PSYC 372 - Exam 2

Stressor

an event or situation that causes stress (external demands placed upon someone. (Can be good (wedding) or bad (funeral))

hassle

a small, minor stressor

trauma

a serious, shocking, or life-threatening stressor

coping

tolerating stress and using helpful protective mechanisms

distress

experiencing negative stress

traumatized

reacting to extreme stressors and are functioning poorly

resilience

functioning adequately despite experiencing trauma

5HTTLPR

codes for the production of the serotonin transporter protein responsible for the reuptake of serotonin

Adjustment Disorder

a disorder in which a person's response to a common stressor is maladaptive and occurs within 3 months of the stressor

Prevalence: 5-20% in outpatient samples

post-traumatic stress disorder

a disorder in which one experiences trauma at least 1 month ago, experiences intrusion/avoidance symptoms, and alterations to mood/arousal

Lifetime Prevalence: 8.7%

acute stress disorder

a disorder in which one experiences trauma between 3 days and 1 month ago, and experiences at least 9 symptoms from any of the 5 trauma categories

Prevalence: 10-20% in recent trauma experiences

the 5 trauma categories

intrusion, negative mood, dissociation, avoidance, arousal

anhedonia

lack of joy for things you previously enjoyed

fear

a reaction to possible imminent danger

anxiety

a fear-like reaction in the absence of actual dangers

obsession

topic upon which one is 'stuck' mentally, ruminates about, thinks of consciously, feels anxious if not addressed, hard to ignore or suppress thoughts

compulsion

behavior aimed at appeasing or stopping the obsessive thoughts

social anxiety

worries of negative evaluation by others

Specific Phobia

the fear/anxiety about a particular object/situation with symptoms typically lasting 6 months or more

12 month prevalence: 8%

Social Anxiety Disorder (Social Phobia)

marked fear/anxiety about one or more social situations involving possible scrutiny from others, typically lasting 6 months or more

12 month prevalence: 7%

Panic Disorder

a disorder in which one experiences recurrent, unexpected panic attacks with an intense surge of fear/anxiety. Has at least 1 attack followed by 1 month of 1 or both: concern about future attacks or maladaptive avoidance related to future attacks

12 month prevalence: 2.5%

Agoraphobia

marked fear/anxiety about using public transportation, open/enclosed spaces, crowds, being outside the home alone, typically lasting 6 months or more due to the inability to seek help

12 month prevalence: 1.7%

Generalized Anxiety Disorder

excessive anxiety/worry/apprehension more days than not, and finds it difficult to control worry, lasting 6 months or more

Lifetime prevalence: 9%

obsessive-compulsive disorder

a disorder in which one experiences the presence of obsessions, compulsions, or both, experiencing 1 hour per day

12 month prevalence: 1.2%

Body Dysmorphic Disorder

obsession with a perceived deficit in physical appearance, whether minor or unnoticeable to others and performance of repetitive compulsive behaviors relating to the deficit

point prevalence: 2.4%

Hoarding Disorder

Persistent difficulty discarding or parting with possessions, regardless of their actual value

point prevalence: 4%

Trichotillomania

a disorder characterized by the repeated pulling out of one's own hair, resulting in hair loss

12 month prevalence: 1.5%

Excoriation

recurrent skin picking, resulting in lesions

lifetime prevalence: 1.4%

Comorbidity

the co-occurrence of two or more disorders in a single individual

mood

refers to longer lasting and simpler feeling states

emotions

quicker/shorter feeling states with more specificity

effect vs affect

impact vs emotion

effective vs affective

successful vs emotional

bipolar

shifting from manic to depressive extremes

unipolar

one 'pole' of the mood spectrum

manic episode

1 week of near-constant elevated/irritable mood and increased activity/energy, includes at least 3 symptoms

hypomanic episode

4 days of near-constant elevated/irritable mood and increased activity/energy, includes at least 3 symptoms, is observable by others, and is a clear change in behavior

major depressive episode

A 2 week period of depressed mood or loss of interest or pleasure, with at least 5 symptoms

