AP Psychology: Psychological Disorders Unit

DSM-5

the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition; a widely used system for classifying psychological disorders.

anxiety disorders

disorders in which the main symptom is excessive or unrealistic anxiety and fearfulness- most common category of disorders

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)

a disorder characterized by chronic excessive worry accompanied by three or more of the following symptoms: restlessness, fatigue, concentration problems, irritability, muscle tension, and sleep disturbance

panic disorder

An anxiety disorder marked by unpredictable minutes-long episodes of intense dread in which a person experiences terror and accompanying chest pain, choking, or other frightening sensations.

Phobias

A group of anxiety disorders involving a pathological fear of a specific object or situation

obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)

a disorder characterized by unwanted repetitive thoughts (obsessions) and/or actions (compulsions)

hoarding

collecting and putting things away in a guarded manner

Excoriation

repeated picking at one's own skin which results in areas of swollen or broken skin and causes significant disruption in one's life

body dismorphia

distorted body image

posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

a disorder characterized by haunting memories, nightmares, social withdrawal, jumpy anxiety, numbness of feeling, and/or insomnia that lingers for four weeks or more after a traumatic experience

dissasociative identity disorder (DID)

a rare dissociative disorder in which a person exhibits two or more distinct and alternating personalities. Formerly called multiple personality disorder.

somatoform/somatic disorders

A class of psychological disorders involving physical ailments with no authentic organic basis that are due to psychological factors.

conversion disorder

A rare somatoform disorder in which a person experiences very specific genuine physical symptoms for which no physiological basis can be found.

illness anxiety disorder (hypochondriasis)

a disorder in which a person interprets normal physical sensations as symptoms of a disease

agoraphobia

fear or avoidance of situations, such as crowds or wide open places, where one has felt loss of control and panic

Major Depressive Disorder (MDD)

Psychological disorder involving a significant depressive episode and depressed characteristics, such as lethargy and hopelessness, for at least two weeks. Most common disorder

Anhedonia

a diminished ability to experience pleasure

Dysthemia (Persistent Depressive Disorder)

at least two years of depressed mood for more days than not, accompanied by additional depressive symptoms that do not meet criteria for major depressive episode

Seasonal Affect Disorder

depression occurring during winter months, causative factors include circadian rhythm, drop in serotonin syndrome, change in melatonin level. Treatment light therapy, antidepressants, psychotherapy/talk therapy

bipolar disorder (manic depression)

a mental condition characterized by cycles of severe mood changes shifting from highs and severe lows

disruptive mood regulation

a disorder of childhood or adolescence marked by severe recurrent temper outbursts along the persistent irritable or angry mood. Recently added to the DSM because of misdiagnosis of bipolar disorder in adolescents

hallucinations vs delusions

hallucinations are false sensory perceptions and delusions are false beliefs

catatonia

a state of unresponsiveness to one's outside environment, usually including muscle rigidity, staring, and inability to communicate

paranoia

irrational suspiciousness or distrust of others

Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)

a disorder that appears in childhood and is marked by significant deficiencies in communication and social interaction, and by rigidly fixated interests and repetitive behaviors

Schizophrenic Spectrum Disorders

A group of severe disorders characterized by disorganized and delusional thinking, disturbed perceptions, and inappropriate actions and emotions.

negative symptoms

symptoms of schizophrenia that are marked by deficits in functioning, such as apathy, lack of emotion, and slowed speech and movement

positive symptoms

symptoms of schizophrenia that are excesses of behavior or occur in addition to normal behavior; hallucinations, delusions, and distorted thinking

dissociative amnesia

Dissociative disorder characterized by the sudden and extensive inability to recall important personal information, usually of a traumatic or stressful nature.

