Clinical Psych

Specific Phobia

Fear or anxiety about a specific object or situation, leading to immediate fear or anxiety, often resulting in avoidance behaviors.

Social Anxiety Disorder

Fear or anxiety about social situations where scrutiny by others is possible, leading to avoidance or intense fear.

Panic Disorder

Involves recurrent unexpected panic attacks followed by persistent concern about additional attacks and significant behavioral changes.

Agoraphobia

Fear or anxiety about situations where escape might be difficult, leading to avoidance, often disproportionate to the actual danger.

Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Excessive anxiety and worry occurring most days for at least 6 months, associated with various symptoms like restlessness, fatigue, and difficulty concentrating.

Risk Factor (Anxiety Disorder): Operant Conditioning

Anxiety disorders involve avoidance behaviors to reduce anxiety, reinforced by relief from anxiety, leading to repeated avoidance.

Risk Factor (Anxiety Disorder): Social Learning Theory

Learning anxiety through observing anxious individuals, like children observing anxious mothers and adopting avoidance behaviors.

Cognitive Distortions

Distorted thought patterns contributing to anxiety disorders, including catastrophizing, selective attention, overgeneralization, and black-and-white thinking.

Exposure Therapy

Behavioral therapy involving gradual exposure to feared objects or situations to reduce anxiety and promote habituation.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy

Treatment focusing on identifying and changing maladaptive thoughts, beliefs, and behaviors to reduce anxiety and improve functioning.

Relaxation Techniques

Strategies like deep breathing and mindfulness meditation to reduce physiological arousal and manage anxiety symptoms, often used in conjunction with exposure therapy.

Social Support

Involves group therapy providing a supportive and validating environment where individuals can connect with others who understand their struggles, share experiences, offer encouragement, and provide feedback, reducing loneliness and increasing feelings of belongingness.

Mindfulness-based Intervention

Techniques focusing on paying attention to the present moment without judgment, incorporating elements of Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and including interventions like Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction, Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy, Acceptance and Commitment Therapy, and Dialectical Behavior Therapy.

Major Depressive Disorder

A mood disorder characterized by specific criteria including symptoms: leading to clinically significant distress or impairment in various areas of functioning.

• significant weight loss

• insomnia or hypersomnia

• feelings of worthlessness

• fatigue

• diminished ability to concentrate

• recurrent thoughts of death,

Persistent Depressive Disorder/Dysthymic Disorder

A depressive disorder where individuals experience a depressed mood most days for at least 2 years, along with symptoms:

• poor appetite

• low energy

• poor concentration

• feelings of hopelessness

Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder

A disorder where depressive symptoms are present in the final week before menses, improving after menses, with symptoms like mood swings, irritability, decreased interest in activities, and physical symptoms such as breast tenderness or weight gain.

Bipolar Disorder

A mood disorder characterized by manic episodes lasting at least 1 week, with symptoms: leading to marked impairment in social or occupational functioning

• inflated self-esteem

• decreased need for sleep

• increased goal-directed activity

Depression-related Disorders Prevalence

• 5% of adults affected

• 3.8% of the population experience depression

• 700,000 deaths due to suicide annually

• gender differences in prevalence and coping mechanisms.

Risk Factors for Depression-related Disorders

• Genetic

• biological: neurotransmitter imbalances, endocrine dysfunction

• environmental

• psychological factors: negative thoughts and cognitive distortions.

Management of Depression-related Disorders

• medication (e.g., antidepressants): stabilize neurotransmitters

• psychotherapy (e.g., CBT, Interpersonal psychotherapy): improve cognitive distortions

• healthy lifestyle choices (e.g., smoking cessation, balanced diet, exercise)

Management of Bipolar-related Disorders

• pharmacological treatments: mood stabilizers (e.g., Lithium), anticonvulsants, and sometimes antipsychotics and antidepressants

• Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) to manage manic or depressive phases effectively.

Interpersonal Psychotherapy

Therapy focused on stabilizing routines, enhancing daily structure, and addressing social disruptions to stabilize bipolar illness.

