AB Psych: Prelims

classification

how we organize and categorize things

nomenclature

naming system

epidemiology

the scientific study of the frequency and causes of diseases

presenting problem

patients with a specific problem

clinical description

information about the thoughts, feelings, and behaviors that constitutes that mental disorder of a patient

prevalence

is the percentage of people in a population that has a mental disorder

point prevalence

indicates the proportion that has the characteristic at a specific point in time, number of active phases

period prevalence

indicates the proportion of a population that has the characteristic at any point during a given period of time, typically the past year

lifetime prevalence

indicates the proportion of a population that has had the characteristic at any time during their lives

incidence

indicates the number of new cases in a population over a specific period

comorbidity

describes when 2 or more mental disorders are occurring at the same time and in the same person

bipolar disorder

are mental health conditions characterized by a periodic, intense emotional states affecting a person's mood, energy, and ability too function

mood episodes

are categorized as manic/hypomanic episodes

Mania and hypomania are both periods of elevated mood and energy, but ____ is more severe and disruptive then hypomania

mania

specifiers

are extensions to a diagnosis that clarify the specific characteristics that clarify the specific characteristics of a disorder beyond the core diagnostic criteria:

Bipolar I

a mental health condition characterized by extreme mood swings, including episodes of mania and depression. It is defined by the presence of at least one manic episode, which is a period of abnormally elevated or irritable mood and high energy.

Bipolar II

is diagnosed when a person experiences a pattern of depressive episodes and hypomanic episodes, but not the full-blown manic episodes found in bipolar I disorder. However, some ___ patients may have longer lasting and more severe bouts of depression.

cyclothymic disorder

is a milder form of bipolar disorder involving many 'mood swings' with hypomania and depressive symptoms that occur frequently

Depression

can refer either to a mood or to a clinical syndrome, a combination of emotional, cognitive and behavioral symptoms. the feelings associated with a depressed mood often include disappointment and despair

Amygdala

The fear response is a hardwired process involved in the __

schizophrenia

a severe form of abnormal behavior that encompasses what most of us have known to know as madness

delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech, grossly disorganized behavior, and negative symptoms

two (or more) of the following, each present for a significant portion of time during a 1-month period (or less if successfully treated). at least one of these must be (1), (2), or (3)

delusions

incorrect beliefs that persists despite evidence to the contrary

paranoid delusions

involves the theme of being persecuted by others

delusions of control

revolve around the belief that the person is being controlled by other people (or aliens)

delusions of grandeur

is believing oneself to be significantly more powerful, knowledgeable, or capable than is actually the case

delusions of reference

the belief that external events have special meaning for the individual

hallucinations

are sensations so vivid that the perceived objects or events seem real even though they are not

disorganized thinking (speech)

people with schizophrenia can sometimes speak incoherently, although they may not necessarily be aware that other people cannot understand what they are saying

word salad

putting together meaningless word that cant be understood

disorganized behavior

behavior that is so unfocused and disconnected from a goal that the person cannot successfully accomplish a basic task or the behavior is inappropriate in the situation

flat affect

when a person does not display a great range of emotion and hence often seems emotionally neutral

alogia

poverty of speech, may respond slowly or minimally to questions and generally speak less than do most other people

avolition

the term for difficulty in initiating or following through with activities

unspecified

clinicians may use this diagnosis if theres insufficient information to determine a more specific subtype, or if the individuals symptoms don’t fully align with criteria for a specific schizo diagnosis

premorbid phase

before symptoms develop people may display personality characteristics that later evolve into negative symptoms

predromal phase

occurs before onset of a psychological disorder symptoms may develop gradually but do not meet all the criteria for the disorder

active phase

a person has full blown positive and negative symptoms that meet all of the criteria for the disorder

Normal behavior criteria

• normality is average

• normality is social conformity

• normality is personality

normality is average

what is accepted by the majority is considered normal

normality is social conformity

anyone who confirms to the standards of the society is considered normal

normality is personality

comfort if a person feels/experiences pleasure of comfort then the behavior is considered normal. problem of individual reactions to discomfort and the problem of social consequences

abnormal psychology

a branch of psychology that deals with psychopathology and abnormal behavior or the patterns of emotion, thought and behavior can be signs of a mental health condition

4D’s of abnormal behavior

dysfunction, distress, deviance, dangerousness

dysfunction

includes clinically significant disturbance in an individuals cognition, emotional regulation or behavior that reflects a dysfunction in the psychological, biological, or developmental processes underlying mental functioning

distress

when the person experiences a disabling condition 'in social occupational or other important activities. __ can take the form of psychological or physical pain or both concurrently

deviance

closer examination of the word abnormal indicates a move away from what is normal or the mean (ie what would be considered average and in this case in relation to behavior) and so is behavior that infrequently occurs( sort of an outlier in our data)

dangerousness

behavior represents a threat to safety of the person or others. it is important to note that having a mental disorder does not imply a person is automatically dangerous

biological, psychological, and sociocultural contributions

causative nature of mental illness

biological contributions

are factors within the body that can contribute to abnormal behavior

psychological contribution

is a constellation of factors influenced by alterations with exposure to a certain environment

maladaptive thought patterns

may refer to belief that is false and rationally unsupported what ellis called "irrational belief"

sociocultural contributions

looks at the various circles of influence in the individual, ranging from close friends to family

stigma

when someone sees you in a negative way because of a particular characteristic or attribute

depression

can refer either to a mood or to a clinical syndrome, a combination of emotional, cognitive and behavioral symptoms.

with anxious distress

feeling keyed up/tense; feeling unusually restless; feeling difficulty concentrating due to worry; fear that something awful may happen; feeling loss of control

with mixed features

refers to the presence of high and low symptoms

with melancholic features

Their movements, thoughts and speech can be very slow.

with atypical features

a type of depression in which you experience a temporary boost in mood in response to positive events.

with psychotic features

people with psychotic depression have symptoms of depression and psychosis

with catatonia

catatonic depression is a subtype of depression where a person does not speak or appears to be in a daze for a prolonged period.

with peripartum onset

is a major depression disorder (MDD) episode with onset during pregnancy or within four weeks after childbirth, as defined in DSM-5.

with seasonal pattern

is a type of depression that’s related to changes in seasons

anxiety

When faced with potentially harmful situations or worrying triggers, our 'nerves' become the warning signs we need to navigate the dangers around us

generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)

characterized by uncontrollable worry and anxiety about a number of events or activities.

panic disorder

This condition involves multiple unexpected panic attacks. A main feature of the condition is that the attacks usually happen without warning and aren’t due to another mental health or physical condition.

Specific Phobias

something that causes you to feel fear or anxiety that’s so severe it consistently and overwhelmingly disrupts your life.

Social Anxiety Disorder

also called social anxiety disorder, is an intense fear of public humiliation or embarrassment together with the avoidance of social situations likely to cause this fear.

Agoraphobia

characterized by anxiety or fear in various situations arising from thoughts that escape may be difficult or help may not be readily available in certain situations.

Selective Mutism

is a mental health condition where you can't talk in certain situations because of fear or anxiety. It usually affects young children, but it can also affect adolescents and adults.

Separation Anxiety Disorder

is a mental health condition that affects children and adults. It causes a person to feel excessive fear or anxiety when separated from a close attachment figure or anticipating separation.