Overview of Psychopathology and Mental Disorders

Psychopathology

mental disorder

Deviant

represents a serious departure from social and cultural norms of behavior, not normal.

Maladaptive

dysfunctional behavior that interferes with a person's ability to function normally in one or more important areas of life.

Distressful

unpleasant feelings or emotions that impact a person's level of functioning.

Medical model

a way of helping people with abnormal behavior: diagnose, treat, cure.

DSM-5

The book used for classifying psychological disorders by medical professionals.

ICD-10

International Classification of Diseases, Tenth edition, a manual put out by the World Health Organization of the United Nations to help mental professionals classify disorders.

Neurodevelopmental Disorders

characterized by developmental deficits that produce impairments of personal, social, academic or occupational functioning.

Autism Spectrum Disorder

a group of developmental disabilities that can cause significant social, communication and behavioral challenges.

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder

characterized by a pattern of behavior, present in multiple settings (e.g., school and home), that can result in performance issues in social, educational, or work settings.

Schizophrenia

characterized by abnormal thinking, perceptions, and losing touch with reality.

Delusions

a bizarre or farfetched belief that continues in spite of competing contradictory evidence.

Delusions of reference

believing that hidden messages are being sent to you via newspaper, TV, radio, or magazines.

Delusions of grandeur

believing you are someone very powerful or important, such as Napoleon.

Delusions of persecution

believing that spies, aliens, the government, or even your neighbors are plotting against you.

Hallucinations

a false or distorted perception that seems vividly real to the person experiencing it.

Positive symptoms

characteristics of schizophrenia that are added to a person's personality, such as hallucinations, delusions, inappropriate emotions, and word salad.

Negative symptoms

characteristics of schizophrenia that are taken away from a person's personality, such as flattening of the emotions and speech, apathy, a general disinterest in life and social withdrawal.

Chronic (process) schizophrenia

characterized by long periods of symptom development and negative symptoms of schizophrenia, such as flat affect. Does not appear to be related to life stressors.

Acute (reactive) schizophrenia

may occur at any time during life, usually surfaces in response to stress or a major emotional event.

Genetic basis for schizophrenia

the risk of developing schizophrenia increases if there is schizophrenia in the family.

Dopamine hypothesis

over activity of certain dopamine neurons may cause some forms of schizophrenia, especially those that involve hallucinations and delusions. Antipsychotic medications block the excess dopamine activity to reduce the hallucinations and delusions.

Diathesis-stress model

people inherit a predisposition or diathesis that increases their risk of schizophrenia; stressful life experiences then trigger schizophrenic episodes.

Viral effects

mothers who catch certain viruses, such as the flu, while pregnant may increase the risk of brain abnormalities in babies leading to schizophrenia.

Bipolar and Related Disorders

includes changes in mood and changes in activity or energy.

Bipolar I disorder

one experiences repeated episodes of both mania and depression.

Bipolar II disorder

one never develops severe mania, but instead experiences hypomania — mild to moderate mania that doesn't usually lead to as much disruptive behavior as severe mania. Bipolar II disorder occurs when episodes of hypomania alternate with depression.

Rapid-cycling Bipolar disorder

leads to especially frequent episodes of mania, hypomania or depression — at least four episodes in a given year.

Cyclothymia

hypomania alternates with episodes of mild depression over at least a two-year period.

Depressive Disorders

includes disorders that have the presence of sad, empty, or irritable mood, accompanied by somatic and cognitive changes that significantly affect the individual's capacity to function.

Major depressive disorder

characterized by a lasting and continuous depressed mood.

Persistent depressive disorder (Dysthymia)

a chronic form of depression that lasts for at least two years.

Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder

a childhood condition of extreme irritability, anger, and frequent, intense temper outbursts.

Premenstrual dysphoric disorder

a severe form of premenstrual syndrome (PMS) that significantly impairs daily functioning.

Symptoms of mania

may include elated mood, profound irritability, racing thoughts, feelings of undue power, feelings of self-importance, reckless spending of money, alcohol and/or drug abuse, engaging in unsafe sex.

Symptoms of depression

may include sadness, lack of interest in things that were once enjoyable, disinterest in interacting with others, difficulty concentrating, frequent crying episodes, feelings of guilt or worthlessness, changes in appetite or weight, headaches, backaches, or digestive problems, insomnia, thoughts about death or suicide.

Major Depression

Approximately 10% of those suffering major depression attempt suicide, but it is not until they are coming out of their depression.

Dysthymia

A type of depression in which the symptoms are not as severe as major depression. It is characterized by chronic sadness, loss of interest in activities, and low energy.

Anxiety Disorders

Includes disorders that share features of excessive fear and anxiety and related behavioral disturbances.

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)

Characterized by persistent, uncontrollable, and ongoing apprehension about a wide range of life situations. The cause of the anxiety cannot be pinpointed. GAD can cause chronic fatigue and irritability. It affects twice as many women as men.

Social Anxiety Disorder

A type of anxiety disorder characterized by intense fear or anxiety in social situations.