Management for mood disorders

Family-Focused Therapy

Therapy aimed at enhancing communication skills, increasing supportive and problem-solving behaviors among family members.

management for bipolar-related disorders

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder

Characterized by persistent obsessions or compulsions causing distress and impairment in various areas of functioning.

Body Dysmorphic Disorder

Involves preoccupation with perceived defects in appearance, leading to excessive behaviors like examining, camouflaging, and avoiding social situations.

Hoarding Disorder

Involves excessive acquisition and difficulty discarding possessions, resulting in cluttered living spaces and significant distress.

Trichotillomania Disorder

Involves recurrent hair pulling leading to hair loss with unsuccessful attempts to decrease/stop, accompanied by various behaviours and emotional triggers.

Excoriation Disorder

Involves recurrent skin picking leading to lesions with unsuccessful attempts to decrease/stop, triggered by emotional states and resulting in distress and impairment.

Risk Factors (OCD): Genetic disposition

OCD has a genetic component with studies showing familial links and mutations in genes related to OCD symptoms.

Risk Factors (OCD): Biological Risk Factors

OCD involves brain hyperactivity in certain regions, serotonin imbalance, and disruptions in glutamate and GABA levels.

Psychosocial Theories (OCD)

OCD can be maintained through fear conditioning, avoidance behaviors, and cognitive distortions like thought-action fusion.

Environmental Risk Factors (OCD)

Triggers for OCD onset or exacerbation include life events, trauma, stress, maladaptive parenting, and other mental disorders.

Management for OCD

• medication: SSRIs and antipsychotics

• medical: Gamma Knife Radiosurgery, TMS

• behavioral therapy: CBT, ERP, and family-inclusive approaches.

• Habit reversal training

Habit Reversal Training (HRT)

Intervention for trichotillomania/excoriation disorder, aims to increase awareness and develop alternative behaviors.

Awareness Training

Initial component of HRT, focuses on identifying triggers and warning signs of the habit.

Competing Response Training

Part of HRT involving the development of behaviors incompatible with the habit, like clenching fists or using stress balls.

Relaxation Training

Utilized in trichotillomania to reduce stress levels, includes techniques like mindfulness, deep breathing, and visualization.

Adjustment Disorder (AD)

Excessive reactions to stress within 3 months of an event, impacting social, occupational functioning.

Acute Stress Disorder

Short-term condition post-trauma, similar to PTSD but with a shorter duration of symptoms(3 days to 1 month).

Schizophrenia Criteria

Diagnostic criteria for schizophrenia include delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech, and negative symptoms lasting for at least 6 months.

Delusion Disorder

Presence of delusions for at least a month without meeting full schizophrenia criteria, with various subtypes like persecutory, grandiose, and somatic delusions.

Dopamine Hypothesis: Schizophrenia

Theory suggesting schizophrenia results from excess dopamine or dopamine receptor hypersensitivity, impacting symptom severity.

Substance Use Disorder

Pattern of substance use causing significant distress or impairment, with criteria including tolerance, withdrawal, and continued use despite negative consequences.

Alcohol Use Disorder

Problematic alcohol use leading to distress or impairment, characterized by criteria like craving, tolerance, and withdrawal symptoms.

Substance-Induced Mental Disorder

Clinical symptoms developing during substance intoxication or withdrawal, exceeding typical effects and not explained by other mental health conditions.

Management: Schizophrenia

Treatment involving antipsychotic drugs like Chlorpromazine and psychological therapies such as family therapy to manage schizophrenia symptoms.

Social Skills Training: Schizophrenia management

Intervention aiming to improve communication, interpersonal skills, and social interactions in individuals with mental health disorders.

Environmental Risk: Schizophrenia

• viral infections

• pregnancy complications

• social deprivation

• substance abuse

Eating Disorders: PICA

PICA involves the regular consumption of non-nutritive substances like clay, soil, chalk, or raw food ingredients.

Anorexia Nervosa

Characterized by restriction of energy intake, intense fear of gaining weight, and disturbance in body weight perception.