Fugue State (Dissociative Disorder)

a sudden loss of memory or change in identity, often in response to an overwhelmingly stressful situation

Factitious Disorder

nonexistent physical or psychological disorder deliberately faked for no apparent gain except possibly sympathy and attention

Paranoid Personality Disorder (Cluster A)

type of personality disorder characterized by extreme suspiciousness or mistrust of others

antisocial personality disorder (APD) (Cluster B)

a pervasive pattern of disregard for and violation of the rights of others that begins in childhood or early adolescence and continues into adulthood

Narcissictic Personality Disorder (Cluster B)

inflated sense of self-importance, a deep need for attention and admiration, and a lack of empathy for others

Histrionic Personality Disorder (Cluster B)

excessive emotionality and excitability, attention seeking, sexually provocative, overly concerned with appearance

Borderline Personality Disorder (Cluster B)

a personality disorder characterized by lack of stability in interpersonal relationships, self-image, and emotion; impulsivity; angry outbursts; intense fear of abandonment; recurring suicidal gestures

obsessive-compulsive personality disorder

a personality disorder characterized by preoccupation with orderliness, perfection, and control

Pica

compulsive eating of nonnutritive substances such as clay or ice

anorexia nervosa

An eating disorder characterized by an obstinate and willful refusal to eat, a distorted body image, and an intense fear of being fat

bulimia nervosa

an eating disorder characterized by episodes of overeating, usually of high-calorie foods, followed by vomiting, laxative use, fasting, or excessive exercise

binge eating disorder

significant binge-eating episodes, followed by distress, disgust, or guilt, but without the compensatory purging, fasting, or excessive exercise that marks bulimia nervosa

psychoanalytic therapy

Uses various methods to help a patient become aware of his/her unconscious motives, in order to help the patient be more able to choose behaviors consciously. Therapy sessions usually focus on patients talking about their lives and reducing anxiety through self insight through analysis and interpretation.

humanistic therapy

treatment focused on increasing awareness of one's self concept

client-centered therapy

a humanistic therapy, developed by Carl Rogers, in which the therapist uses techniques such as active listening within a genuine, accepting, empathic environment to facilitate clients' growth. (Also called person-centered therapy.)

behavioral therapy

focuses on changing behavior by identifying problem behaviors, replacing them with appropriate behaviors, and using rewards or other consequences to make the changes

systematic desensitization

A type of exposure therapy that associates a pleasant relaxed state with gradually increasing anxiety-triggering stimuli. Commonly used to treat phobias.

aversion conditioning (therapy)

a type of counterconditioning that associates an unpleasant state (such as nausea) with an unwanted behavior (such as drinking alcohol)

token economy

an operant conditioning procedure in which people earn a token of some sort for exhibiting a desired behavior and can later exchange the tokens for various privileges or treats

cognitive therapy

therapy that teaches people new, more adaptive ways of thinking and acting; based on the assumption that thoughts intervene between events and our emotional reactions

rational-emotive therapy

a cognitive therapy developed by Albert Ellis that helps clients identify and change the irrational assumptions and thinking that help cause their psychological disorder

Beck's Cognitive Therapy

a type of cognitive therapy, developed by Aaron Beck, in which the therapist works to develop a warm relationship with the person and has the person carefully consider the evidence for his or her beliefs in order to see the errors in his or her thinking

cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT)

a popular integrative therapy that combines cognitive therapy (changing self-defeating thinking) with behavior therapy (changing behavior)

biological therapy

treatment for psychological disorders that is based on medical approaches to illness and to disease

eclectic therapy

therapeutic approach that draws upon principles and techniques representing different schools of therapy

electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)

a biomedical therapy for severely depressed patients in which a brief electric current is sent through the brain of an anesthetized patient, causing a brief seizure

surgery for psychological disorders

rarely used, but sometimes necessary, treatment for severe and treatment-resistant mental illnesses, considered a last resort after other therapies like medication and psychotherapy have failed. meant to address specific brain regions or circuits involved in the disorder

EMDR (eye movement desensitization and reprocessing)

structured form of psychotherapy used to help individuals process distressing memories and reduce their emotional impact

