Chapter 14

Psychological Disorders

Psychopathology

The scientific study of the origins, symptoms, and development of psychological problems

Psychological disorders

A pattern of behavioral and psychological symptoms that cause significant personal distress, impairs the ability to function in one or more important areas of daily life, or both

DSM-IV-TR

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fourth Edition; Text Revision;

Describes the specific symptoms and diagnostics guidelines for different psychological disorders

Anxiety

an unpleasant emotional state characterized by physical arousal and feelings of tension; apprehension, and worry

Anxiety Disorders

A category of psychological disorders in which extreme anxiety is the main diagnostic feature and causes significant disruptions in the person’s cognitive, behavioral, or interpersonal functioning

Generalized Anxiety Disorder

An anxiety disorder characterized by excessive, global and persistent symptoms of anxiety

Panic Attack

A sudden episode of extreme anxiety that rapidly escalates in intensity

Panic disorder

An anxiety disorder in which the person experiences frequent and unexpected panic attacks

Phobia

An irrational fear triggered by a specific object or situation

Specific Phobia

An anxiety disorder characterized by an extreme and irrational fear of a specific object or situation that interferes with the ability to function in daily life

Agoraphobia

An anxiety disorder involving the extreme and irrational fear of experiencing a panic attack in a public situation and being unable to escape

Social Phobia

An anxiety disorder involving the extreme and irrational fear of being embarrassed, judged or scrutinized by others in social situations

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

An anxiety disorder in which chronic and persistent symptoms of anxiety develop in response to an extreme physical or psychological trauma

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

An anxiety disorder in which the symptoms of anxiety are triggered by intrusive , repetitive thoughts and urges to perform certain actions

Obsessions

Repeated, intrusive, and uncontrollable irrational thoughts or mental images that cause extreme anxiety and distress

Compulsions

Repetitive behavior or mental acts that are performed to prevent or reduce anxiety

Mood Disorders

A category of mental disorders in which significant and chronic disruptions in mood is predominant symptom, causing impaired cognitive, behavioral, and major physical functioning

Major Depression

A mood disorder characterized by extreme and persistent feelings of despondency, worthlessness, and hopelessness, causing impaired emotional, cognitive, behavioral, and physical functioning

Dysthymic Disorder

A mood disorder involving chronic, low-grade feelings of depression that produce subjective discomfort but do not seriously impair the ability to function

Seasonal Affective Disorder

A mood disorder in which episode of depression typically recur during the fall and winter and remit during the spring and summer

Bipolar Disorder

A mood disorder involving periods of incapacitating depression alternating with periods of extreme euphoria and excitement

Manic Episode

A sudden, rapidly escalating emotional state characterized by extreme euphoria, excitement, physical energy, and rapid thoughts and speech

Cyclothymic Disorder

A mood disorder characterized by moderate but frequent mood swings that are not severe enough to qualify as bipolar disorder

Personality Disorder

Inflexible, maladaptive patterns of thoughts, emotions, behavior, and interpersonal functioning that are stable over time and across situations ,and deviate from the expectations of the individual’s culture

Paranoid Personality Disorder

A personality disorder characterized by a pervasive distrust and suspiciousness of the motives of others without sufficient basis

Antisocial Personality Disorder

A personality disorder characterized by a pervasive pattern disregarding and violating the rights of others

Borderline personality disorder

A personality disorder characterized by instability of interpersonal relationships, self-image, and emotions, and marked impulsively

Dissociative Experience

A break or disruption in consciousness during which awareness, memory, and personal identity become separated or divided.

Dissociative Disorders

A category of psychological disorders in which extreme and frequent disruptions of awareness, memory, and personal identity impair the ability to function

Dissociative amnesia

A dissociative disorder involving the partial or total inability to recall important personal information

Dissociative Fugue

A dissociative disorder involving sudden and unexpected travel away from home, extensive amnesia, and identity confusion

Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID)

A dissociative disorder involving extensive memory disruptions along with the presence of two or more distinct identities, or personalities

Schizophrenia

A mental disorder in which the ability to function is impaired by severely distorted beliefs, perceptions, or thoughts

positive Symptoms

In schizophrenia, symptoms that reflect excesses or distortions of normal functioning, including delusions, hallucinations, and disorganized thoughts and behavior

Negative Symptoms

In schizophrenia, symptoms that reflect defects or deficits in normal functioning, including flat affect, algoia, and avolition

Delusion

A falsely held belief that persist in spite of contradictory evidence

Hallucinations

A false or distorted perception that seems vividly real to the person experiencing it.

Dopamine hypothesis

The view that schizophrenia is related to, and may be caused by, excess activity of the neurotransmitter dopamine in the brain