Mental Health Disorders and Their Characteristics: An Overview, Study notes of Psychology

Download Mental Health Disorders and Their Characteristics: An Overview and more Study notes Psychology in PDF only on Docsity! Psychology 3082 Exam #2 Study Guide 1. Diagnostic Criteria for: a. PTSD – exposure to trauma with continued re-experiencing that lasts more than a month, which causes significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning.  One of more of the following symptoms: involuntary, intrusive distressing memories, recurrent distressing dreams, dissociative reactions in which an individual feels or acts as if the traumatic event(s) were recurring, intense or prolonged physical distress at exposure to cues that resemble an aspect of the traumatic event(s), and marked physiological reactions to cues that resemble an aspect of the traumatic event(s)  Avoidance of one or more of the following stimuli: distressing memories, thoughts, feelings, or conversations, external reminders (people, places, activities, objects) that arouse distressing memories or feelings, inability to recall an important aspect of the trauma, diminished interest or participation in significant activities, detachment from others, restricted range of affection and sense of foreshortened future  Two or more of the following negative alterations in cognitions and mood: inability to remember an important aspect of the traumatic event(s), persistent and exaggerated negative beliefs or expectations about oneself, others, or the world, persistent distorted cognitions about the cause or consequences of the traumatic event(s) that lead the individual to blame himself/herself or others, persistent negative emotional state, diminished interest or participation in significant activities, feelings of detachment or estrangement from others, persistent inability to experience positive emotions b. Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) – excessive anxiety and worry, occurring more days than not for at least six months, about a number of events or activities which causes clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning….a shift from possible crisis to crisis and worry about minor, everyday concerns which is difficult to control.  Three of more of the following symptoms (only one for children): restlessness or an on edge feeling, being easily fatigued, difficulty concentrating or mind going blank, irritability, muscle tension, and sleep disturbance  The disturbance is not due to the direct physiological effects of a substance (drugs) or a general medical condition (hyperthyroidism), and can’t be better explained by another mental disorder c. Panic – individuals experience severe, unexpected panic attacks, in which people may think they’re dying or losing control.  At least one of the attacks had to have been followed by at least one month of either persistent concern/worry about additional panic attacks and their consequences (having a heart attack, going crazy…), or significant maladaptive change in behavior related to the attacks (avoidance of exercise or unfamiliar situations to avoid having a panic attack); or both  The disturbance can’t be attributable to the physiological effects of a substance or another medical condition; also, can’t be explained better by another mental disorder d. Phobias – marked fear or anxiety about a specific object or situation, which provokes immediate fear or anxiety, so it’s actively avoided…or endured with intense fear or anxiety that is out of proportion to the actual danger posed.  The fear, anxiety, or avoidance typically lasts 6 or more months and causes significant distress or impairment in important areas of functioning  The disturbance can’t be better explained by the symptoms of other mental disorders (including fear, anxiety and avoidance of: situations associated with panic-like symptoms or other incapacitating symptoms (agoraphobia), objects or situations related to obsessions (OCD), reminders of traumatic events (PTSD), separation from home or attachment figures (separation anxiety disorder), or social situations (social anxiety disorder)  Specific types: animal, natural environment, blood-injection-injury, situational, or other (phobic avoidance of situations that may lead to choking, vomiting, illness) e. Dissociative Identity Disorder - Discontinuity in sense of self and disruption of identity characterized by two or more distinct personality states, accompanied by related alterations in affect, behavior, consciousness, cognition, memory, perception and/or sensory-motor functioning  Includes recurrent gaps in the recall of everyday events, important personal information and/or traumatic events that are inconsistent with ordinary forgetting; and symptoms which cause clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning  The disturbance is not a normal part of broadly accepted cultural or religious practice (in children, not imaginary friends/situations); and the symptoms are not attributable to the physiological effects of a substance or another medical condition f. Bulimia Nervosa – recurrent episodes of binge eating characterized by: eating in discrete time period with an amount of food that is larger than most people would