mental disorders and therapies

abnormal psychology

study of unusual patterns of behavior, emotion, and thought to identify mental disorders

clinical psychology

branch of psychology that assesses, diagnoses, treats, and prevents mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders

psychology student syndrome

a phenomenon where students of psychology develop unfounded beliefs about having mental health disorders based on their studies

DSM-5-TR

national textbook that classifies and organizes criteria and descriptions of mental disorders

ICD

global standard for classifying mental health conditions

deviation

significant departure from accepted social behavior and cultural expectations

distress

intense and prolonged emotional suffering that impairs a person’s ability to function in daily life

dysfunction

disruption in cognitive, emotional, or behavioral functioning that significantly impairs the ability to perform normal daily activities

biological perspective

believes psychological disorders have a biological origin

behavioral perpective

believe behaviors are all acquired and maintained through associative learning or classical conditioning

psychodynamic perspective

believe all psychological problems or disorders stem from repressed trauma or thoughts in the unconscious mind to avoid anxiety

humanistic perspective

believe mental illness stems predominantly from issues involving low self esteem, a poor self concept, and the inability to be one’s authentic self

cognitive perspective

believes that disorders originate from illogical or maladaptive thought processes

evolutionary perspective

believes that some mental health conditions may have developed as ineffective reactions to environmental challenges or as unintended outcomes of generational traits

sociocultural perspective

emphasizes societal, group, and cultural influences in an individual’s environment

biopsychosocial model

combines biological, psychological, and sociocultural models

diathesis stress model

combination of biological and environmental causes of psychological disorders

specific phobia

characterized by an intense and irrational fear of an object or situation, the person feels powerless over reaction

acrophobia

fear of heights

arachnaphobia

fear of spiders

agoraphobia

fear of being in places where escape or help is difficult

panic disorder

recurrent and unexpected panic attacks accompanied by intense physical sensations

attaque de nervios

episodes of intense emotional distress, dramatic expressions of emotion and uncontrollable physical symptoms like shaking or feeling of suffocation

social anxiety disorder

significant and persistent fear of social situations where embarrassment or scrutiny may occur, leading to avoidance behavior and severe anxiety

generalized anxiety disorder

persistent and excessive worry about various aspects of daily life, accompanied by physical symptoms like fatigue and loss of focus, not tied to any specific event

OCD

recurrent and unwanted obsessive thoughts that faces individuals to be driven to perform compulsive rituals

hoarding disorder

persistent difficulty discarding possessions regardless of their actual value, excessive accumulation and compromise of living areas

trauma and stress related disorders

psychological distress following exposure to a traumatic event or stressful situation

PTSD

persistent mental and emotional stress following exposure to a traumatic event

depressive disorders

characterized by a persistent, sad, empty, or irritable mod accompanied by physical or cognitive changes

major depressive disorder

persistent low mood accompanied by low self esteem and loss of interest, significantly impacts daily functioning

persistent depressive disorder

chronic, depressed mood lasting over 2 years, not severe but does affect daily functioning

bipolar disorders

alternating periods of mania and depression, shifts in mood states that can vary in duration and intensity

bipolar 2 disorder

at least one hypomanic episode and one major depressive episode without ever having a full manic episode, less severe

bipolar 1 disorder

at least one manic episode which may be followed by major depressive episodes

neurodevelopmental disorders

conditions associated with central nervous system functioning

ADHD

disorder where staying focused proves difficult, hyperactive and impulsive behaviors must be observed in one place

autism spectrum disorder (ASD)

repetitive behaviors and difficulties in social interactions, relationships, and nonverbal communication

eating disorders

change in consumption of food, change can be cause physical and psychological harm

anorexia nervosa

life threatening eating disorder that involves intense fear of weight gain, includes a distorted perception of one’s body and persistent restriction of caloric intake, damage to health

bulimia nervosa

life threatening eating disorder that involves secretive binging along with a feeling of lack of control and purging, dieting, and excessive exercise

schizophrenia

characterized by delusions, hallucinations, disorganized thinking or speech, disorganized motor behavior, and can be either chronic or acute

positive schizophrenia symptoms

an addition to normal behavior, includes delusions and hallucinations

negative schizophrenia symptoms

reduction from normal behavior, includes lack of emotional expression

delusions

persistence of false beliefs, a positive symptom

psycosis

mental state characterized by a disconnected from reality

hallucinations

false perceptions of sensory experiences without any external stimuli, positive symptom

disorganized thinking or speech

combining thoughts or switching from one thought to another, positive symptom of schizophrenia

disorganized motor behavior

involves catatonia or catatonic stupor, can be positive or negative symptom

flat affect

experience of diminished emotions, emotions are entirely absent or expressed at innapropiate moments

dopamine hypothesis

high levels of dopamine are linked to schizophrenia, contributing to delusions and hallucniations

dissociative disorders

feelings of disconnection from key aspects of mental functioning,, can affect memory, consciousness, identity, and behavior, often leading to significant distress and impairment in daily life

dissociative amnesia

inability to remember parts for the past, triggered by trauma or stress, the inability to recall important autobiographical information

dissociative identity dsorder (DID)

presence of two or more distinct identities or personality states, resulting in gaps in memory, brought on by trauma to repress it

personality disorders

enduring patterns of thinking and behavior thtat can greatly interferes with social and occupational functioning, holds a, b, and c cluster disorders

