EXAM 2 psychopathology

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

A mental health condition triggered by experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event, characterized by symptoms such as flashbacks, avoidance, and heightened anxiety.

Acute stress disorder

A stress-related disorder; symptoms develop shortly after a traumatic event and last for at least 2 days.

Flight or flight response

A physiological reaction to a perceived threat, activated by the sympathetic nervous system.

Prolonged exposure therapy

A treatment for PTSD that involves repeated exposure to trauma-related stimuli in a safe environment.

Critical Incident Stress Debriefing

A treatment for PTSD that has the least empirical support for its efficacy despite its popularity.

Yerkes-Dodson Curve

A graph illustrating the relationship between arousal and performance, showing that performance increases with arousal up to a point, after which it declines.

Fear

An unpleasant feeling triggered by the perception of danger, whether real or imagined.

Anxiety

A future-oriented emotional response characterized by worry and apprehension about potential threats that have not yet happened.

Panic attack

An intense fear response occurring without any apparent reason, often described as unexpected or uncued.

Phobia

An intense fear response to a specific object or situation.

Obsessions

Recurrent and persistent thoughts, urges, or images that cause marked anxiety.

Compulsions

Repetitive behaviors or mental acts performed in response to an obsession or according to rigid rules.

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)

A disorder characterized by excessive anxiety and worry about various events or activities persisting for at least 6 months.

Major Depressive Episode

A period in which a person experiences a loss of interest or pleasure in nearly all activities or fails to respond to usually pleasurable stimuli.

Bipolar 2 Disorder

A milder form of bipolar disorder characterized by episodes of hypomania and major depressive episodes.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

A form of psychotherapy that aims to change patterns of thinking or behavior that contribute to a person's difficulties.

Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation

A non-invasive procedure that uses magnetic fields to stimulate nerve cells in the brain, commonly used for depression.

Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT)

A treatment for severe depression involving brief electrical currents to the brain, resulting in temporary seizures.

Hopelessness theory

A cognitive style where individuals make negative inferences about stressful life events, leading to a depressed state.