PSYCH Midterm 1

Stigma

negative social attitude

Types of Stigma

Public, Self, Institutional

Public Stigma

The negative connotations that the public has onto those will mental illness

Self Stigma

Internalized negative feelings about one’s self and their illness

Institutional Stigma

Lack of funding towards research leading to lack of aid

Types of Economic Costs (2)

Indirect and Direct

Indirect Economic Costs

Loss of productivity, unable to work/commute

Direct Economic Costs

Needing to pay for medications, hospital visits, therapy etc.

4 Major Developments of the Late 1900s

Biological link (syphillis + general paresis)
Classification system (Emil Kraepelin)
Psychological Basis (Freud unconscious motives)
Empirical Research Methods

Psychopathology

No clear definition:

Dangerousness, Irrationality, Violation of Social standards, statistical deviancy, maladaptiveness, subjective distress

Research is WEIRD (western)

Western
Educated
Industrialized
Rich
Democratic

Data Collection Methods

Self-Report + Observational

Self-Report Collection Method

Questionnaires + Interviews
Pros: Easy, cheap, high n, straightforward
Cons: Subjective, inaccurate reports, recall bias, possible lies

Observational Methods for Data Collection

Direct observation (sometimes in lab)
Biological Data
Behavioral Tasks
Digital Tech

Pros: More objective than subjective
Cons: Costly, measurement error, correlational

Study Designs

Case Study
Experimental
Epidemiological
Correlation

Case Study

Following one person over time. Used for clinical conditions that are new/rare. Not generalizable

Experimental Research Method

Break samples into groups through random assignment, administer treatments, compare

Epidemiological Study Method

Look at larger population, GWAS, can be retrospective, studies distribution of health-related events

Correlational Study Method

Compares X and Y together (not causal)

Pros: Useful for getting info about a pattern/relationship
Cons: cannot determine cause or effect, or confounding variable

Retrospective Studies

Look back i time

Pros: time and cost effective
Cons: recall bias, difficult to establish timeline

Prospective Studies

Follows participants

Pros: temporal clarity, reduced biases
Cons: Logistically difficult, expensice, risk of attrition

Etiology

Informs identification, classification, prevention, and treatment

Multifinality vs Equifinality

Same factor => different outcome
Different factors => same outcome

3 Risk Factor-Cause models

Necessary Causes

Sufficient Causes

Contributory Causes

Necessary Cause

X is needed for Y

Sufficient Cause

X WILL cause Y

Contributory

X will increase chance of Y

Diathesis-Stress Models

Interactive ( D x S )
Additive ( D + S )

Diathesis

vulnerability, like a genetic or social risk factor

Biopsychosocial Model of Mental Illness

Considers biological, psychological, and sociocultural factors

Biological Factors

Genetic
Brain dysfunction
- amygdala + PFC
Brain Structure
Neurotransmitters
Hormonal Dysfunction
Temperament

Genetic Biological Factors

polygenic
dont explain directly
Behavior genetics Methods
- Family history
- Adoption
- Twin Studies
GWAS
Gene-Environment interactions

Neurotransmitters

Norepinephrine: Fight or flight
Dopamine: Reward System
Serotonin: Mood
GABA: Arousal, anxiety
Glutamate: Learning and memory

Psychological Factors/Perspectives (2)

Psychodynamic Perspective
Behavioral Perspective

Behavioral Perspective

Classical Conditioning
Operant Conditioning
Cognitive-Behavioral
- Schemas

Psychodynamic Perspective

Freud: unconscious motivations
Structure of personality: Id, Ego, Superego

Pros:New perspectives on object-relations theory, interpersonal theory, attachment theory

Cons:
Lack of empirical evidence + too vulgar

Social Factors

Environment (trauma, parenting, socioeconomic, relationships, stressors), cultural influences

Broad Anxiety Disorder Diagnostics

Criterion (diagnostic)
Clinical relevance (has to cause impairment or significant distress)
Specificity (cannot be better described by another)

Specific Phobia

Fear or anxiety about a situation, immediate fear, avoidance of situation, out of proportion to actual danger (6 months) (12.5% prevalence)

Panic Disorder

Unexpected, recurrent panic attacks, causing a significant maladaptive change to behavior (1 month) (4.7% prevalence)

Agoraphobia

Fear of large, crowded spaces, avoidance, safety behavior

Social anxiety Disorder

Fear of social interactions, fear of being judged/avoided (>6 months) (12.1% prevalence) (early adulthood)

Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Excessive anxiety for more days than not and a hard time controlling their worries (>6 months) (5.7% prevalence)

Treatments

Exposures
Medications

Medications for Anxieties

SSRI/SNRI: depressants, slows re-uptake of neurotransmitters so more serotonin
Benzodiazepines: controls (increases) GABA, anxiety reduction