Unit 2: Disorders of Anxiety and Mood

fear

the central nervous system's physiological and emotional response to a serious threat to well-being

anxiety

the central nervous system's physiological and emotional response to a vague sense of threat or danger

generalized anxiety disorder

a disorder marked by persistent and excessive feelings of anxiety and worry about numerous events and activities

client-centered therapy

the humanistic therapy developed by Carl Rogers in which clinicians try to help clients by being accepting, empathizing accurately, and conveying genuineness.

basic irrational assumptions

The inaccurate and inappropriate beliefs held by people with various psychological problems, according to Albert Ellis

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

mindfulness-based cognitive therapy

Incorporates traditional aspects of cognitive therapy with mindfulness and mindfulness meditation which involves becoming aware of all incoming thoughts and feelings, accepting them, but not reacting to them.

family pedigree study

a research design in which investigators determine how many and which relatives of a person with a disorder have the same disorder

benzodiazepines

the most common group of antianxiety drugs, which includes Valium and Xanax

gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA)

a neurotransmitter whose low activity has been linked to generalized anxiety disorder

sedative-hypnotic drugs

a drug used in low doses to reduce anxiety and in higher doses to help people sleep

relaxation training

a treatment procedure that teaches clients to relax at will so they can calm themselves in stressful situations

biofeedback

a technique in which a client is given information about physiological reactions as they occur and learns to control the reactions voluntarily

electromyograph (EMG)

a device that provides feedback about the level of muscular tension in the body

specific phobia

a persistent and unreasonable fear of a particular object, activity, or situation that is severe enough to interfere with daily living

agoraphobia

an anxiety disorder in which a person is afraid to be in public situations from which escape might be difficult or help unavailable if panic-like or embarrassing symptoms were to occur

classical conditioning

a process of learning in which two events that repeatedly occur close together in time become tied together in a person's mind and so produce the same response

modeling

A process of learning in which a person observes and then imitates others. Also, a therapy approach based on the same principle.

stimulus generalization

a phenomenon in which responses to one stimulus are also produced by similar stimuli

preparedness

a predisposition to develop certain fears

exposure treatments

behavioral treatments in which persons are exposed to the objects or situations they dread

systematic desensitization

a behavioral treatment that uses relaxation training and a fear hierarchy to help clients with phobias react calmly to the objects or situations they dread

flooding

a treatment for phobias in which clients are exposed repeatedly and intensively to a feared object and made to see that it is actually harmless

social anxiety disorder

a severe and persistent fear of social or performance situations in which embarrassment may occur

social skills training

a therapy approach that helps people learn or improve social skills and assertiveness through role playing and rehearsing of desirable behaviors

panic attacks

periodic, short bouts of panic that occur suddenly, reach a peak within minutes, and gradually pass

panic disorder

an anxiety disorder marked by recurrent and unpredictable panic attacks

norepinephrine

a neurotransmitter whose abnormal activity is linked to panic disorder (too high) and depression (too low)

locus coeruleus

A small area of the brain that seems to be active in the regulation of emotions. Many of its neurons use norepinephrine.

biological challenge test

a procedure used to produce panic in participants or clients by having them exercise vigorously or perform some other potentially panic-inducing task in the presence of a researcher or therapist

anxiety sensitivity

a tendency to focus on one's bodily sensations, assess them illogically, and interpret them as harmful

obsessions

a persistent thought, idea, impulse, or image that is experienced repeatedly, feels intrusive, and causes anxiety

compulsions

a repetitive and rigid behavior or mental act that a person feels driven to perform in order to prevent or reduce anxiety

obsessive-compulsive disorder

a disorder in which a person has recurrent and unwanted thoughts, a need to perform repetitive and rigid actions, or both

exposure and response prevention

A behavioral treatment for obsessive-compulsive disorder that exposes a client to anxiety-arousing thoughts or situations and then prevents the client from performing his or her compulsive acts.

neutralizing

a person's attempt to eliminate unwanted thoughts by thinking or behaving in ways that put matters right internally, making up for the unacceptable thoughts

serotonin

a neurotransmitter whose abnormal activity is linked to depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and eating disorders

orbitofrontal cortex

a region of the brain in which impulses involving excretion, sexuality, violence, and other primitive activities normally arise

caudate nuclei

structures in the brain, within the region known as the basal ganglia, that help convert sensory information into thoughts and actions

hoarding disorder

a disorder in which individuals feel compelled to save items and become very distressed if they try to discard them, resulting in an excessive accumulation of items

trichotillomania

a disorder in which people repeatedly pull out hair from their scalp, eyebrows, eyelashes, or other parts of the body

excoriation disorder

a disorder in which people repeatedly pick at their skin, resulting in significant sores or wounds

body dysmorphic disorder

A disorder in which individuals become preoccupied with the belief that they have certain defects or flaws in their physical appearance. Such defects or flaws are imagined or greatly exaggerated.

unconditional positive regard

a caring, accepting, nonjudgmental attitude, which Carl Rogers believed would help clients to develop self-awareness and self-acceptance

metacognitive theory

suggests that people with generalized anxiety disorder implicitly hold positive and negative beliefs about worrying. The negative beliefs about worrying result in the disorder

stress management program

an approach to treating generalized and other anxiety disorders that teaches clients techniques for reducing and controlling stress

parasuicide

a suicide attempt that does not result in death

suicide

a self-inflicted death in which the person acts intentionally, directly, and consciously

suicidal behavior disorder

currently, suicidal behavior is not a specific mental disorder; however criteria for this condition were included in the DSM-5 under "conditions in need of further study"; the proposed criteria would allow for diagnosis of suicidality in absence of other mental illness

death seeker

a person who clearly intends to end his or her life at the time of a suicide attempt

death initiators

People who intend to end their lives but act out of a belief that the process of death is already on its way and that they can only hasten the process.

