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Psychological Disorders

You will learn about psychological disorders in psychology..
Course

intro to psychology (psy 2301)

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Academic year: 2022/2023
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The University of Texas at Dallas

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Psychological Disorders

Overview and Theoretical Approaches

Psychological Disorders

● Are deviant, distressful, and dysfunctional patterns of thoughts, feelings and actions ● Can be defined by culture and context—different cultures in different contexts have varying judgments on what constitutes a psychological disorder ● Can change over time—what is considered a psychological disorder can change over time ● Psychopathology: The scientific study of the origins, symptoms, and development of psychological disorders

Abnormal Behavior

● Behavior that is... ○ deviant (atypical) ○ maladaptive (dysfunctional) ○ personally distressing (despair)

Theoretical Approaches

● Biological Approach: Medical Model ○ disorders with biological origins ● Psychological Approach ○ experiences, thoughts, emotions, personality ● Sociocultural Approach ○ social context ● Biopsychosocial Model ○ interaction of biological, psychological and sociocultural factors ○ Vulnerability-Stress Hypothesis (Diathesis-Stress Model)

Theoretical Approaches: The Medical Model

● Psychological disorders can be seen as psychopathology, an illness of the mind. ● Disorders can be diagnosed, labeled as a collection of symptoms that tend to go together. ● People with disorders can be treated, attended to, given therapy, all with a goal of restoring mental health.

Theoretical Approaches: The Psychological Approach

● Emphasizes ○ experiences ■ ex: childhood experiences ○ thoughts ■ ex: cognitive patterns ○ emotions ■ ex: negative emotions ○ personality ■ ex: particular traits

Theoretical Approaches: The Sociocultural Approach

● Social context in which a person lives including ○ gender, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, family relationships, culture

○ stresses the ways culture includes the understanding and treatment of psychological disorders ○ Different cultures interpret different behaviors in different ways

Theoretical Approaches: The Sociocultural Approach

Culture-bound syndromes are disorders which only seem to exist within certain cultures; they demonstrate how culture can play a role in both causing and defining a disorder.

Examples:

● Bulimia Nervosa: binging/purging, in the United States ● Running amok: violent outbursts, in Malaysia ● Hikikomori: social withdrawal, in Japan ●

Theoretical Approaches: The Biopsychosocial Approach

The biopsychosocial approach holds that psychological disorders are the result of the intersecting influences of genetic predispositions and physiological states, inner psychological dynamics, and social and cultural circumstances.

Theoretical Approaches: The Biopsychosocial Approach

● Vulnerability-stress hypothesis (diathesis-stress model) ○ pre-existing genetic conditions ○ + ○ stressful experiences ○ neither alone is enough, but both combine to enhance the likelihood of developing a disorder ■ Nature/Nurture

Classifying Psychological Disorders

● Purpose: describe a disorder, predict its course, imply appropriate treatment, stimulate research into causes ● Main tool of diagnostic classification: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition (DSM-5) ●

DSM-5 Classification System

● Advantages ○ provides a common basis for communication ○ helps clinicians make predictions ○ naming the disorder can provide comfort ● Disadvantages ○ stigma (shame, negative reputation) ○ treats psychological disorders as essentially medical illnesses ○ focuses on weaknesses, ignores strengths ○ promotes over-diagnosis ○ too subjective, culturally laden

Diagnostic Classification: Criticisms

● The individual is continually tense, fearful, and in a state of autonomic nervous system arousal. ● Diagnosis and Symptoms ○ persistent anxiety for at least 6 months ○ inability to specify reasons for the anxiety ● Etiology ○ biological factors: genetic predisposition, GABA deficiency, respiration ○ psychological and sociocultural factors: harsh self-standards, critical parents, negative thoughts, trauma

Panic Disorder

● Characterized by unpredictable minutes-long episodes of intense dread ○ Diagnosis and Symptoms ■ recurrent, sudden onsets of intense terror that often occur without warning ○ Etiology ○ biological factors: genetic predisposition: norepinephrine, GABA, serotonin, lactate ○ psychological factors: conditioning to CO2, sociocultural factors: gender differences ○ Panic attacks are recurrent. ■ Constant fear of another episode leads individuals to avoid situations where panic might strike.