cluster a personality disorders

show patterns of paranoia, social isolation, cognitive or perceptual distortions, and eccentric thinking, includes paranoid personality, schizoid personality, and schizotypal personality

paranoid personality disorder

pattern of distrust and suspicion about other people’s motives, believed to intentionally cause harm, difficulties in relationships

schizoid personality disorder

pattern of detachment from social relationships and a limited range of emotional expression, lack of social interest

schizotypal personality disorder

eccentric behavior, unusual beliefs, and difficulties with social interactions, anxiety in social situations, occasional magical thinking like superstitions but does not includes full blown psychotic symptoms

cluster b personality disorders

characterized by dramatic, emotional, or erratic behaviors, includes antisocial, histrionic, borderline, and narcissistic personality disorders

antisocial personality disorder

pervasive pattern of disregard for and violation of the rights of others, often involving unlawful and manipulative behaviors, lackof remorse

histrionic personality disorder

excessive emotionality and attention seeking behavior, a need for approval, difficulties maintaining deep and meaningful relationships

narcissistic personality disorder

pervasive pattern of grandiosity, a need for admiration and includes a lack of empathy

borderline personality disorder (BPD)

instabiloty in interpersonal relationships, self image, and emotions along with impulsive behaviors and an intense fear of abandonment

cluster c personality disorders

characterized by anxious and fearful behaviors, includes avoidant, dependent, and obsessive compulsive personality disorders

antisocial personality disorder

pervasive pattern of social inhibition, feelings of inadequacy, and hypersensitivity to negative evaluation, fear of interactions and criticism

dependent personality disorder

excessive need to be taken care of, leading to submissive and clingy behavior in fear of separation, difficulty making decisions without the reassurance of others

obsessive compulsive personality disorder (OCPD)

pervasive pattern of preoccupation with orderliness, perfectionism, and control, leading to significant distress in functioning

deinstitutionalization

psychological treatment shift from psychiatric hospitalization to outpatient community mental health programs

evidence based intervention

movement that uses research based on outcomes and oriented data to determine what treatment is best for a patient

therapeutic alliance

relationship between client and therapist that is caring, genuine, understanding, and empathetic

nonmaleficence

the duty to do no harm

fidelity

to establish and maintain trust worthy relationships with clients, colleagues, and the public

integrity

psychologists strive to be honest, accurate, and truthful in all aspects of professional work

psychodynamic therapies

help patients gain insight into the underlying causes by tapping into the unconscious

dream interpretation

what is consciously remembered in a dream is the symbolic representation of the unconscious conflicts, therapist interprets dreams to get to the root of the problem

person centered therapy

therapist honors the inherent human potential of a client by acting as a nonjudgmental facilitator

active listening

strategy for listening which allows therapist to create a nonjudgemental mirror in which the client sees what they are saying to gain insight and grow self acceptance

unconditional positive regard

nonjudgmental acceptance of the client, intended to reinforce for clients that they have value in who they are

group therapy

group of people with similar problems come together with a therapist to discuss their psychological issues, helps people realize they aren’t suffering alone, reduces sense of isolation

token economies

institutional settings like prisons, psychiatric hospitals, and schools that use positive reinforcement where tokens are earned because of good behavior and exchanged for a reward, do not prepare individuals for typical life

biofeedback

electronic monitoring equipment that measures and provides feedback about psychological responses like headaches and insomnia, enables clients to learn how to voluntarily control processes

cognitive behavior therapy (CBT)

therapy that involves approaching psychological problems with goals based on the assumption that cognition leads to emotional response and behavior

rational emotive behavior therapy (REBT)

focuses on identifying and changing irrational belief/thought patterns to reduce emotional distress

hypnosis

an induced altered state of consciousness that heightens a person’s openness and responding to suggestion

cognitive therapies

way of treating depression, anxiety, eating, and personality disorders by helping the client recognize self defeating thought patterns

maladaptive thinking

rigid and irrational thought patterns that affect daily functioning

cognitive restructuring

technique used to identify, challenge, and replace irrational or maladaptive thoughts with more productive beliefs.

cognitive triad

proposes that depression is maintained by a negative, distorted view of one self, the world, and the future

applied behavioral analysis

uses classical/operant conditioning to help clients unlearn maladaptive behaviors and replace them with healthier ones

exposure therapy

behavior therapy that uses classical conditioning to reduce anxiety through hierarchy of needs

systematic desensitization

client makes a list of fears and learns to relax while concentrating on the fears

aversion therapy

form of behavioral therapy where an unwanted behavior is associated with a averting stimulus to discourage behavior

free association

where patients express thoughts, words, and images without censorship to reveal unconscious material

antianxiety drugs

drugs that reduce symptoms related to anxiety, such as tension, fear, and nervousness (benzodiazepines like Xanax and Valium)

antipsychotic medications

used to reduce positive symptoms of schizophrenia and bipolar (Haldol, Prolixin, and Thorazine)

tardive dyskinesis

neurological disorder caused by long term use of antipsychotic drugs, causing uncontrolled facial, leg, tongue, and arm movements

psychosurgery

intentional surgical destruction of part of the brain in order to reduce symptoms of mental illness

lobotomy

old strategy for psychosurgery, frontal lobes are split from the rest of the brain

lesioning

deliberate destruction of small areas of nervous tissue, used both as a research method to study brain function and as a procedure to treat disorders