Understanding Psychological Disorders: Prevalence, Diagnosis, and Types, Exams of Psychology

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Defining Psychological Disorders Abnormal Psychology - application of psychological science to understanding and treating mental disorders Prevalence - the frequency of occurrence of a given condition in a population at a given time Psychological Disorder - an ongoing dysfunctional pattern of thought, emotion, and behavior that causes significant distress, and that is considered deviant in that person's culture or society Bio-psycho-social model of illness - a way of understanding disorder that assumes that disorder is caused by biological, psychological, and social factors; biological - the influences on disorder that come from the functioning of the individuals body, genetics make some more vulnerable; psychological - influences that come from the individual, patterns of negative thinking and stress responses; social - the influences on disorder due to social and cultural factors such as class status, homelessness, abuse, and discrimination Comorbidity - occurs when people who suffer from one disorder also suffer at the same time from other disorders Stigma - a disgrace or defect that indicates that person belongs to a culturally devalued social group Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) - a document that provides a common language and standard criteria for the classification of mental disorders, used to determine what served are appropriately provided for treating patients, 5 axes that relate different aspects of disorder or disability: 1 - most usual disorders (mood and anxiety), 2 - less severe but long lasting personality disorders and mental retardation, 3 & 4 - physical symptoms and social-cultural factors, 5 - assessment of person's functioning ADHD - a developmental behavior disorder characterized by problems with focus, difficulty maintaining attention, and inability to concentrate, in which symptoms start before 13 years of age, most commonly diagnosed, 1/20 american children, 70% more common in males Autism - a disorder of neural development characterized by impaired social interaction and communication and by restricted and repetitive behavior, and which symptoms begin before age 7; trouble seeing world from others perspective; unusual behaviors; 1% of american children Anxiety - the nervousness or agitation that we sometimes experience, often about something that is going to happen; natural part of life Anxiety Disorders - psychological disturbances marked by irrational fears, often of everyday objects and situations Generalized Anxiety Disorder - a psychological disorder in which a person has been excessively worrying about money, health, work, family life, or relationships for at least 6 months, even though he or she knows the concerns are exaggerated, and when the anxiety causes significant distress and dysfunction Panic Disorder - a psychological disorder characterized by sudden attacks of anxiety and terror that have led to significant behavioral changes in the person's life; many symptoms; 3% of americans Phobia - a specific fear of a certain object, situation, or activity false beliefs not commonly shared by others within ones culture, and maintained even though they are obviously out of touch with reality Derailment - shifting from one subject to another without following any one line of though to conclusion and may exhibit grossly disorganized behavior Personality disorder - a disorder characterized by inflexible patterns of thinking, feeling, or relating to others that cause problems in personal, social, and work situations Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD) - psychological disorder characterized by a prolonged disturbance of personality accompanied by mood swings, unstable personal relationships, identity problems, threats of self-destructive behavior, fears of abandonment, and impulsivity Antisocial Personality Disorder (APD) - pervasive pattern of violation of the rights of others that begins in childhood or early adolescence and continues into adulthood (psychopath) Somatization Disorder - psychological disorder in which a person experiences numerous long-lasting but seemingly unrelated physical ailments that have no identifiable physical cause Conversion Disorder - a psychological disorder in which patients experience specific neurological symptoms such as numbness, blindness, or paralysis, but where no neurological explanation is observed or possible Hypochondria - focused on preoccupation, accompanied by excessive worry about having a serious illness Factitious Disorder - fake physical symptoms because enjoy attention and treatment Sexual Dysfunction - occurs when the physical sexual response cycle is inadequate for reproduction of for sexual enjoyment Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder - persistently low or nonexistent sexual desire Sexual Aversion Disorder - avoidance of sexual behavior caused by disgust or aversion to sexual contact Gender Identity Disorder - when the individual displays a repeated and strong desire to be the other sex, a persistent discomfort with one's sex, and a belief one was born accompanied by significant dysfunction and distress Paraphilia - sexual deviation where sexual arousal is obtained from a consistent pattern of inappropriate responses to objects or people, and in which behaviors associated are distressing