Specific Phobia

● Diagnosis and Symptoms ○ an irrational, overwhelming, persistent fear of a particular object or situation (e., spider phobia) ○ ● Etiology ○ psychological factors: learned (sometimes vicariously) ○ biological factors: genetic disposition

Examples of Phobic Disorders

● Examples of Phobias ○ Agoraphobia is the avoidance of situations in which one will fear having a panic attack, especially a situation in which it is difficult to get help, and from which it difficult to escape. ○ Social phobia refers to an intense fear of being watched and judged by others. It is visible as a fear of public appearances in which embarrassment or humiliation is possible, such as public speaking, eating, or performing.

NIMH Statistics on Specific Phobias (2017)

● Source: nimh.nih/health/statistics/specific-phobia.shtml

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

● Diagnosis and Symptoms ○ persistent anxiety-provoking thoughts and/or urges to perform repetitive, ritualistic behaviors to prevent or produce a situation ● Etiology ○ biological factors: ■ genetic predisposition

■ over-active brain components (frontal cortex, basal ganglia) ■ neurotransmitters (low serotonin, dopamine, glutamate) ○ psychological factors: ■ life stress ■ difficulty filtering out negative thoughts

OCD Behaviors and Subtypes

● Subtypes ○ hoarding disorder ○ excoriation (skin picking) ○ trichotillomani (hair pulling) ○ body dysmorphic disorder

Percentage of children and adolescents with OCD reporting these obsessions or compulsions:

Trauma and Stress-Related Disorders

● Psychological Disorder related to extreme negative experiences ○ Single horrific experience ○ pattern of negative experiences ○ Disorders ■ Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder ■ Dissociative Disorders

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder [PTSD]

● Symptoms develop as a result of exposure to a traumatic event, oppressive situation, natural or unnatural disasters ○ flashbacks ○ avoidance of emotional experiences, emotional numbness ○ excessive arousal, startle ○ difficulties with memory and concentration ○ impulsive outbursts ● About 10 to 35 percent of people who experience trauma not only have burned-in memories, but also four weeks to a lifetime of these symptoms

Which People get PTSD?

● Those with less control in the situation ● Those traumatized more frequently ● Those with brain differences ○ Ex: Smaller amygdala ● Those who have less resiliency ● Those who get re-traumatized ● Those with a genetic predisposition or family history ○ Anxiety or PTSD

Dissociative disorders

● sudden loss of memory or change in identity ● Dissociation ○ dealing with extreme stress ○ problems integrating emotional memories

○ Markedly diminished interest or pleasure in activities ● PLUS three or more of the rest ○ Significant increase or decrease in appetite or weight ○ Insomnia, sleeping too much, or disrupted sleep ○ Lethargy, or physical agitation ○ Fatigue or loss of energy nearly every day ○ Worthlessness, or excessive/inappropriate guilt ○ Daily problems in thinking, concentrating, and/or making decisions ○ Recurring thoughts of death and suicide

NIMH Depression Statistics - ADULTS

● Source: nimh.nih/health/statistics/major-depression.shtml ●

NIMH Depression Statistics - Adolescents

● Source:nimh.nih/health/statistics/major-depression.shtml

Bipolar Disorder

● Characterized by extreme mood swings that include mania ○ Frequency and separation of episodes ■ usually separated by 6 months to a year ● Etiology ○ strong genetic component ○ swings in metabolic activity in cerebral cortex ○ levels of neurotransmitters

Bipolar Disorder: Contrasting Symptoms

● Depressed mood: stuck feeling “down,” with: ○ exaggerated pessimism ○ social withdrawal ○ lack of felt pleasure ○ inactivity and no initiative ○ difficulty focusing ○ fatigue and excessive desire to sleep ● Mania: euphoric, giddy, easily irritated, with: ○ exaggerated optimism ○ hypersociality and sexuality ○ delight in everything ○ impulsivity and overactivity ○ racing thoughts; the mind won’t settle down ○ little desire for sleep

NIMH Bipolar Statistics - ADULTS

● Source: nimh.nih/health/statistics/bipolar-disorder.shtml ●

NIMH Bipolar Statistics - Adolescence

● Source: nimh.nih/health/statistics/bipolar-disorder.shtml ●

Psychosis

● a state in which a persons perceptions and thoughts are fundamentally removed from reality ● can be due to a number of factors, including genetics, drugs, sleep deprivation, trauma, physical illness ● is a symptom, not an illness ○ primarily both mental and physical illnesses of the brain

Schizophrenia:

The mind is split from reality, e. a split from one’s own thoughts so that they appear as hallucinations.

Psychosis refers to a mental split from reality and rationality.

Schizophrenia symptoms include:

disorganized and/or delusional thinking.

disturbed perceptions.

inappropriate emotions and actions.

