Psych

Psychopathology Study Guide Overview

• Covers key topics: theories, treatment, assessment, diagnosis, and specific disorders such as anxiety, trauma-related, dissociative, somatic symptom, and mood disorders.

1. Introduction to Psychopathology; Theories and Treatment; Assessment and Diagnosis

a. What makes a disorder a disorder?

• Clinically significant disturbance in cognition, emotion regulation, or behavior.

• Reflects dysfunction in psychological, biological, or developmental processes.

• Associated with significant distress or disability in social or occupational activities.

• Not just an expectable reaction to stress or loss.

The Four D’s of Psychopathology

1. Dysfunction: Interference with daily functioning (e.g., maintaining relationships, holding a job).

2. Distress: Emotional or psychological pain from symptoms.

3. Deviance: Deviation from societal or cultural norms.

4. Dangerousness: Potential for harm to oneself or others (e.g., suicidal behavior).

b. What does etiology refer to?

• Etiology: Causes/origins of a disorder, encompassing biological, psychological, and sociocultural factors.

i. Biological, Psychological, and Sociocultural/Etiological Factors

• Biological Factors:

  • Genetic predisposition (e.g., family history).

  • Neurotransmitter imbalances (e.g., serotonin in depression).

  • Brain structure abnormalities (e.g., enlarged amygdala in anxiety).

  • Hormonal dysregulation (e.g., HPA axis dysfunction in PTSD).

• Psychological Factors:

  • Maladaptive thought patterns (e.g., cognitive distortions).

  • Conditioning (e.g., classical conditioning in phobias).

  • Trauma or adverse childhood experiences (e.g., abuse).

• Sociocultural/Environmental Factors:

  • Cultural norms and societal expectations (e.g., stigma).

  • Socioeconomic status (e.g., poverty increasing risk).

  • Social support (e.g., lack of support increases vulnerability).

2. Anxiety Disorders; Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders

a. Differentiate between the following disorders:

i. Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)

• Symptoms: Excessive worry across life aspects, lasting 6 months.

• Key Feature: Difficulty controlling worry, leading to distress or impairment.

ii. Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD)

• Symptoms: Intense fear of social scrutiny (e.g., public speaking).

• Key Feature: Avoidance of social situations due to distress.

iii. Panic Disorder

• Symptoms: Unexpected panic attacks followed by worry about future attacks.

• Key Feature: Panic attacks can occur unexpectedly.

iv. Agoraphobia

• Symptoms: Fear of situations where escape is difficult during a panic attack.

• Key Feature: Avoidance leading to daily functioning impairment.

v. Specific Phobia

• Symptoms: Intense fear of a specific object/situation disproportionate to danger.

• Key Feature: Immediate anxiety response and avoidance upon exposure.

vi. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

• Symptoms: Intrusive thoughts (obsessions) and repetitive behaviors (compulsions).

• Key Feature: Time-consuming and cause significant distress.

vii. Body Dysmorphic Disorder (BDD)

• Symptoms: Preoccupation with perceived physical flaws not evident to others.

• Key Feature: Repetitive behaviors or mental acts related to perceived flaws.

3. Trauma-Related Disorders; Dissociative Disorders; Somatic Symptom and Related Disorders

a. Differentiate between the following disorders:

i. Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

• Symptoms: Intrusive symptoms following a traumatic event, lasting over a month.

• Key Feature: Significant distress or impairment due to symptoms.

ii. Acute Stress Disorder (ASD)

• Symptoms: Similar to PTSD but occurs within 3 days to 1 month post-trauma.

• Key Feature: If symptoms persist beyond a month, diagnosis changes to PTSD.

iii. Adjustment Disorder

• Symptoms: Emotional/behavioral response to an identifiable stressor within 3 months.

• Key Feature: Symptoms out of proportion to the stressor.

iv. Depersonalization-Derealization Disorder

• Symptoms: Recurrent experiences of feeling detached from self or environment.

• Key Feature: Reality testing remains intact.

v. Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID)

• Symptoms: Presence of two or more distinct identities with memory gaps.

• Key Feature: Not part of a cultural practice.

vi. Factitious Disorder

• Symptoms: Falsification of symptoms with identified deception.

• Key Feature: Deceptive behaviors present without obvious external rewards.

vii. Malingering

• Symptoms: Intentional false symptoms motivated by external incentives.

• Key Feature: Behavior motivated by tangible rewards.

4. Mood Disorders and Suicide

a. Manic Episode

• Symptoms: Elevated mood, increased energy, decreased sleep need, grandiosity.

• Duration: At least 1 week; impairment and possible psychotic features.

Hypomanic Episode

• Symptoms: Similar to manic but less severe.

• Duration: At least 4 days; no significant impairment.

Major Depressive Episode

• Symptoms: Depressed mood, loss of interest, weight changes, fatigue.

• Duration: At least 2 weeks; causes significant distress.

b. Differentiate between the following disorders:

i. Bipolar I Disorder

• Symptoms: At least one manic episode; likely major depressive episodes.

• Key Feature: Severe manic episodes may involve hospitalization.

ii. Bipolar II Disorder

• Symptoms: One hypomanic episode and one major depressive episode.

• Key Feature: No full manic episodes; hypomanic episodes are less severe.

iii. Major Depressive Disorder (MDD)

• Symptoms: One or more major depressive episodes without mania history.

• Key Feature: Persistently debilitating depressive symptoms.

PTSD Diagnostic Criteria: TRAvMA

T - Trauma (Criterion A)

• Exposure to actual/threatened death, serious injury, or sexual violence.

• Ways of exposure include direct experience, witnessing, learning about trauma, or extreme exposure.

R - Re-experiencing (Criterion B)

• Intrusion symptoms like distressing memories, dreams, flashbacks, or intense psychological reactions.

A - Avoidance (Criterion C)

• Persistent avoidance of memories or external reminders of trauma.

v - Mood and Cognition (Criterion D)

• Negative mood alterations and cognitive distortions related to trauma.

M - Arousal (Criterion E)

• Alterations in arousal/reactivity, including irritable behaviors and sleep disturbances.

Additional Criteria for PTSD Diagnosis

• Duration: Symptoms must persist for more than a month.

• Significant Distress/Impairment: Symptoms must cause significant disruption in functioning.

• Not Attributable to Substance: Symptoms are not due to substance effects or medical conditions.