Major Depressive Disorder

A mood disorder in which a person experiences 2 or more weeks of significantly depressed moods, feelings of worthlessness, and diminished interest or pleasure in most activities, and experiences a depressive episode

lifetime prevalence: 17%

persistent depressive disorder (Dysthymia)

a disorder in which one experiences a depressed mood for most of the day for at least 2 years, has never had a manic/hypomanic episode, and symptoms have not ceased longer than 2 months

12 month prevalence: 2%

Bipolar I Disorder

a disorder characterized by extremely elevated moods during manic episodes and, frequently, depressive episodes as well

12 month prevalence: 0.6%

Bipolar II Disorder

a disorder characterized by hypomanic and major depressive episodes, but NOT a manic episode

12 month prevalence: 0.8%

Cyclothymic Disorder

for at least 2 years, there have been periods of hypomanic and depressive symptoms but they do not meet the full criteria for episodes

lifetime prevalence: 0.7%

Types of Attributions

internal/external, stable/unstable, global/specific

negative cognitive triad

negative thoughts about the self, the world, and the future

helplessness theory of depression

individuals who are prone to depression automatically attribute negative experiences to causes that are internal, stable, and global

attempted suicide

mostly ages 18-24, women 3x more likely to do so

completed suicide

mostly ages 65 and older, men more likely to do so

Internalizing symptoms

experiencing distress within one's mind, primarily involving thoughts, moods, and bodily symptoms

externalizing symptoms

experiencing distress outside of one's mind, primarily involving behaviors which are destructive, numbing, or reassuring

vice

an externalizing symptom which is addicting or habit-forming

vicious cycle

a pattern of entrapment in externalizing addictive behaviors involving problematic use, attempts to quit, and subsequent strengthening of desire for the vice

binge

period of eating which is markedly greater in volume than normal eating, within a 2 hour span and one feels it is difficult to stop

purge

to forcibly rid the body of food/calories consumed via vomiting, use of laxatives, diuretics, or enemas

restriction of eating

To consume significantly less caloric intake than normal

compensatory behaviors

actions to deter weight gain following eating, including purging, restricted eating, extreme exercise, fasting, etc.

BMI (body mass index)

a measure of body weight relative to height

anorexia nervosa

a disorder in which the fear of becoming 'fat' leads to the restriction of caloric intake, leading to significantly low body weight. specify whether it is restricting or binge/purge type

one year prevalence: 0.9% (women), 0.3% (men)

bulimia nervosa

a disorder in which a person has recurrent episodes of binge eating and compensatory behaviors averaging once per week for 3 months or more

one year prevalence: 1.5% (women), 0.5% (men)

binge eating disorder

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

one year prevalence: 3.5% (women), 2% (men)

substance abuse

excessive or problematic use of the substance

substance tolerance

level to which a person's physiological system can handle the substance

substance dependence

physiological need for increasing amounts of substance

withdrawal

physical symptoms accompanying abstinence from the given substance after dependence has been reached

stimulants

increase activity of the central nervous system (tobacco, cocaine, caffeine)

depressants

sedating/tranquilizing activity of central nervous system (alcohol)

opioids/narcotics

euphoria and reduced pain (heroin, morphine)

Anti-psychotics

dampen psychotic experiences (haldol, risperdal)

Hallucinogens

psychedelic perceptual experiences (marijuana, LSD, ecstasy)

alcohol use disorder

problematic pattern of alcohol use leading to significant impairment or distress within a 12 month period

12 month prevalence: 13%

Stimulant Use Disorder

Problematic pattern of stimulant use leading to impairment or distress within a 12 month period

12 month prevalence: 0.2%

insight-oriented treatment

this treatment often pursues the understanding of the cause of symptoms and finds the origin of the anxiety

behavioral oriented treatment

this treatment often involves exposure to the anxiety-producing stimulus, and is aimed at the 'extinction' of the connection between the stimulus and fear response

cognitive behavioral treatment (CBT)

this treatment aims to change thought patterns and behavioral approach to the anxiety-provoking issue through homework assignments for clients and fear-facing challenges