Defining and Diagnosing Mental Illness

symptoms and causes of mental disorders as well as behavioral, biological, and cognitive causes for mental disorders

risk to self/others

person who is attempting to commit suicide or inflict serious bodily harm to themself or others

impairment

any loss or abnormality of psychological, physiological, or anatomical structure or function

deviating from social norms

behavior is seen as abnormal if it violates unwritten rules about what is acceptable

distress

non-specific symptoms of stress, anxiety, and depression

legal definition of insanity

severe mental illness that causes a person to have trouble distinguishing between fantasy/reality, right/wrong, and is subject to impulsive behavior.

DSM-V

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manuel of Mental Illness

why is DSM-V a useful tool?

it provides a common language and re-establishes consistent and reliable diagnoses that can be used in research

Panic Disorder definition

regularly have sudden attacks of panic or fear

Panic Disorder symptoms

sense of impending doom

rapid, pounding heart rate

sweating

nausea

trembling/shaking

tightness in throat

chest pain

chills

feel like they are dying

Panic Disorder causes

overactive amygdala

family history

low GABA

life stress (death and/or illness of loved one)

misinterpretation of normal body symptoms

traumatic event (sexual assault)

excessive caffeine or smoking

major life changes (divorce)

PTSD definition

a disorder in which a person has difficulty recovering after experiencing or witnessing a terrifying event.

PTSD symptoms

vivid flashbacks

intrusive thoughts

nightmares

physical sensation

alertness

isolating oneself

vulnerability

PTSD causes

serious accident

physical/sexual assault

abuse

health problems

overactive amygdala

prefunctional cortex underfunctioning

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) definition

severe ongoing anxiety that interferes with daily activities

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) symptoms

restless

wound up

easily fatigued

trouble concentrating

headache

muscle ache

trouble sleeping

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) causes

significant life changes

traumatic event

negative experience during childhood

low GABA

low serotonin

specific phobia definition

an intense, irrational fear of something that poses little or no actual danger (think about little albert experiment)

specific phobia symptoms

specific phobia

intense fear

anxiety

panic when think/are around fear

specific phobia causes

traumatic event involving the fear

ex: trapped in an elevator

agoraphobia definition

fear of places and situations that might cause panic, helplessness, or embarrassment

agoraphobia symptoms

avoidance

housebound

needing to be with someone

agoraphobia causes

trauma

complication of panic disorder

previous history

Separation anxiety definition

a child becomes excessively anxious when separated from parents

Separation anxiety symptoms

won’t sleep alone

repeated nightmares

worry about family members

refusal to leave

Separation anxiety causes

life stress

loss

certain temperaments

genetics

Obsessive compulsive disorder definition

excessive thoughts (obsessions) that lead to repetitive behavior (compulsions). causes anxiety

Obsessive compulsive disorder symptoms

fear of contamination

difficulty tolerating uncertainty

unwanted thoughts

thoughts about losing control and hurting others

Obsessive compulsive disorder causes

genetics

brain abnormality

environment

Body Dysmorphic disorder definition

a mental illness involving obsessive focus on a perceived flaw

Body Dysmorphic disorder symptoms

preoccupied

strong belief you are ugly

believes others mock you

frequent in appearance examination

Body Dysmorphic disorder causes

family history

abnormal brain functions/chemicals

negative evaluations

hoarding defintion

difficult discarding or parting with possessions because of a perceived need to save them

hoarding symptoms

excessive number of items

gradual buildup of clutter

distrust of people touching possessions

hoarding causes

difficult experiences and painful feelings

help cope with other mental problems

Major depressive disorder definition

persistent depressed mood, loss of interest, and impairment to daily activities

Major depressive disorder symptoms

sadness

outbursts

irritability

loss of interest

excessive/limited sleeping

suicidal thoughts

low energy

Major depressive disorder causes

stress, personality

family history

illness alcohol/drugs

low serotonin

low dopamine

low norepinephrine

loss of scripts

poor social skills

learned helplessness

bipolar disorder definition

marked by alternating periods of elation and depression

bipolar disorder symptoms

sad, hopeless

irritable

no energy

loss of interest

guilt

reduce sleep

loss of reality

paranoia

bipolar disorder causes

childhood trauma

stressful life events

brain chemistry

meditation

manic episode

a state of mind characterized by high energy, excitement. and euphoria over a sustained period of time

depressive episode

a person will have experienced low or depressed mood and/or loss of interest in most activities

conversion disorder definition

a condition in which a person experiences physical and sensory problems with no underlying neurologic pathology

conversion disorder symptoms

paralysis

humbleness

blindness

deafness

seizures

conversion disorder causes

other medical conditions

trauma

recent health condition

somatic symptoms disorder definition

an extreme focus on physical symptoms that causes major emotional distress and problems functioning

somatic symptoms disorder symptoms

pain

fatigue

weakness

somatic symptoms disorder causes

anxiety

depression

medical conditions

family history of disease

stressful life events

illness anxiety disorder definition

obsession with the idea of having a serious but undiagnosed medical condition

illness anxiety disorder symptoms

preoccupied with having a health condition

worrying about minor symptoms

easily alarmed

little reassurance from doctors visits/negative tests

illness anxiety disorder causes

major life stress

threat of serious illness

abuse

serious childhood illness

personality

dissociative disorders

experiencing a disconnection and lack of continuity between thoughts, memories, surroundings, actions, and identity