Psychoneuroimmunology (PNI)

the study of how psychological, neural, and endocrine processes together affect the immune system and resulting health

mind-body connection

how your emotions affect your physical and overall health and how your overall health affects your emotions

health psychology

the subfield of psychology concerned with ways psychological factors influence the causes and treatment of physical illness and the maintenance of health

World Health Organization (WHO)

a global institution dedicated to the improvement of human health by monitoring and assessing health trends and providing medical advice to countries

American Psychological Association (APA)

professional organization representing psychologists in the United States

International Classification of Mental Disorders

global categorization system for physical and mental illnesses published by the World Health Organization (WHO)

maladaptive behaviors

behaviors that impair a person's ability to function socially, academically, or professionally

biopsychosocial model

a model of health that integrates the effects of biological, behavioral, and social factors on health and illness

diathesis-stress model

a diagnostic model that proposes that a disorder may develop when an underlying vulnerability is coupled with a precipitating event

neurodevelopmental diseases

disorders that affect the development of the nervous system, such as autism spectrum disorder.

word salad

jumble of incoherent speech as sometimes heard in schizophrenia

flat affect (schizophrenia)

virtually no signs of affective expression

Hypervigilance

state of ongoing anxiety in which the person is constantly tense and alert for threats

Flashbacks (PTSD)

feel like in trauma, memories seem to happen in the here and now, reexperiencing traumatic memory

insomnia

recurring problems in falling or staying asleep

Evidence-based interventions

treatments that have been found to be effective on the basis of valid and reliable research studies

therapeutic alliance

a bond of trust and mutual understanding between a therapist and client, who work together constructively to overcome the client's problem

Cognitive Triad (Beck)

Cognitive profile underlying depression: negative views about oneself, the world, and the future

dialectical behavior therapy (DBT)

A treatment often used for borderline personality disorder that incorporates both cognitive-behavioral and mindfulness elements.

Psychotropic Medication Therapy

drugs that treat psychiatric symptoms by restoring neurotransmitter balance

transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)

a treatment that involves placing a powerful pulsed magnet over a person's scalp, which alters neuronal activity in the brain

Psychoactive Medications

prescribed chemical compounds having a psychological effect that alters mood or thought process

Cluster A personality disorders (weird)

odd, peculiar, or eccentric

paranoid, schizoid, schizotypal

Cluster B personality disorders (wild)

dramatic, emotional, erratic, intense emotions, & extreme impulsivity

antisocial, borderline, histrionic, narcissistic

Cluster C personality disorders (worried)

pervasive anxiety and fear

avoidant, dependent, obsessive-compulsive

Ego-syntonic disorders

Symptoms of the disorder are perceived by the individual as valued/advantageous

Ego-dystonic disorders

a disorder where the individual perceives the symptoms to be undesirable--making them more likely to seek treatment

Prosopagnosia

inability to recognize faces

Culture-bound disorders

abnormal syndromes found only in a few cultural groups

Taijin kyofusho (TKS)

a kind of social phobia characterized by a terrible fear of offending others through awkward social or physical behavior, such as staring, blushing, giving off an offensive odor, having an unpleasant facial expression, or having trembling hands, mostly in Japan

dopamine hypothesis

the theory that schizophrenia results from excessive activity of the neurotransmitter dopamine

schizoid personality disorder

a personality disorder characterized by persistent avoidance of social relationships and little expression of emotion

schizotypal personality disorder

Person has several traits that causes interpersonal problems, including inappropriate affect, paranoid/magical thinking, off beliefs

dependent personality disorder

A personality disorder characterized by a pattern of clinging and obedience, fear of separation, and an ongoing need to be taken care of.

avoidant personality disorder

A personality disorder characterized by consistent discomfort and restraint in social situations, overwhelming feelings of inadequacy, and extreme sensitivity to negative evaluation.

acrophobia

fear of heights