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Rathus_PSYCH_7e_PPT_CH12

Chapter 12: Psychological Disorders

Introduction

  • Psychological disorders are a significant subject in psychology. This chapter covers definitions, types, and origins of several psychological disorders.

Icebreaker Activity

  • Discuss personal fears and anxiety management strategies with peers.

Chapter Objectives

  • Become familiar with definitions and prevalence of psychological disorders (12.01).

  • Understand and describe symptoms and origins of:

    • Anxiety disorders (12.02)

    • Obsessive-compulsive and related disorders (12.03)

    • Trauma- and stressor-related disorders (12.04)

    • Dissociative disorders (12.05)

    • Somatic symptom and related disorders (12.06)

    • Bipolar and depressive disorders (12.07)

    • Schizophrenia (12.08)

    • Personality disorders (12.09)

What Are Psychological Disorders?

  • Key Characteristics:

    • Rare or unusual behavior

    • Faulty perceptions of reality (hallucinations, paranoia)

    • Severe personal distress

    • Self-defeating or socially unacceptable behaviors

Prevalence of Psychological Disorders

  • Diathesis-stress model: explains predisposition to disorders heightened under stress.

  • Biopsychosocial model: incorporates biological vulnerabilities, psychological stress, and sociocultural factors.

  • Statistics: 50% will experience a psychological disorder in their lifetime.

    • Onset typically occurs in childhood or adolescence.

    • ~25% will experience a disorder in a given year.

Knowledge Check Activity 1

  • Discuss common misconceptions regarding the causes of psychological disorders.

Anxiety Disorders

  • Overview: Characterized by excessive fear and worrying, physical symptoms include:

    • Trembling, sweating, racing heart, faintness.

Types of Anxiety Disorders

  • Specific Phobia: Persistent fear of a specific object/situation.

  • Generalized Anxiety Disorder: Chronic feelings of dread and physical symptoms lasting 6+ months.

  • Common Anxiety Disorders:

    • Claustrophobia, acrophobia, agoraphobia, social anxiety disorder, panic disorder.

Origins of Anxiety Disorders

  • Psychological View: Phobias as conditioned fears, observational learning.

  • Biological View: Genetic factors, evolutionary perspectives.

  • Biopsychosocial View: Interaction of biological, social, and psychological factors.

Discussion 1

  • Symptoms of panic or anxiety are common; contrast regular experiences with diagnosable anxiety disorders.

Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders

  • Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD): Recurrent anxiety-provoking thoughts (obsessions) and the urge to perform actions (compulsions) to relieve that anxiety.

  • Hoarding Disorder: Excessive accumulation of items and difficulty discarding them.

Poll 1

  • Understanding the genetic component of OCD; responses indicate a misunderstanding about its treatability.

Trauma- and Stressor-Related Disorders

  • Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): Results from traumatic events; involves flashbacks, nightmares, and severe anxiety.

  • Acute Stress Disorder: Similar to PTSD but occurs immediately after the event and lasts 2 days to 4 weeks.

Discussion 2

  • Explore gender differences in PTSD prevalence and susceptibility.

Dissociative Disorders

  • Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID): Presence of two or more distinct identities within a person.

  • Types of Dissociative Disorders:

    • Dissociative amnesia, depersonalization-derealization disorder.

Somatic Symptom and Related Disorders

  • Somatic Symptom Disorders: Complaints of physical problems with no medical basis, including conversion disorder and illness anxiety disorder.

Mood Disorders

  • Characteristics: Significant disturbances in emotional states, affecting daily functioning.

    • Mood swings between manic and depressive phases.

Depressive Disorders

  • Major Depressive Disorder: Severe depressive symptoms including psychomotor retardation.

Origins of Mood Disorders

  • Psychological Factors: Learning experiences, cognitive distortions, and learned helplessness.

  • Biological Factors: Neurotransmitter imbalances.

Suicide

  • Top cause of death among young adults; risk factors include psychological distress and personal history.

Sociocultural Factors in Suicide

  • Variations in rates of suicide based on demographic factors and social environment.

Gender Differences in Suicide Rates

  • More females attempt suicide, but males have higher completion rates.

Discussion 3

  • Analyze attributional styles and their impact on depression.

Schizophrenia

  • Overview: Severe disorder characterized by disruptions in thought processes and emotional responses.

  • Symptoms: Positive (hallucinations, delusions) and negative (flat affect, social withdrawal).

Origins of Schizophrenia

  • Biological Factors: Genetic predisposition, brain structure abnormalities, environmental factors during pregnancy.

Discussion 4

  • Evaluate various perspectives on the origins of schizophrenia (psychological, sociocultural, biological).

Personality Disorders

  • Characteristics: Enduring patterns that impair functioning and cause distress.

  • Types of Disorders:

    • Narcissistic, Antisocial, Borderline, Paranoid, etc.

Origins of Personality Disorders

  • Biological, psychological, and sociocultural factors contribute to the development of personality disorders.

Knowledge Checks and Self-Assessment

  • Reflect on understanding of personality disorders, treatment, and personal insights gained from the study.