eat, and a sense of lack of control over eating during the episode (can’t stop eating)  Must include recurrent inappropriate compensatory behavior in order to prevent weight gain (i.e. self- induced vomiting, laxative/diuretics misuse, fasting, or excessive exercise) at least once a week for three months  The disturbance does not occur exclusively during episodes of anorexia nervosa; and self-evaluation is unduly influenced by body shape and weight g. Anorexia Nervosa – restriction of calorie intake below energy requirements because of intense fear of gaining weight/becoming fat Two types:  Restricting: during the last three months, weight loss is accomplished by dieting, fasting, and/or excessive exercise, and the individual has not engaged in recurrent episodes of binge eating or purging behavior  Binge-eating/purging: during the last three months, the individual has engaged in recurrent episodes of binge-eating/purging (self-induced vomiting, misuse of laxatives, diuretics, or enemas) h. Primary insomnia – difficulty falling asleep, difficulty staying asleep, or waking up too early without being able to fall back asleep  The sleep disturbance causes clinically significant distress in social, occupational, educational, academic, behavioral, or other important areas of functioning. The sleep difficulty must occur at least three nights per week, stay present for at least three months, and occur despite adequate opportunity to sleep  Coexisting mental disorders and medical conditions do not adequately explain the predominant complain of insomnia  Three types: episodic (at least one month but less than three), persistent (three months of longer), and recurrent (two or more episodes within one year) i. Hypersomnolence disorder – self-reported excessive sleepiness despite a main sleep period for more than 7 hours  At least one of the following: recurrent periods of sleep or lapses into sleep within the same day, a prolonged main sleep episode of more than nine hours per day that is non-restorative, and/or difficulty being fully awake after abrupt awakening…occurs at least three times per week, for at least three months  Accompanied by significant distress or impairment in important areas of functioning, and can’t be better explained by another sleep disorder, or attributable to the physiological effects of a substance.  Six types: acute (less than one month), subacute (one to three months), persistent (more than three months), mild (difficulty maintaining daytime alertness 1-2 days/week), moderate (difficulty maintaining daytime alertness 3-4 days/week), and severe (difficulty maintaining daytime alertness 5-7 days/week) j. Sleep apnea – a breathing-related sleep disorder in which people often snore loudly, pause between breaths, and often wake up with a dry mouth and headache  Evidence by polysomnography of five or more central apneas per hour of sleep. Severity is graded according to the frequency of the breathing disturbances and the extent of associated oxygen desaturation/sleep fragmentation that occur as a consequence of repetitive respiratory disturbances k. Narcolepsy – recurrent periods of irrepressible need to sleep, lapsing into sleep, or napping occurring within the same day. Must occur at least three times a week for three months  At least one of the following: hypocretin deficiency, nocturnal sleep polysomnography showing REM sleep latency less than or equal to 15 minutes, or episodes of cataplexy occurring at least a few times a month (either brief episodes of sudden bilateral loss of muscle tone, precipitated by laughter or joking; or spontaneous grimaces/jaw-opening episodes with tongue thrusting or global hypertonia, without any emotional trigger in children or more recent onset patients)  Three types: mild (infrequent cataplexy, need for naps once or twice a day, and less disturbed nocturnal sleep), moderate (cataplexy once daily or every few days, disturbed nocturnal sleep, and need for multiple naps daily), and severe (drug-resistant cataplexy with multiple attacks daily, nearly constant sleepiness and disturbed nocturnal sleep) l. Conversion Disorder (functional neurological symptom disorder) - one or more symptoms of altered voluntary motor or sensory functions  Clinical findings provide evidence of incompatibility between the symptom and recognized neurological condition, and can’t be better explained by another medical or mental disorder; accompanied by significant distress or impairment in important areas of functioning 2. Treatments (both biological and psychological) for: a. Anxiety disorder  Biological: benzodiazepines and antidepressants  Psychological: cognitive-behavioral treatments (exposure to worry process, confronting anxiety- provoking images, and coping strategies), acceptance, and medication b. Somatization (somatic) symptom disorder  Biological: antidepressants  Psychological: reduce supportive consequences of illness, detailed education and reassurance, and cognitive behavioral therapy c. Panic disorder  Biological: Benzodiazepines (Ativan), SSRIs (Prozac and Paxil)  Psychological: cognitive-behavioral treatment, intervention (exposure-based, reality testing, relaxation and breathing skills) d. OCD  Biological: SSRI, psychosurgery (cingulotonomy)