Personality disorders

Psychopathology

The study of psychological disorders, including their symptoms, causes, and treatment.

Psychological disorder

A condition characterized by abnormal thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.

Cultural expectations

Violating cultural expectations alone is not enough to identify a psychological disorder, as social norms vary between cultures.

Harmful Dysfunction

Dysfunction occurs when an internal mechanism breaks down and cannot perform its normal function. For a dysfunction to be classified as harmful, it leads to negative consequences for the individual as judged by the standards of their culture.

Diagnosis (DSM)

The process of appropriately identifying and labeling a set of defined symptoms. It requires classification systems that organize psychological disorders systematically.

Mental health and mental illness

Widely stigmatized in the US, mental health refers to a state of well-being, while mental illness refers to psychological disorders.

DSM-5

The classification system used by most mental health professionals. It categorizes and describes each disorder, provides diagnostic features and criteria, prevalence rates, risk factors, and comorbidity information.

International Classification of Diseases (ICD)

Used to examine the general health of populations and monitor the prevalence of diseases internationally. The ICD is more frequently used for clinical diagnosis worldwide, while the DSM is more valued for research among U.S. mental health professionals.

Supernatural perspective

Attributing psychological disorders to a force beyond scientific understanding.

Dancing Mania

An epidemic in Western Europe (11th-17th centuries) where groups of people would suddenly begin to dance with wild abandon. The behavior was attributed by many to supernatural forces.

Biological factors in disorders

Genetic factors, chemical imbalances, and brain abnormalities contribute to the development of psychological disorders.

Diathesis-stress model

A diagnostic model proposing that a disorder may develop when an underlying vulnerability is coupled with a precipitating event.

Anxiety disorders

Conditions characterized by excessive fear, anxiety, and avoidance of potential threats or dangers.

Panic disorder

Recurrent and unexpected panic attacks, along with persistent concern about additional attacks and self-defeating changes in behavior related to the attacks.

Panic attack

A period of extreme fear or discomfort that develops abruptly and reaches a peak within 10 minutes.

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)

A relatively continuous state of excessive, uncontrollable, and pointless worry and apprehension.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

Involves intrusive and unwanted thoughts (obsessions) and/or the need to engage in repetitive behaviors or mental acts (compulsions).

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Occurs after exposure to a traumatic experience, with symptoms lasting for at least one month.

Major Depressive Disorder

Characterized by a depressed mood most of the day, loss of interest or pleasure in activities, and other symptoms lasting for at least two weeks.

Bipolar Disorder

Involves episodes of both depression and mania, characterized by extreme elation and agitation.

Suicide

90% of completed suicides are associated with at least one mental disorder. Risk factors include substance abuse problems, previous suicide attempts, access to lethal means, and serotonin dysfunction.

Schizophrenia

A severe mental disorder characterized by hallucinations, delusions, disorganized thinking, and negative symptoms.

Dissociative disorders

Conditions involving disruptions in memory, identity, or perception.

Dissociative Identity Disorder

Involves the presence of two or more separate personalities or identities.

Personality Disorders

Enduring patterns of inner experience and behavior that deviate from cultural expectations and cause distress or impairment.

Antisocial Personality Disorder

Characterized by a complete lack of regard for other people's rights or feelings.

ADHD

A constant pattern of inattention and/or hyperactive and impulsive behavior that interferes with normal functioning.

Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Disorders that often impact people with ADHD and involve developmental problems in personal, social, academic, and intellectual functioning.

Inattention

Difficulty sustaining attention, failure to follow instructions, disorganization, and lack of attention to detail.

Hyperactivity

Excessive movement, interrupting and intruding on others, blurting out responses before questions have been completed, and difficulty waiting one's turn.

Genetics

The heritability of inattention is 71% and hyperactivity is 73%.

Neurotransmitters

Chemical messengers in the brain, with dopamine being particularly important in ADHD.

Dopamine

A neurotransmitter involved in motivation and rewards, with individuals with ADHD showing less dopamine activity in key brain regions.

Medications

Stimulant medications used to treat ADHD have stimulant qualities and elevate dopamine activity.

Brain Anatomy

Studies show smaller frontal lobe volume and less activation when performing mental tasks in individuals with ADHD.

Autism Spectrum Disorder

A disorder characterized by deficits in social interaction, communication difficulties, and repetitive patterns of behavior or interests.

Genes

Genes involved in ADHD are thought to include those important in the regulation of dopamine and the formation of synaptic circuits that facilitate communication between different areas of the brain.