Midterms: Lesson 2 - An Integrative Approach to Psychopathology

Systemic

It implies that any particular influence contributing to psychopathology cannot be considered out of context.

Gregor Johann Mendel

• The father of Genetics

• Was a scientist, Augustinian friar and abbot of St. Thomas’ Abbey in Brno.

• He demonstrated that inheritance occurs through genes.

Genes

Are units of heredity that maintain their structural identity from one generation to another.

• Can be dominant, recessive, or intermediate.

Deoxyribonucleic Acid

• Contains the genetic instruction of organisms.

• Double-Stranded

• Adenine-Guanine-Cytosine-Thymine (A-G-C-T)

Ribonucleic Acid

• Serves as the link between DNA and the synthesis of protein products during translation.

• Single-stranded

• Adenine-Guanine-Cytosine-Uracil (A-G-C-U)

Dominant Gene

Shows strong effect in either heterozygous or homozygous conditions.

Recessive Gene

Shows effect in homogenous condition only.

Diathesis

A predisposition or Vulnerability

• Inherited predisposition to develop the disorder.

Stress

Examples include:

• Prenatal Trauma

• Childhood Sexual or Physical Abuse

• Family Conflict

• Significant Life Changes

Development of the Disorder

The stronger the diathesis, the less stress is necessary to produce the disorder.

• Psychological Disorder

The Diathesis-Stress Model

Diathesis + Stress = Development of the Disorder

Gene-Environment Correlation Model

This model states that Genetic Factors and Environmental Factors both associations to depression.

• Central Nervous System

• Peripheral Nervous System

• Autonomic Nervous System

• Somatic Nervous System

The Nervous System

Central Nervous System

The brain and the spinal cord.

Peripheral Nervous System

Connects the brain and the spinal cord.

Autonomic Nervous System

Controls the heart, intestines, and other organs.

Somatic Nervous System

Consists of the axons conveying messages from the sense organs to the CNS and from the CNS to the muscles.

Major Depressive Disorder

People with this disorder feel sad and helpless most of the day, every day for weeks at a time. They can hardly even imagine enjoying anything.

• Tricyclic

• Selective Serotonin Reuptake Inhibitor (SSRI)

• Serotonin Norepinephrine Reuptake Inhibitor (SNRI)

• Monoamine Oxidase Inhibitors (MAOI)

• Atypical Depressants

What are the medications for Major Depressive Disorder?

• Depending on the pairing of serotonin transporter genes.

• Increased activity in the right prefrontal cortex.

What are some biological causes for Major Depressive Disorder?

Schizophrenia

To be diagnosed with this disorder, one must have deteriorated in everyday functioning (work, interpersonal relations, self-care, etc.) for at least 6 months for reasons not attributable to other disorders.

• Hallucinations (False Perceptions)

• Delusions (False Beliefs)

• Disorganized thinking/speech/movement

What are the positive symptoms of Schizophrenia?

• Avolition - Loss of Motivation

• Affective Flattening - Shows very little emotion

• Alogia - Their speech might be very short or lack detail

• Anhedonia - Loss of pleasure

• Asociality - Antisocial

What are the negative symptoms of Schizophrenia?

• Neuroleptics

• Drugs

  • Phenothiazines which include chlorpromazine

  • Butyrophenones which include haloperidol

What are the First generation medications for Schizophrenia?

• Atypical Antipsychotics

  • Clozapine

  • Amisulpride

  • Riseperidone

  • Olanzapine

  • Aripiprazole

What are the Second generation medications for Schizophrenia?

Observational Learning

Bandura believes that observation allows people to learn without performing any behavior.

• When people learn new things just by watching others, without having to do it themselves

Modeling

Learning through ____ involves adding and subtracting from the observed behavior and generalizing from one observation to another.

Prepared Learning

We have become highly prepared for learning about certain types of objects or situations over the course of evolution because this knowledge contributes to the survival of the species.

• Our brains are naturally ready to learn certain things because they help us stay safe and survive.

  • We easily learn to be afraid of snakes because, a long time ago, knowing that snakes can be dangerous helped people survive.

Learned Helplessness

A state that occurs after a person has experienced a stressful situation repeatedly.

• When someone feels like they can’t change a bad situation because they’ve tried before and nothing worked.

  • If a student keeps failing math tests despite studying hard, they might stop trying because they believe they’ll always fail no matter what.

Learned Optimism

Involves developing the ability to view the world from a positive point of view.

• Trains themselves to think more positively about things.

  • If someone doesn’t get the job they wanted, instead of feeling down, they might think, “This just means a better job is out there for me.”

Blind sight or Unconscious Vision

Accurately reach and distinguish objects perform most of the functions usually associated with sight even if the person lost the sense of sight.

• When someone who is blind can still sense and respond to things around them without actually seeing them.

  • A blind person might be able to avoid obstacles in a hallway even though they can’t see them.

Implicit Memory

Apparent when someone clearly acts on the basis of things that have happened in the past but can’t remember the events. (A good memory for events is called explicit memory) But can be selective for only certain events or circumstances.

• When someone remembers how to do something or reacts to something because of past experiences, but they don’t consciously remember the specific event.

  • You might know hot to ride a bike even if you don’t remember when or how you learned to ride it.

Flight or Fight response

• The alarm reaction that activates during potentially life-threatening emergencies

• Your body’s quick reaction to danger, making you ready to either fight or run away.

  • If a dog suddenly starts barking and chasing you, your heart might race, and you either prepare to defend yourself or run away.

Mood

• A more persistent period of affect or emotionality.

• Is a feeling that lasts for a while, like being happy or sad.

  • If a dog suddenly starts barking and chasing you, your heart might race, and you either prepare to defend yourself or run away.

Affect (Positive/Negative)

• Refers to the momentary emotional tone that accompanies what we say or do.

• The quick emotion you feel and show when doing or saying something.

  • If you smile while telling a joke, that’s a positive affect. If you frown after hearing bad news, that’s a negative affect.

Anger and Your Heart

• Sustained hostility with angry outbursts and repeatedly and continually suppressing anger contributes more strongly to death from heart disease than other well-known risk factors, including smoking, high blood pressure, and high cholesterol levels. 

• Holding onto anger or having frequent angry outbursts is very bad for your heart, even worse than smoking or having high blood pressure.

  • If someone is always getting angry and never letting it go, they might have a higher chance of having a heart attack.

Gender

The likelihood of you having a particular disorder is powerfully influenced by your ____

“The End of History” Illusion

A cognitive bias that makes us think that we will change very little in the years to come.

• When people believe they won’t change much in the future, even though they probably will.

The Principle of Equifinality

• Used in developmental psychopathology to indicate that we must consider a number of paths to a given outcome.

• Research on “resilient” children, which suggests that social factors may protect some children from being hurt by stressful experiences, such as one or both parents suffering a psychiatric disturbance.

  • There are many different ways to reach the same outcome

  • Kids can become successful adults in various ways, even if they face challenges like having a parent with mental health issues. Some might find support from friends or teachers, while others might rely on their own strengths.