death ignorers

do not believe that their self-inflicted death will mean the end of their existence

death darers

experience mixed feelings in their intent to die even at the moment of their attempt and they show this ambivalence in the act itself

subintentional deaths

a death in which the victim plays an indirect, hidden, partial, or unconscious role (e.g., reckless drug use, physical fighting, medication mismanagement)

nonsuicidal self-injury

Intentional, self-inflicted harm intended to provide relief from negative feelings or to induce positive feelings; can also involve a preoccupation with engaging in self-harm or self-mutilation

retrospective analysis

A psychological autopsy in which clinicians and researchers piece together information about a person's suicide from the person's past.

hopelessness

a pessimistic belief that one's present circumstances, problems, or mood will not change

dichotomous thinking

viewing problems and solutions in rigid either/or terms

postvention

Activities and strategies undertaken after a suicide death to reduce associated trauma and to prevent social contagion

Thanatos

Freud's concept of a "death instinct" that opposes Eros, the "life instinct"

Durkheim's Sociocultural Theory

Durkheim's theory that the probability of suicide is determined by how attached a person is to such social groups as the family, religious institutions, and community

egoistic suicides

(Durkheim) Suicides that result from a lack of solidarity, occurring among those who have few social connections, feel isolated and alone, and are more likely to fall into despair

altruistic suicides

(Durkheim) Committed by people who are so well integrated into the social structure that they intentionally sacrifice their lives for its well being (e.g., kamikaze pilots, parents who die to save a child, etc.)

anomic suicides

(Durkheim) Suicides that occur as a result of a instability or rapid change within a society, usually economic (e.g., the stock market crash).

suicide prevention program

a program that tries to identify people who are at risk of killing themselves and to offer them crisis intervention

crisis intervention

a treatment approach that tries to help people in a psychological crisis to view their situation more accurately, make better decisions, act more constructively, and overcome the crisis

suicide education programs

A type of prevention program that involves mostly teachers and students; the aim is to raise awareness about suicide risks and to promote hope and help-seeking

depression

a low, sad state marked by significant levels of sadness, lack of energy, low self-worth, guilt, or related symptoms

mania

a state or episode of euphoria or frenzied activity in which people may have an exaggerated belief that the world is theirs for the taking

depressive disorders

the group of disorders marked by unipolar depression

unipolar depression

depression without a history of mania

bipolar disorder

a disorder marked by alternating or intermixed periods of mania and depression

major depressive disorder

a severe pattern of depression that is disabling and is not caused by such factors as drugs or a general medical condition

persistent depressive disorder

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

premenstrual dysphoric disorder

a disorder marked by repeated episodes of significant depression and related symptoms during the week before menstruation

serotonin

a neurotransmitter whose abnormal activity is linked to depression, obsessive-compulsive disorder, and eating disorders

electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)

a treatment for depression in which electrodes attached to a patient's head send an electrical current through the brain, causing a convulsion

MAO inhibitor

an antidepressant drug that prevents the action of the enzyme monoamine oxidase

tricyclic

an antidepressant drug such as imipramine that has three rings in its molecular structure

selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs)

a group of second-generation antidepressant drugs that increase serotonin activity (specifically), without affecting other neurotransmitters

vagus nerve stimulation

a treatment procedure for depression in which an implanted pulse generator sends regular electrical signals to a person's vagus nerve; the nerve then stimulates the brain

transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS)

a treatment procedure for depression in which an electromagnetic coil, which is placed on or above a patient's head, sends a current into the individual's brain

deep brain stimulation (DBS)

a treatment procedure for depression in which a pacemaker powers electrodes that have been implanted in Brodmann Area 25, thus stimulating that brain area

symbolic loss

according to Freudian theory, the loss of a valued object (for example, a loss of employment) that is unconsciously interpreted as the loss of a loved one; also called "imagined loss"

learned helplessness

the perception, based on past experiences, that one has no control over one's reinforcement

cognitive triad

the three forms of negative thinking that Aaron Beck theorizes lead people to feel depressed; consists of a negative view of one's experiences, oneself, and the future

cognitive therapy

a therapy developed by Aaron Beck that helps people identify and change the maladaptive assumptions and ways of thinking that help cause their psychological disorders

interpersonal therapy (IPT)

a treatment for unipolar depression that is based on the belief that clarifying and changing one's interpersonal problems helps lead to recovery

couple therapy

a therapy format in which the therapist works with two people who share a long-term relationship

bipolar I disorder

a type of bipolar disorder marked by full manic and major depressive episodes

bipolar II disorder

a type of bipolar disorder marked by mildly manic (hypomanic) episodes and major depressive episodes

cyclothymic disorder

a disorder marked by numerous periods of hypomanic symptoms and mild depressive symptoms

lithium

a metallic element that occurs in nature as a mineral salt and is an effective treatment for bipolar disorders

mood stabilizing drugs

psychotropic drugs that help stabilize the moods of people suffering from bipolar disorder

second messengers

chemical changes within a neuron just after the neuron receives a neurotransmitter message and just before it responds

anhedonia

inability to experience pleasure

disruptive mood dysregulation disorder

a childhood disorder marked by severe recurrent temper outbursts along with a persistent irritable or angry mood

cortisol

A stress hormone released by the adrenal glands that helps the body prepare for fight or flight; high levels found in those with unipolar depression

seasonal affective disorder

pattern of unipolar depression in which a person experiences depression during winter months and improved mood during spring; can be treated with light box therapy

melatonin

A hormone manufactured by the pineal gland that produces sleepiness.