Positive and Negative Symptoms of Schizophrenia

Onset and Development of Schizophrenia

● Acute/Reactive Schizophrenia In reaction to stress, some people develop positive symptoms such as hallucinations. ○ Recovery is likely. ● Chronic/Process Schizophrenia develops slowly, with more negative symptoms such as flat affect and social withdrawal. ○ With treatment and support, there may be periods of a normal life, but not a cure. ○ Without treatment, this type of schizophrenia often leads to poverty and social problems.

Understanding Schizophrenia: Causes

Causes and Onset of Schizophrenia: A Developmental Model

● genetic predisposition ● viral infections during fetal development ● abnormal brain structures ● abnormal brain activities

How the causes of schizophrenia interact over time

Understanding Schizophrenia: The Brain

● Abnormal brain structure and activity ○ Too many dopamine/D4 receptors help to explain paranoia and hallucinations; it’s like taking amphetamine overdoses all the time. ○ Poor coordination of neural firing in the frontal lobes impairs judgment and self-control.

○ Biology: Genetics, neurotransmitters, physical health ○ Psychology: A desire to die + the means ○ Culture: Varies by ethnicity and nationality

Sociocultural Factors in Suicide

● chronic economic hardship ● Native American, esp. females ● Guyana, South Korea, Sri Lanka ● culture of honor ● no religious prohibition ● Gender roles: women more likely to attempt; men more likely to complete.

Suicide attempts by gender and ethnicity

What to do when someone is threatening suicide...

● take it seriously. ● calmly ask simple questions. ● be a supportive listener. ● emphasize that the unbearable can be survived. ● stay with the person until help arrives. ● encourage to get professional help. ● 1-800-273-8255 or suicidepreventionlifeline/chat/

What NOT to do when someone is threatening suicide...

● ignore the warning signs. ● refuse to talk about it. ● react with horror or disapproval. ● lecture judgmentally: “You should be thankful...” ● offer false assurance everything will be alright. ● abandon the person once the crisis seems to have passed.

Nonsuicidal Self-Injury (NSSI)

● Includes cutting, burning, or hitting oneself ○ Also may includes pulling out hair, inserting objects under the nails or skin, and getting tattooed (for pain) ● People who engage in NSSI: ○ Tend to experience bullying and harassment ○ Are less able to tolerate and regulate emotional distress ○ Are often self-critical ○ Have poor communication and problem-solving skills

Reasons for NSSI

● Through NSSI, individuals may: ○ Gain relief from intense negative thoughts through the distraction of pain ○ Attract attention and possibly get help ○ Relieve guilt by punishing themselves ○ Get others to change their negative behavior ○ Fit in with a peer group

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Psychological Disorders

Course: intro to psychology (psy 2301)

64 Documents
Students shared 64 documents in this course

University: The University of Texas at Dallas

Was this document helpful?
Psychological Disorders
Overview and Theoretical Approaches
Psychological Disorders
● Are deviant, distressful, and dysfunctional patterns of thoughts, feelings and actions
● Can be defined by culture and context—different cultures in different contexts have varying
judgments on what constitutes a psychological disorder
● Can change over time—what is considered a psychological disorder can change over time
●Psychopathology: The scientific study of the origins, symptoms, and development of
psychological disorders
Abnormal Behavior
● Behavior that is…
○ deviant (atypical)
○ maladaptive (dysfunctional)
○ personally distressing (despair)
Theoretical Approaches
● Biological Approach: Medical Model
○ disorders with biological origins
● Psychological Approach
○ experiences, thoughts, emotions, personality
● Sociocultural Approach
○ social context
● Biopsychosocial Model
○ interaction of biological, psychological and sociocultural factors
○ Vulnerability-Stress Hypothesis (Diathesis-Stress Model)
Theoretical Approaches: The Medical Model
● Psychological disorders can be seen as psychopathology, an illness of the mind.
● Disorders can be diagnosed,labeled as a collection of symptoms that tend to go together.
● People with disorders can be treated,attended to, given therapy, all with a goal of restoring
mental health.
Theoretical Approaches: The Psychological Approach
● Emphasizes
○ experiences
■ ex: childhood experiences
○ thoughts
■ ex: cognitive patterns
○ emotions
■ ex: negative emotions
○ personality
■ ex: particular traits
Theoretical Approaches: The Sociocultural Approach
● Social context in which a person lives including
○ gender, ethnicity, socioeconomic status, family relationships, culture

Students also viewed

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