Selection of Categories of Psychological Disorders

Neurodevelopmental Disorders

Conception to adolescents

Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

Ongoing problems of paying attention or being impulsive (males more than females)

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

Repeated behavior, challenges with social communication, heightened sensitivity to sensory input (mild to severe)

Possible Causes of Neurodevelopmental Disorders

ADHD: Hereditary, teratogens

ASD: Teratogens, mom viral infection, older father

Schizophrenic Spectrum Disorders

Psychosis, What is real???

Delsuions

False beliefs

Hallucinations

False perceptions

Word Salad

Nonsensical jumble of words

Catatonia

Excited but unusual movements

Stupor

Strange positions or keeping still for long periods of time

Flat Affect

Diminished emotional expression

Positive Symptoms

Delusions, hallucinations, disorganized thinking of speech, catatonia

Negative Symptoms

Stupor and flat affect

Possible Causes of Schizophrenic Spectrum Disorders

Prenatal virus exposure, dopamine hypothesis, and diathesis stress model

Prenatal Virus Exposure

Mom was sick with virus during prenatal growth

Dopamine Hypothesis

Too much dopamine

Depressive Disorders

Feelings of sadness, emptiness, fatigue, irritability

Major Depressive Disorder

Tired, depressed most of the time, losing interest, eating less, losing weight, sleeping poorly, feeling worthless/ guilt, trouble focusing, suicidal thoughts, 5 of these symptoms for 2+ weeks, usually environment triggered, severe experience psychotic symptoms

Persistent Depressive Disorder

Lasted for at least 2 years, milder form of depression, no suicidal thoughts

Possible Causes of Depressive Disorders

Low serotonin and norepinephrine, genetics, culture (socioeconomic status, minority), cognitive triad

Bipolar Disorders

Swings between extreme depression, and excitement

Bipolar I

Episodes of depression and mania

Bipolar II

Episodes of depression and hypomania

Possible Causes of Bipolar Disorders

Imbalance of serotonin and norepinephrine, genetics, and stress

Anxiety Disorders

Persistent thoughts of dread or fear and impending doom

Specific Phobia

Irrational, debilitating fear of specific object or situation

Acrophobia

Fear of heights

Arachnophobia

Fear of spiders

Agoraphobia

Fear of open, crowded, or enclosed spaces/ fear of being outside the safety of home

Panic Disorder

Acute (sudden and intense) feeling of anxiety or fear

Ataque de Nervios

Culture based panic attack associated with people of Caribbean or Iberian decent, Puerto Ricans

Social Anxiety Disorder

Intense fear of being judged or watched by others

Taijin Kyofusho

Culture based social anxiety from people in Japan and Korea, fear of offending or displeasing others by one’s appearance of bodily functions

Generalized Anxiety Disorder

Prolong feelings (6 months) of unspecified worry or unease, constant feeling of dread

Possible Causes of Anxiety Disorders

Learned associations (classical conditioning), cognitive distortions (maladaptive thinking of the environment), genetic predispostions, disruptions of seratonin and dopamine

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorders

Thoughts that cause distress that leads to behavior

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

Obsessions: thoughts, Compulsions: behavior

Hoarding Disorders

Accumulates an excessive amount of things and stores them in a disorganized manner

Dissociative Disorders

Feelings of disconnection

Dissociative Amnesia

Can’t remember the past

Dissociative Amnesia with Fugue

Unexpected travel, can’t remember who they are, may create a new identity- eventually go back to where they started

Dissociative Identity Disorder

Multiple personalities, usually, forget when personalities take over, usually a coping mechanism

Possible Causes of Dissociative Disorders

Severe psychological trauma

Trauma and Stressor-Related Disorders

Exposure to overwhelming traumatic events

Posttraumtic Stress Disorder

“Shell Shock”, uncontrollable flashbacks

Possible Causes of Trauma and Stressor-Related Disorders

Exposure to traumatic or stressful events

Feeding and Eating Disorders

Change in consumption of food that is harmful

Anorexia Nervosa

Intense fear of weight gain

Bulimia Nervosa

Binge eating followed by purging

Possible Causes of Feeding and Eating Disorders

Disruptions in hypothalamus, genetics, cultural norms, distorted views of body image

Personality Disorders

Personality issues that lead to distress or impaired interactions with others

Cluster A

Odd and ecentric

Disorders in Cluster A

Paranoid, schizoid, and schizotypal personality disorders

Cluster B

Dramatic, emotional, or erract

Disorders in CLuster B

Antisocial, histrionic, narcissistic, and borderline personality disorders

Cluster C

Anxious or fearful

Disorders in Cluster C

Avoidant, dependent, and obsessive-compulsive

Possible Causes of Personality Disorders

Genetics (neurotransmitters), adverse childhood experiences