Clinical Psych

Insanity A legal term describing an individual's inability to distinguish right from wrong at the time of a crime due to a mental disorder.

DSM-V The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition; used by clinicians to diagnose psychological disorders.

The Rosenhan Study: The Influence of Labels A 1973 study where healthy participants feigned hallucinations to enter psychiatric hospitals, revealing the power and persistence of diagnostic labels.

Generalized Anxiety Disorder A disorder marked by chronic, excessive worry about various aspects of life with no specific cause.

Panic Disorder An anxiety disorder characterized by recurrent, unexpected panic attacks and fear of their recurrence.

Agoraphobia Intense fear of situations where escape may be difficult or help unavailable, often leading to avoidance of public places.

Social Phobias Persistent fear of social or performance situations where one may be judged or embarrassed.

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder A disorder involving unwanted repetitive thoughts (obsessions) and/or actions (compulsions).

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder A condition triggered by experiencing or witnessing a traumatic event, causing flashbacks, nightmares, and severe anxiety.

Hypochondriasis Preoccupation with fears of having a serious illness despite medical reassurance; now part of illness anxiety disorder in DSM-V.

Conversion Disorders Disorders where psychological stress is expressed as physical symptoms without a medical cause, such as paralysis or blindness.

Dissociative Amnesia Memory loss of personal information, usually related to stress or trauma, not caused by brain injury.

Dissociative Fugue A dissociative disorder involving sudden travel away from home and loss of identity, often with formation of a new identity.

Dissociative Identity Disorder A rare disorder where a person exhibits two or more distinct personalities, formerly called multiple personality disorder.

Major (Unipolar) Depression A mood disorder with persistent feelings of sadness, hopelessness, and loss of interest or pleasure.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) A subtype of depression occurring at specific times of year, often winter, due to reduced sunlight exposure.

Bipolar Disorder (Manic-Depression) A mood disorder with alternating periods of depression and mania (elevated mood, energy, and activity levels).

Schizophrenia A severe disorder characterized by delusions, hallucinations, disorganized thinking, and impaired functioning.

Delusions False beliefs strongly held despite evidence to the contrary, often found in schizophrenia (e.g., persecution, grandeur).

Antisocial Personality Disorder A personality disorder marked by disregard for others, lack of empathy, and violation of social norms or laws.

Psychoanalysis Freud’s therapeutic approach aiming to uncover unconscious conflicts through techniques like free association and dream analysis.

Client-Centered Therapy Carl Rogers’ humanistic therapy focused on unconditional positive regard, empathy, and genuineness from the therapist.

Active Listening A key part of client-centered therapy where the therapist echoes, restates, and clarifies the client’s thoughts.

Systematic Desensitization A behavioral therapy that gradually exposes a person to feared stimuli while teaching relaxation techniques.

Aversive Conditioning A behavioral technique that pairs an unpleasant stimulus with unwanted behavior to reduce that behavior.

Token Economy A behavior modification system using tokens as rewards for desired behaviors, which can be exchanged for privileges.

Counterconditioning A technique that conditions new, positive responses to stimuli that previously elicited negative reactions.

Flooding A behavioral technique where a person is exposed to their most feared situation until anxiety diminishes.

Rational Emotive Therapy (RET) Albert Ellis’ cognitive therapy that challenges irrational beliefs to alter emotional responses and behaviors.

Group Therapy A therapeutic setting where multiple clients meet to discuss problems under the guidance of a therapist, promoting mutual support.

Aaron Beck A psychiatrist known for developing cognitive therapy, especially for depression, by identifying and changing negative thought patterns.

Albert Ellis Psychologist who created Rational Emotive Behavior Therapy (REBT), focusing on confronting irrational beliefs.

Antipsychotic Drugs Medications used to treat symptoms of psychosis, especially in schizophrenia, by altering dopamine levels.

Antianxiety Drugs Medications that reduce anxiety symptoms, often by depressing central nervous system activity (e.g., benzodiazepines).

Antidepressant Drugs Medications used to treat depression by altering serotonin, norepinephrine, or dopamine levels (e.g., SSRIs).

Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT) A biomedical therapy for severely depressed patients involving brief electrical stimulation of the brain.