Ap Psych - Disorders and Therapy

psychopathology

study of abnormal behavior and psychological dysfunction

trephining

cutting holes in skull to drain fluid

hippocrates

first attempt to explain mental illness with biology using imbalance of humors (phlegm, black bile, yellow bile, and blood)

Middle Ages

mental ailments were attributed to possession and exorcisms were performed

medical model

psychological disorders are assessed based on symptoms and have an etiology, course, and prognosis

etiology

cause of a disorder

situational context

affects how thinking/behavior is labeled

subjective discomfort

abnormally emotional response

maladaptive thinking/behaviors

person struggles to adapt to day to day living

Psychological disorder

1. maladaptive
2. distress (required)
3. statistically infrequent (required)
4. violation of norms

insanity

used in law, not psychology

biological model

attributes psychological disorders to physical causes

flaws in biological model

many disorders can be controlled but not cured

psychodynamic model

repressed thoughts cause psychological disorders

behaviorist model

explain psychological disorders as learned behavior/thought patterns

cognitive model

attribute psychological disorders to illogical thought

sociocultural model

stress importance of cultural relativity in evaluating psychological disorders

Rosenhan

conducted study looking at problems labeling mental disorders

cultural idioms of distress

unique cultural phrases used to describe distress

cultural explanations/perceived causes

cultural way to determine cause of symptoms

biopsychosocial model

views factors as interacting to cause disorders

taijin-kyofu-sho

Japanese cultural syndrome where people fear public embarrassment

Susto

Latino Indians of the Andes cultural syndrome where people have a "loss of soul" where they lose weight and struggle to sleep

Amok

Southeast Asia cultural syndrome where people experience violent outbursts following perceived slights

Anorexia

US cultural syndrome

International Classification of Diseases (ICD)

WHO resource for disease classification

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)

US manual that provides criteria for psychological disorder diagnosis, but has been subject to controversy

DSM-5

-labels skew scientific observation
-describes symptoms, progression, and criteria for 250 disorders

26.2

percentage of US adults that suffer from mental disorders

5.8

percentage of US adults that suffer from severe mental disorders

45

percentage of us adults w/ mental disorders that suffer from 2 or more

psychology student syndrome

psychology students become convinced they have one of the disorders they've learned about

fear

emotional response to imminent threat

psychosomatic symptoms

physical reaction to emotions

PTSD and OCD

DSM used to classify these as anxiety disorders

free-floating anxiety

symptom of anxiety disorders where anxiety is unrelated to any known factor

phobia

irrational fear anxiety disorder

social anxiety disorder/phobia

fear of interaction

Panic attacks

-most common in women and smokers
-resemble heart attacks
-sudden onset of panic causing racing heart, rapid breathing, out of body feeling, dulled hearing and vision, sweating, and dry mouth

panic disorder

-specific or free floating
-repeated panic attacks

generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)

excessive, often free-floating anxiety occurs during the majority of days over 6 months

OCD

-repeated intrusive thoughts are followed by compulsive ritualistic behaviors
-person gets upset when behaviors cannot be performed

acute stress disorder (ASD)

-symptoms occur immediately after traumatic event
-anxiety, depression, nightmares, sleep disturbances, concentration problems, and flashbacks

PTSD

ASD symptoms lasting more than 1 month beginning up to 6 months after traumatic event

women

have 2x risk of developing PTSD, except in the military

children

PTSD shrinks hippocampus, hurting LTM

Veteran study

those w/ PTSD were more likely to develop dementia

magnification

behaviorist view that people interpret situations as more threatening than they are, causing phobias

behaviorists

believe phobias are learned

all-or-nothing thinking

cognitive-behavioral psychologists attribute anxiety to the belief that if something is imperfect, then it is a total failure

Overgeneralization

single negative event is interpreted as a pattern of defeat

minimization

positives are not appropriately identified

irrational thinking

overgeneralization, minimization, jumping to conclusions

heritability

anxiety disorders, PTSD, and OCD run in families

cultural variations

anxiety disorders take different forms in different cultures

behavioral therapies

action based

behavioral modification/applied behavior analysis

using learning techniques to alter undesirable behavior

systematic desensitization

therapist relaxes client and they progressively confront fears

aversion therapy

classical conditioning technique where undesirable behavior is paired w/ an unpleasant stimulus

exposure therapy

in vivo (real life), imaginal, or virtual exposure to fears

flooding

rapid and intense exposure to most feared event

Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR)

brief and repeated exposure therapy to treat PTSD

modeling

operant conditioning through observation

participant modeling

model gradually demonstrates desired behavior for patient to imitate

token economies

patients earn redeemable tokens for desirable behaviors

contingent contract

formal agreement is made between therapist and client

extinction

time outs and removing reinforcers to decrease undesirable behavior

behavior therapy pros and cons

effective but difficult to implement

arbitrary interference

jumping to conclusions based on insufficient evidence

selective thinking

person fixates on one aspect of a situation

personalization

person takes blame for something that isn't their fault

cognitive therapy

reveals and questions illogical beliefs

cognitive-behavioral therapy

cognitions effect behavior, cognitions can change, changing cognitions changes behavior

rational emotive behavior therapy

clients are taught to challenge irrational beliefs w/ rational statements

humanistic therapy

uses empathy and unconditional positive regard

group therapy

pros: help people meet with people who understand and share their problems, supportive, cheap
cons: little one-on-one time, difficult for people w/social anxiety, effects occur after long-term treatment

Affect

Emotion or mood

Mood disorders

Affective disturbances

DSM and mood disorders

Classified as either bipolar and related or depressive

Major depressive disorder

-sudden/cause less unipolar deep depressed mood
-more often than not for 2 weeks
-causes tiredness, sleep changes, weight changes, concentration issues

Persistent depressive disorder

a chronic form of unipolar depression marked by ongoing and repeated symptoms of either major or mild depression

Gender and Depression

-women are depressed at a higher rate than men, but not due to hormones
-social regulations cause symptoms to present differently

Seasonal affective disorder SAD

Low light in winter months creates mood disorder

Manic episodes

Extreme excitement

Bipolar I disorder

Mostly feels normal and manic, causing excessive energy, creativity, and grandeur

Bipolar II disorder

Person experiences random episodes of major depression and hypomania

Comorbidity

Multiple diagnoses

Hypomania

Less extreme mania

ADHD and BPD

Correlated, but BPD includes more irrational thinking and emotional issues

Behaviorists and depression

Believe depression is caused by learned helplessness

Social cognitive theorists and depression

Believe depression is caused by minimization and maximization

Adolescents and depression study

Study found a correlation between minority/poverty/single parent status and depression

Cognition and depression

Changing how depressed people think is a more effective treatment than changing their actions

Biology and depression

Serotonin, norepinephrine, and dopamine levels are key to addressing depression

Hans Eyesneck

Conducted a 1950 study that concluded psychotherapy was unhelpful

Issues studying therapies

Therapies take different amounts of time, measure success differently, and are difficult to create controls for

Consumer reports

Concluded therapy is helpful

Eclectic view

Combining therapies

Common factors approach

Focuses on common factors in different therapies that lead to success

Therapeutic alliance

Positive therapist client relationship is an important common factor of success