dissociative identity disorder definition

the existence of two or more different personality states, with distinct behavior, memory, and cognition, in one individual

dissociative identity disorder symptoms

memory loss

sense of detachment

things distorted

blurred sense of identity

SH

dissociative identity disorder causes

trauma

stress

strong emotions

special events

alcohol abuse

dissociative amnesia definition

a disorder characterized by retrospectively reported memory gaps

dissociative amnesia symptoms

memory loss

detachment

dissociative amnesia causes

stress

trauma

war

abuse

accidents

disasters

dissociative fugue

a temporary state where a person has memory loss and ends up in an unexpected place

schizophrenia definition

a breakdown in the relation between thought, emotion, and behavior, leading to faulty perception, inappropriate actions, withdrawal from reality, and delusions.

schizophrenia symptoms

delusions

hallucinations

disorganized thinking

disorganized speech

abnormal motor behavior

negative symptoms

schizophrenia causes

physical

genetic

psychological

environmental

emotional life events

imbalance of dopamine and serotonin

hallucinations

experience involving the apparent perception of something not present (false perception)

delusions

a false belief of judgment about external reality, held despite evidence to the contrary

catatonic behavior

lack of movement, communication, increased agitation, confusion, and restlessness

bizarre bodily movements

negative symptoms

when people withdraw from the world around them, no interest in social interactions, and emotionless

little emotion, ambition, and speech

antisocial personality disorder

persistent disregard of the rights of others, failure to comply with laws, and reckless behavior

borderline personality disorder definition

unstable sense of identity, unstable emotions, and unstable relationships.

borderline personality disorder causes

emotional

physical

sexual abuse

narcissistic personality disorder definition

a person has an inflated sense of self importance

narcissistic personality disorder symptoms

grandiosity

callous

unemotional

disregard for others feelings

need for admiration

narcissistic personality disorder causes

too much or too little admiration in childhood

genetics

neurobiology

phobias

learn to associate something we do not fear with something that triggers a fear response. dog with being bitten

Post traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

emotions experienced during the event produce neutral activity in the amygdala and created strong conditioned learning

how can a lack of reinforcers cause depression

depression results when a discriminative stimulus or reinforcer for behavior is removed

how does seligman’s theory of learned helplessness explain depression

when a desired outcome is improbable or an aversive outcome is probable and the person believes nothing they do will change the outcome, depression results

how somatic symptoms disorders can be explained by reinforcers when a person is in the sick role

individuals experiencing significant somatic symptoms are often rewarded by gaining attention from others

dissociative identity disorder, dissociative amnesia, and fugue

when forced with overwhelming abuse, people dissociate from full awareness of a traumatic experience, and can become a defensive pattern causing disorder

antisocial personality disorder

promotes chronic inability to modulate emotions

poor social skills are linked to

abuse

strong genetic basis for major disorders

diathesis stress model-certain people have genetic vulnerability and stressors in environment cause schizophrenia to develop

family studies

1% chance general population, 6% siblings, 17% DZ twins, 58% MZ twins

twin studies

greater chance identical than fraternal twins will have schizophrenia

enlarged ventricles in schizophrenia

one of the earliest and most consistent findings, 130% bigger

atrophy of frontal cortex in schizophrenia

abnormal in schizophrenia

attention, cognitive inhibition, cognitive flexibility, and poor working memory

wasting away brain tissue

decrease in size of hippocampus for people with major depression

19% smaller left hippocampus volume

role of neurotransmitters in mental illness

neurodevelopmental hypothesis: schizophrenia caused by stressors during pregnancy - poor nutrition, stress, infections

role of excess dopamine in people with schizophrenia

hallucination and delusion, caused by disturbed cortical pathway

deficiency in serotonin and norepinephrine for people with depression

impair memory, attention, stress reactions, energy levels, and regulating emotions

low levels of GABA and serotonin in anxiety disorders

GABA - lessens ability for nerve cells to receive, create, and send messages

serotonin - interfere with thalamic control of cortical excitability

learned helplessness

a person has a sense of powerlessness arising from a traumatic event or persistent failure

cognitive distortions

the illogical and exaggerated manner in which people who are prone to depression distort reality

misinterpretation of normal bodily symptoms and panic disorder

hypochondria

style of thinking and anxiety disorders

black and white thinking

mental filtering

overgeneralization

jumping to conclusions

catastrophizing

labeling

depressed schema

said to be internal (self), global (all aspects), and stable (won’t change).

unconscious conflicts and conversion disorder

disorder - associated with recent stressors and symptoms manifest as a result of unconscious conflict between a forbidden wish of the patient and his/her conscious

unconscious conflicts and depression

unresolved inner conflicts cause depression

Rosenhan study

people act crazy, once admitted act normal, diagnosed with psychiatric disorders

Seligman’s study of learned helplessness

dog shocked for 20 minutes = learned helplessness, don’t try to escape

dog shocked for 10 minutes = no learned helplessness, try to escape

insomnia

hard to fall asleep, stay asleep, and cause you to wake up too early