Bulimia Nervosa

Involves recurrent episodes of binge eating followed by inappropriate compensatory behaviors to prevent weight gain.

Binge Eating Disorder

Characterized by recurrent episodes of binge eating without compensatory behaviors.

Cluster A

dysfunctional pattern of thinking and behaviour that reflects suspicion or lack of interest in others:

• Paranoid PD

• Schizoid PD

• Schizotypal Personality Disorders.

Cluster B; Antisocial Personality Disorder

Involves a pervasive pattern of disregard for and violation of the rights of others.

• at least 18 yrs old

• onset of symptoms before 15 years old

Cluster B; Borderline Personality Disorder

Characterized by instability in interpersonal relationships, self-image, and marked impulsivity.

Identity disturbance

Markedly and persistently unstable self-image or sense of self. Symptom in BPD

Cluster B; Histrionic Personality Disorder

Characterized by excessive emotionality and attention-seeking behavior.

Cluster B; Narcissistic Personality Disorder

Characterized by grandiosity, need for admiration, and lack of empathy.

Cluster C

Characterized by anxious and fearful behaviors.

• Avoidant Personality Disorder

• Obsessive Compulsive Personality Disorder

• Dependent Personality Disorder

Cluster C: Avoidant Personality Disorder

Involves social inhibition, feelings of inadequacy, and hypersensitivity to negative evaluation.

Cluster C; Dependent Personality Disorder

Excessive need to be taken care of, leading to submissive behavior and fears of separation.

Cluster C; Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder

Preoccupation with orderliness, perfectionism, and mental control at the expense of flexibility.

Ethical Principles

Guidelines for psychologists, including beneficence, fidelity, integrity, justice, and respect for people's rights and dignity.

Scientist-Practitioner Model

Training model emphasizing research and scientific practice in clinical psychology programs.

APA Code of Ethics

Standards for resolving ethical issues, maintaining confidentiality, competence, and avoiding harm in psychological practice.

Clinical Psychology

Represents a unique profession incorporating influences from medicine, education, and social work.

Intelligence

Encompasses theories and tests developed by psychologists like Thorndike, Spearman, Binet, Terman, and Wechsler.

Personality

Involves the assessment and understanding of individual traits, behaviors, and characteristics through various tests and techniques.

Hypnotherapy

Pioneer by Franz Mesmer in the 1700s, it involves using hypnosis to treat psychosomatic problems and disorders.

Psychoanalysis

Developed by Sigmund Freud, it focuses on exploring unconscious thoughts and motivations to gain insight and treat individuals.

Behavior Therapy

Emerged from the work of John B. Watson, it utilizes behaviorist principles to modify behaviors and treat psychological conditions.

Humanistic Therapy

Founded by Carl Rogers, it emphasizes a growth-oriented and relationship-focused approach to therapy.

Family Therapy

Pioneered by Murray Bowen, it views mental health issues as symptomatic of dysfunctional family systems.

Family Therapy (FT)

A preferred therapy in the 1960s and 1970s aimed at improving communication, solving family problems, understanding special family situations, and creating a better home environment.

Aaron Beck

Known as the father of cognitive behavior therapy, he identified cognitive distortions in depressed patients' thinking patterns, viewing depression as a cognitive disorder.

Cognitive-Behavioral Mindfulness Based Therapy (CBT)

An approach combining cognitive-behavioral therapy with mindfulness practices, gaining acceptance in Western therapeutic contexts.

Evidence-Based Practices

Techniques in clinical psychology emphasizing empirical support, ensuring interventions are backed by scientific evidence for effectiveness.

Bipolar type 1

criteria has been met for at least 1 manic episode

Bipolar type 2

Criteria has been met for at least 1 hypomanic episode and has never had a manic episode

Risk factors: Personality Disorders

• Nature - Nurture: biology & temperament + social environment & life experience

• Biological vulnerabilities: genetic factors

Management: Personality Disorders

• Psychotherapy:

• CBT

• Schema-focused therapy

• Art Based therapies