psychological disorders

week 12

labelling theory

the theory that psychiatric diagnosis is a way of labelling individuals a society considers deviant

mental health

the capacity of individuals to behave in ways that promote their emotional & social wellbeing

mental health problems

include the wide range of emotional and behavioural abnormalities that affect people throughout their lives

• covers cognitive impairments, phobias, panic attacks

mental disorder

the existence of a clinically recognisable set of symptoms and behaviors that cause distress to the individual and impair their ability to function

suicide

the act/instance of a person ending their life

neuroses

are problems in living, such as phobias, constant self-doubt and repetitive interpersonal problems such as trouble with authority figures

personality disorders

are characterised by enduring maladaptive patterns of thought, feeling and behaviour that lead to chronic disturbances in interpersonal and occupational functioning

psychodynamic formulation

a set of hypotheses about the patient's personality structure and the meaning of the symptom

descriptive diagnosis

a classification of mental disorders in terms of clinical syndromes

clinical syndromes

a constellation of symptoms that tend to occur together

multiaxial system of diagnosis

the system used in DSM-5 that places mental disorders in their social and biological context, assessing the patient on 5 axes

attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)

a disorder typically characterised by inattention, impulsiveness and hyperactivity inappropriate for a person’s age

major depressive disorder

characterised by depressed mood and loss of interest in pleasurable activities (anhedonia)

• includes disturbances in appetite, sleep, energy level and concentration

persistent depressive disorder

refers to a chronic low-level depression lasting more than two years, with intervals of normal moods that never last more than a few weeks or months

• aka ‘dysthymia’

seasonal affective disorder (SAD)

a depressive syndrome whereby mood and behavior changes occur w/ regular seasonal climatic variation

theories of depression

• genetics

• neural transmission

• environmental factors

• cognitive

• theories

• psychodynamic theories

anxiety disorders

disorders characterised by intense, frequent/continuous anxiety, which may lead to disruptive avoidance behaviour

generalised anxiety disorder

characterised by persistent anxiety at a moderate but disturbing level and excessive and unrealistic worry about life circumstances

social anxiety disorder

a marked fear that occurs when the person is in a specific social or performance situation

• such as intense public speaking anxiety

• common type off phobia

panic disorder

is characterised by attacks of intense fear and feelings of doom or terror not justified by the situation.

• attacks typically include physiological symptoms such as shortness of breath, dizziness, heart palpitations, trembling and chest pains

agoraphobia

a fear of being in places or situations from which escape might be difficult, such as crowded grocery stores or elevators

obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)

is marked by recurrent obsessions and compulsions that cause severe distress and significantly interfere with an individual's life

obsessions

are persistent irrational thoughts or ideas, such as the notion that a terrible accident is about to occur to a loved one

compulsions

are intentional behaviours or mental acts performed in response to an obsession and in a stereotyped fashion, often

post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

an anxiety disorder characterised by symptoms such as flashbacks and recurrent thoughts of psychologically distressing event outside the normal range of experience

personality

refers to enduring patterns of thought, feeling, motivation and behaviour that are activated in particular circumstances

e.g., when interacting with peers, authority figures and others

borderline personality disorder (BPD)

a personality disorder characterised by extremely unstable interpersonal relationships, dramatic mood swings, an unstable sense of identity

• intense fears of abandonment, manipulativeness and impulsive behaviour

antisocial personality disorder

a personality disorder marked by irresponsible and socially disruptive behaviour in a variety of areas

• symptoms include stealing and destroying property, lack of empathy