Chapter 14 - Psychological Disorders

Abnormal Behavior

A behavior that is deviant, maladaptive, or personally distressful

Deviant Behavior

A behavior that does not conform to accepted social standards

Maladaptive Behavior

A behavior that interferes with a person’s ability to function effectively in society

Personal Distress

An individual who feels troubling emotions for a prolonged period of time as a result of their behavior

The Biological Approach

Refers to disorder causes that are organic and internal
Contributes psychological disorders to:
1. The Brain
2. Genetic Factors
3. Neurotransmitter Functioning

The Medical Model

Describes psychological disorders as medical diseases with a biological origin

The Psychological Approach

Contributes psychological disorders to:
1. Experiences
2. Thoughts
3. Emotions
4. Personality characteristics

The Sociocultural Approach

Contributes psychological disorders to the larger social contexts In which a person lives
Issue: Cultural variations make it difficult to compare psychologicaldisorders from one culture to another

The Biopsychosocial Approach

all factors (biological, psychological, and social) are considered important

Classifying Abnormal Behaviors

• The Diagnostic Statistical Manual (DSM) of Mental Disorders was first developed in 1952

• The Current Version: DSM-5-TR (2022)

• A classification system provides:
  1. A common basis for communicating
  2. Help doctors make prediction

• An individual who is suffering from psychological symptoms might also benefit from having a name for their symptoms
  - Although labeling might also lead to stigma

Comorbidity

a person can have two or more disorders at the same time

Risk Factors

characteristics, experiences, or exposures that increase the likelihood of a person developing a disorder

Psychotherapy

A nonmedical process that helps people with psychological disorders recognize and overcome their problems

Neurodevelopment Disorders

Typically appear in childhood and are traced to:
1. Genetic differences
2. Atypical brain development
3. Prenatal exposure to teratogens

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

Refers to a range of neurodevelopmental disorders which might involve impaired social interaction and communication, repetitive behavior, and restricted interests

Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)

characterized by inattention, hyperactivity and impulsivity

Anxiety Disorders

psychological disorders that feature motor tension, hyperactivity, and apprehensive expectations and thoughts
These disorders involve:
- Fears that are uncontrollable, disproportionate to the actual danger, and disruptive of ordinary life

Generalized Anxiety Disorders

persistent anxiety for at least 6 months and the inability to specify the reasons for the anxiety

Panic Disorder

When an individual has recurring sudden onsets of intense terror and fear

Panic Attacks

severe palpitations, extreme shortness of breath, chest pains, trembling, sweating, dizziness, and a feeling of helplessness
- May occur without warning

Specific Phobia

Occurs in an individual with an irrational, overwhelming, persistent fear of a particular
object or situation
- A fear qualifies as a phobia when The individual will go to extreme lengths to avoid the object or situation

Social Anxiety

An intense fear of being humiliated or embarrassed in social situations
Behaviors:
1. Avoid social situations
2. Physical symptoms such as sweating, trembling, rapid heartbeat, nausea, difficulty speaking, etc.
3. Excessive self-conscious
4. Difficulty making eye contact
5. Difficulty initiating and maintaining conversation
6. Overanalyzing social interaction

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

Involves anxiety-provoking thoughts that will not go away and/or urges to perform repetitive behaviors to prevent or produce some future situation
- Most of the individuals do not enjoy the ritualistic behavior, but they worry when they do not carry it out

Hoarding Disorder

Compulsive collecting, poor organization skills, and difficulty discarding as well as cognitive deficits

Excoriation (skin picking)

A particular compulsion of picking at one’s skin, sometimes to the point of injury

Trichotillomania (hair pulling)

A disorder in which the person compulsively pulls at his or her hair, from the scalp, eyebrows, and other body areas

Body Dysmorphic Disorder

a distressing preoccupation with imagined or slight flaws in one’s physical appearance
- Individuals cannot stop thinking about their appearance, comparing their appearance to others, and checking themselves in mirrors, etc.

