions to save them.

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Disorder where a person who has experienced a traumatic or life-threatening event has symptoms such as nightmares, flashbacks, insomnia, intrusive memories, and increased physiological arousal.

Major depressive disorder (anhedonia)

Disturbances in emotion (excessive sadness), behavior (loss of interest in one’s usual activities), cognition (thoughts of hopelessness and inability to concentrate), and body function (fatigue and loss of appetite). Symptoms persist 2 weeks.

Persistent depressive disorder (dysthymia)

A chronic, low-grade, depressed or irritable mood for at least one year. 2 symptoms for 2 years or more.

Bipolar disorder

Characterized by a person alternating between the despair and lethargy of depression and a state of extreme euphoria, excitement, physical energy, wild optimism, and rapid thoughts and speech.

Bipolar I

Manic episode: may or may not have depressive episode

Bipolar II

Major depressive episode and at least one hypomaniac episode

Helplessness theory

Individuals who are prone to depression automatically attribute negative experiences to causes that are internal, stable, and global.

Odd/Eccentric

Cluster A of Personality Disorders:

Dramatic/Erratic

Cluster B of Personality Disorders:

Anxious/Fearful

Cluster C of Personality Disorders:

Dissociative disorders

Conscious awareness becomes separated (dissociated) from previous memories, thoughts, and feelings. Believed to be the result of extreme stress.

Dissociative identity disorder (DID)

Rare dissociative disorder where a person exhibits two or more distinct and alternating identities each with its own name and traits.

Dissociative amnesia

Involves not being able to recall information about oneself (not normal forgetting).

Dissociative fugue (fog)

Individual suddenly and unexpectedly takes physical leave of their surroundings and sets off on a journey of some kind. Journeys vary. In a fugue state a person is unaware of or confused about their identity and may experience amnesia.

Schizophrenia spectrum disorders

Characterized by delusions, hallucinations, disorganized and incoherent speech, inappropriate behavior, and cognitive impairment.

Chronic schizophrenia

When the onset of schizophrenia is slow to develop. As people age, psychotic episodes last longer and recovery periods shorten.

Acute schizophrenia

When schizophrenia rapidly develops. However, recovery is better: includes extended periods of recovery.

Dopamine hypothesis

Schizophrenia involves an excess of dopamine activity (however, the precise role of neurotransmitters in schizophrenia has yet to be totally determined).

Positive symptoms

When behaviors are present

Negative symptoms

When actions or feelings are absent

Psychosis

Disturbance of perception/reality with irrational behavior. Delusions and hallucinations are symptoms of this state.

Hallucinations

False perceptual experiences (most common is auditory)

Delusions

False beliefs in thinking.

Word salad

Jumbled ideas that don’t make any sense.

Catatonic behavior (positive)

Body overactivity and excitement.

Catatonic behavior (negative)

Stupor overactivity where body resists movement altogether.

Neurodevelopmental disorders

A group of conditions with onset in the developmental period (eg. ASD and ADHD).

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

Pervasive social communication and social interaction challenges; presence of restricted repetitive behavior, interests, or activities.

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)

People with this disorder show a persistent pattern of inattention and/or hyperactivity—impulsivity that interferes with functioning or development.

Paranoid personality disorder

Distrust and suspiciousness of others.

Schizoid personality disorder

Detachment from social relationships and restricted range of expression of emotion.

Schizotypal

Discomfort with close relationships; cognitive and perceptual distortions.

Antisocial personality disorder

Characterized by a lifelong pattern of being impulsive, irresponsible, and having a disregard for others or social norms in an attempt to keep control.

Borderline personality disorder

Pattern of instability in interpersonal relationships, self-image, and emotion, as well as marked impulsivity. Chronic feelings of emptiness, intense fear of abandonment and attempts to control relationships. Motivated by fear of abandonment and rejection; strong relationship between trauma and this disroder.

Histrionic personality disorder

Excessive emotionality and attention-seeking, needs approval for self-esteem. Motivated by desire for attention, whether the attention is negative or positive.

Narcissistic personality disorder

Grandiosity, need for admiration and positive attention, and lack of empathy.

Avoidant personality disorder

Avoids social interaction due to fear of rejection; feelings of inadequacy.

Dependent personality disorder

Excessive need to be taken care of.

Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder

Preoccupation with orderliness and perfectionism at the expense of flexibility. (Unlike OCD, there is little to no self-awareness of this).