Chapter 14

Psychological disorders are conditions that affect a person's thinking, feeling, or behavior, leading to distress and impairment in functioning. These disorders can be categorized through various lenses, with the medical model providing a biological and pathological framework for understanding mental illness.

The medical model improves on earlier conceptualizations of mental illness by emphasizing biological factors and the need for objective diagnosis and treatment, often guided by the DSM-V (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition), which standardizes diagnostic criteria.

Comorbidity refers to the occurrence of two or more disorders in a single individual, highlighting the complexity and interrelated nature of psychological issues. An integrated framework for understanding psychological disorders should consider various elements, including biological, psychological, environmental factors, and cultural context, exemplified in the diathesis-stress model, which posits that disorders develop due to a combination of predispositional vulnerability (diathesis) and stressful experiences.

The 1973 study by Rosenhan demonstrated that labels need to be used carefully as it illustrated how psychiatric diagnoses can lead to stigma and dehumanization when researchers feigned symptoms.

Anxiety Disorders: This category includes generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), characterized by chronic and exaggerated worry. Specific phobia and social phobia differ in that specific phobia involves intense fear of a particular object or situation, whereas social phobia involves fear of social situations. Preparedness theory suggests a biological predisposition to fear specific stimuli. Panic disorder features recurrent panic attacks, often accompanied by agoraphobia, the fear of places where escape may be difficult. Claustrophobia is an intense fear of enclosed spaces, while obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) is marked by unwanted obsessive thoughts and repetitive behaviors.

Mood Disorders: Major depression is characterized by persistent sadness and lack of interest, while seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is tied to seasonal changes, often exacerbated in winter months. Women are reported to experience depression more often than men. Low levels of neurotransmitters like serotonin and norepinephrine are associated with depression. Helplessness theory explains depression as learned helplessness from perceived lack of control over situations. Bipolar disorder includes episodes of mood swings ranging from depressive lows to manic highs, the latter known as manic episodes.

Schizophrenia is a severe mental disorder featuring symptoms such as delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech, and negative symptoms. Possible causes of schizophrenia include genetic factors, the dopamine hypothesis (overactivity of dopamine), and brain tissue loss. Auditory hallucinations, reported by 65% of individuals, are the most common.

Developmental Disorders: Conduct disorder, autism spectrum disorder (ASD), and ADHD (Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder) are examples of developmental disorders, each with distinct symptoms affecting behavior, social interaction, and attention.

Personality Disorders: These are enduring patterns of behavior and inner experience that deviate from cultural norms and can lead to distress or impairment. Specific disorders can be reviewed in Table 14.3.