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

Develops through exposure to a traumatic event
1. direct experience
2. as a witness
3. Even those who only hear about it may develop it

Dissociation

Psychological states in which individuals feel disconnected from their immediate experiences

Dissociative Disorder

Involve individuals losing their memory or having a change in their identity

Dissociative Amnesia

Characterized by extreme memory loss that is caused by extensive psychological stress

Dissociative Identity Disorder

have two or more distinct personalities
• Dominant personalities switching based on scenario/context
• Personalities may be separated by a wall of amnesia
Causes:
• Linked with a high rate of severe sexual or physical abuse during early childhood
• Some experts believe that DID is a social construction (it represents a category some people adopt to make sense out of their experiences)

Social construction

it represents a category some people adopt to make sense out of their experiences

Depressive Disorder

The individual suffers depression, especially an unrelenting lack of pleasure in life
• About 20% of people will experience it in their lifetime

Persistent Depressive Disorder

Involves an individual having a less extreme depressed mood (compared to Major Depressive Disorder) for over 2 months

• Hopelessness
• Lack of energy
• Poor concentration
• Sleep problems

Major Depressive Disorder

Involves a major depressive episode and depressed characteristics for at least 2 weeks

Pessimistic Attributional Style

blaming the self for negative events and expecting these events to happen again in the future

Bipolar Disorder

characterized by extreme mood swings with at least one or more episodes of mania (the individual feels euphoric, on top of the world, and highly optimistic)

Mania

the individual feels euphoric, on top of the world, and highly optimistic

Bipolar I Disorder

involves extreme manic episodes during which they may experience hallucinations

Bipolar II Disorder

involves a milder version of mania

Schizophrenia

Characterized by highly disordered thought processes
• The suicide risk is 8x that for the general population
• The disorder is usually diagnosed in early adulthood

Positive Symptoms

Marked by a distortion or an excess of normal function

Hallucinations

Experiences in the absence of real stimuli
• Auditory Hallucinations: experience hearing voices
• Visual Hallucinations: sees things that are not really present

Auditory Hallucinations

experience hearing voices

Visual Hallucinations

sees things that are not really present

Delusions

False, unusual, and sometimes magical beliefs that are not part of an individual’s culture

Thought Disorder

Unusual, sometimes bizarre thought processes

Referential Thinking

When an individual gives personal meaning to random events

Disorders of Movement

Involve unusual mannerisms, body movement, and facial expressions
• Catatonia - a state of immobility and unresponsiveness

Catatonia

a state of immobility and unresponsiveness

Negative Symptoms

Behavioral deficits and a loss or decrease of normal functions such as social withdrawal

Flat Affect

Shows little or no emotion; maintains an immobile facial expression

Vulnerability–Stress Hypothesis

argues that a combination of biological predispositions and stress cause schizophrenia

Personality Disorders

Chronic, maladaptive cognitive behavioral patterns that are integrated into the individual’s personality
- They affect a person’s sense of self
- They affect one’s capacity for relationships with others
Most Studied Personality Disorders:
1. Antisocial personality disorder
2. Borderline personality disorder

Antisocial Personality Disorder (ASPD)

characterized by guiltlessness, lawbreaking, exploitation of others, irresponsibility, and deceit

Psychopaths

A subgroup of individuals with ASPD who are remorseless predators engaging in violence to get what they want

Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD)

Exhibit a pervasive pattern of instability in interpersonal relationships, self-image, and emotion
- often insecure, impulsive, and emotional
- Related to self-harming behaviors such as cutting and suicide

Hyper-vigilance

tendency to be constantly alert looking for threatening information in the environment

Splitting

An either-or thinking style by which they either view people as hated enemies or as beloved friends who can do no wrong

Interpersonal Theory of Suicide

suggests that suicides involves two factors: 1) a desire to die and 2) the capability to commit suicide