Unit 11 (Part 1) - Disorders

Anorexia Nervosa

an eating disorder characterized by an intense fear of gaining weight and a distorted body image which leads to self-imposed starvation and excessive weight loss

Antisocial Personality Disorder

blatantly disregarding or violating the rights of others; impulsivity, manipulative, and lacking guilt or remorse

Anxiety Disorders

a feeling of worry, nervousness, unease typically about an imminent event or something with an uncertain outcome

Ataque de Nervios

Spanish for "attack of nerves;" a cultural and medical term used to describe a sudden onset of intense anxiety and emotional distress, often accompanied by physical symptoms

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

neurological disorder characterized by inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivity; caused by genetic influences and dopamine dysfunction

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

neurological disorders characterized by impaired social communication and repetitive behaviors; caused by genetic inks, prenatal factors, and neurological differences

Avoidant Personality Disorder

social inhibition due to feelings of inadequacy and hypersensitivity to criticism

Behavioral Approach

focuses on observable behaviors rather than internal events like thinking and emotion

Biological Approach

focuses on understanding psychological disorders by examining their physical causes within the body

Biopsychosocial Model

claims that psychological disorders result from interactions between biological, psychosocial, and social factors

Bipolar I/II Disorder

brain disorders that cause changes in a person's mood, energy and ability to function; cause extreme and intense emotional states that occur at distinct times, called mood episodes

Borderline Personality Disorder

erratic, unstable relationships, emotions, and self-images; self-destructive tendencies

Bulimia Nervosa

a type of eating disorder characterized by episodes of binge eating followed by compensatory behaviors such as vomiting (purging), fasting, or over-exercising

Catatonia

having emotional outbursts

Cognitive Approach

focuses on understanding human behavior by examining mental processes such as perception, memory, and thinking

Cognitive Triad

negative views of self, world, and future

Cognitive Symptoms of Schizophrenia

impaired working memory and difficulty concentrating

Compulsions

ritualistic behaviors

Comorbidity

when a person has two or more disorders simultaneously

Conversion Disorder

extreme neurological symptoms (e.g. paralysis, blindness) that are not explained by medical evaluation

Deviation

when the individual behaves differently from social norms; is needed to diagnose them with a psychological disorder

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)

provides standardized criteria for psychological diagnosis; include symptom checklists for each disorder

Diathesis-Stress Model

suggests that individual characteristics combine with environmental stressors to increase or decrease the likelihood of developing a psychological disorder

Disorganized (thinking, speech/word salad)

a symptom commonly seen in schizophrenia, characterized by fragmented or illogical thoughts and speech patterns

Dissociative Amnesia

partial or total inability to recall important personal info

Dissociative Identity Disorder

a mental disorder characterized by the presence of two or more distinct personality states, each with its own way of perceiving and interacting with the environment

Distress

experienced by the individual; is needed to diagnose them with a psychological disorder

Dopamine Hypothesis

suggests that an overactivity of dopamine transmission in certain brain regions contributes to the positive symptoms of schizophrenia while reduced dopamine activity in the prefrontal cortex is associated with negative and cognitive symptoms

Dysfunction

when the individual is not able to function in their daily life; is needed to diagnose them with a psychological disorder

Eclectic Approach

an approach to psychotherapy that, depending on the client's problems, uses techniques from various forms of therapy

Flashbacks

vivid and intrusive recollections of a traumatic event that can occur in individuals with post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

Flat Affect

having no facial expressions in social settings

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)

chronic excessive worry, restlessness, muscle tension; source is often unknown or constantly changing; not occasional or situational serious worry

Grandeur Delusions

a type of delusional belief characterized by an exaggerated sense of one's importance, power, knowledge, or identity

Hallucinations

perceptions in the absence of external stimulus that have qualities of real perception. In simpler terms, they are things that someone sees, hears, smells, tastes or feels that aren't really there

Histrionic Personality Disorder

overly dramatic expression emotions, attention-seeking behavior, often includes sexually seductive or provocative behaviors

Hoarding Disorder

persistent difficulty discarding possessions, distress in letting go

Humanist Approach

emphasizes the study of the whole person and believes individuals have free will

Hypervigilance

a heightened state of awareness and alertness often associated with anxiety and stress, especially in individuals who have experienced trauma

Illness Anxiety Disorder

(aka hypochondriasis) preoccupation with having or acquiring a serious illness despite minimal or no physical symptoms

International Classification of Mental Disorders (ICD)

global classification of diseases

Major Depressive Disorder (MDD)

a mood disorder characterized by extreme and persistent feelings of sadness, hopelessness, loss of interest or pleasure in activities, fatigue, changes in appetite and sleep, and suicidal thoughts

Maladaptive Learned Associations

actions or patterns of behavior that are ineffective, disruptive, or harmful to an individual's well-being and ability to function in society. It is behavior that does not align with the demands and expectations of a given situation

Mania

elevated mood, impulsivity, euphoria, delusions, overactivity, wild optimism

Medical Model

claims that psychological disorders have biological causes and treatments

Narcissistic Personality DIsorder

having a grandiose sense of self-importance; exaggerating abilities and accomplishments; having an excessive need for admiration

Negative Symptoms of Schizophrenia

flat affect, catatonia, and lack of motivation

Obsessive-Compulsive DIsorder

a chronic mental health disorder characterized by recurring, unwanted thoughts (obsessions) that lead to repetitive behaviors (compulsions)

Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder

having a rigid preoccupation with orderliness and a need for control and perfection

Obsessions

unwanted repetitive thoughts

Panic Disorder

recurrent panic attacks, sudden onset of intense fear

Persecution Delusions

a false, fixed belief that one is being harmed, threatened, or conspired against, often associated with psychotic disorders like schizophrenia

Persistent Depressive Disorder

a chronic form of depression characterized by milder symptoms of persistent feelings of sadness, hopelessness, fatigue, changes in appetite and sleep, and low self-esteem for at least two years

Phobias

irrational fears of specific objects that are persistent and cause dysfunction

Positive Symptoms of Schizophrenia

hallucinations (visual/auditory), delusions (grandeur, persecution), and disorganized speech

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

a mental health condition triggered by experiencing or witnessing a terrifying event, leading to severe anxiety, nightmares, flashbacks, and uncontrollable thoughts about the event

Psychotic Episodes

symptoms where there is a loss of contact with reality

Schizoid Personality DIsorder

having detachment from social relationships, being emotionally cold and flat; indifference

Schizophrenic Spectrum Disorders

encompass a range of conditions that share symptoms with schizophrenia, such as disorganized thinking, hallucinations, delusions, and social withdrawal

Schizotypal Personality Disorder

having odd thoughts, speech, emotional reactions, mannerisms, and appearance; impaired social skills and often superstitious

Social Anxiety Disorder

fear of social situations (avoided); diagnosed if it persists for 6+ months

Somatic Symptom Disorders

group of psychological disorders in which a person has physical symptoms that cannot be explained by actual physical illness; the individual may experience pain, weakness, or shortness of breath that doctors can't trace back to a physical cause

Specific Phobias

intense and irrational fears of specific objects or situations that can cause significant distress and avoidance behaviors

Stigma

cultural perspectives on mental illness may impact diagnosis and treatment

Taijin Kyofusho

"fear of interpersonal relations" is a Japanese form of social anxiety characterized by an intense fear of offending or embarrassing others, often through physical characteristics or behavior