Separation Anxiety Disorder

A type of anxiety disorder characterized by excessive fear or anxiety concerning separation from those to whom the individual is attached.

Panic Disorder

Characterized by sudden episodes of extreme anxiety and panic attacks. The attacks can last from 30 seconds to 1 minute and involve a pounding heart, rapid breathing, sudden dizziness, a feeling of lightheadedness, choking, sweating, vomiting, and diarrhea.

Phobias

Characterized by a strong, irrational fear of specific objects or situations that are normally considered harmless.

Ex. 1. Mysophobia: fear of germs

2. Claustrophobia: fear of closed spaces

3. Hemophobia: fear of blood

Agoraphobia

Fear of public places and open places.

Phobias

Characterized by a strong, irrational fear of specific objects or situations that are normally considered harmless.

Mysophobia

Fear of germs.

Claustrophobia

Fear of closed spaces.

Hemophobia

Fear of blood.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

Characterized by persistent, repetitive, and unwanted thoughts (obsessions) and behaviors (compulsions). In order to relieve the anxiety-provoking thoughts, one performs behaviors, or rituals.

Body Dysmorphic Disorder

A disorder characterized by an obsessive focus on a perceived flaw in appearance.

Hoarding

A disorder characterized by the persistent difficulty discarding or parting with possessions, regardless of their actual value.

Trichotillomania

A disorder characterized by the recurrent, irresistible urges to pull out hair from the scalp, eyebrows, or other areas of the body.

Excoriation

A disorder characterized by the repetitive and compulsive picking of the skin.

Trauma and Stressor Related Disorders

Includes disorders in which people are exposed to a traumatic or stressful event that causes certain behaviors or thoughts.

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Characterized by intense feelings of anxiety, horror, and helplessness after experiencing a traumatic event such as a violent crime, military combat, or natural disaster. People who suffer from PTSD can experience flashbacks, nightmares, depression, uncontrollable crying, irritability, and an inability to concentrate and maintain relationships.

Dissociative Disorders

Disorders of consciousness in which a person appears to experience a sudden loss of memory or a change of identity.

Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID)

Characterized by the presence of two or more distinct personalities in the same individual. Each personality has its own name, unique memories, behaviors, and self-image.

Depersonalization/Derealization Disorder

A disorder characterized by persistent or recurrent feelings of detachment from one's body or mental processes.

Dissociative Amnesia

A disorder characterized by an inability to recall important personal information, usually of a traumatic or stressful nature.

Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID)

Each personality has its own name, unique memories, behaviors, and self-image. DID usually occurs from a traumatic childhood event.

Depersonalization/Derealization Disorder

Characterized by a person feeling detached from his/her body.

Dissociative Amnesia

Characterized by a partial or total inability to recall past experiences and important information, typically in response to a traumatic event or stressful situation.

Dissociative Fugue

Characterized by suddenly and inexplicably leaving home and taking on a completely new identity with no memory of a former life.

Somatic Symptom and Related Disorders

Characterized by physical complaints or conditions which are caused by psychological factors.

Somatic Symptom Disorder

A type of somatic symptom and related disorder.

Illness Anxiety Disorder

An exaggerated concern about health and illness, frequently meeting with doctors and constantly reading about health symptoms.

Conversion Disorder

Characterized by paralysis, blindness, deafness, or other loss of sensation, but with no discernable physical cause.

Factitious Disorder

A type of somatic symptom and related disorder.

Personality Disorders

An enduring pattern of inner experience and behavior that deviates from the expectations of the individual's culture.

Paranoid Personality Disorder

Characterized by high levels of suspiciousness of the motives and intentions of others without the outright paranoid delusions associated with paranoid schizophrenia.

Schizoid Personality Disorder

Characterized by being aloof and distant from others, with shallow or blunted emotions.

Schizotypal Personality Disorder

Characterized by odd thinking, often being suspicious and hostile, and having difficulties in establishing close social relationships.

Histrionic Personality Disorder

Characterized by being excessively dramatic, egocentric, and seeking attention.

Narcissistic Personality Disorder

Characterized by being unrealistically self-important, manipulative, lacking empathy, and not being able to take criticism.

Borderline Personality Disorder

Characterized by being emotionally unstable, impulsive, unpredictable, irritable, and prone to boredom.

Antisocial Personality Disorder

Characterized by violating other people's rights without guilt or remorse, being manipulative, exploitive, self-indulgent, and irresponsible.

Avoidant Personality Disorder

Characterized by being excessively sensitive to potential rejection and humiliation.

Dependent Personality Disorder

Characterized by excessively lacking in self-confidence, subordinating one's own needs, and allowing others to make all decisions.

Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder

Characterized by usually being preoccupied with rules, schedules, and details, being extremely conventional, serious, and emotionally insensitive.

Philipe Pinel

French man who said the medical model should be applied to people with mental disorders.

Dorothea Dix

Applied the medical model for people with mental disorders in the US.

David Rosenhan

Conducted the pseudopatient experiment studying the influence of diagnostic labels.