EXAM 4: CH. 13, 15, 18

• Psychopathology is the study of mental disorders
• What is considered "abnormal"?

  Statistical infrequence (DEVIANT), personal discomfort (DISTRESSFUL), and impairment (DYSFUNCTIONAL)
• Which of the following individuals is experiencing problems to the degree that these problems are causing an impairment in functioning?

  1. Joe, who has a hard time getting out of bed on Mondays, but makes it to work anyway
  2. Karen, who gets up an hour earlier than necessary each day to alphabetize the items in her kitchen
  3. Larry, who experiences intense anxiety in social situations, but still manages to work as a waiter
  4. Mike, whose drinking has progressed to the point that his wife has left him, he's lost his job, and he is homeless

  The answer is: Mike
• The Medical Model (DSM-TR-5) is a contemporary approach to psychopathology, which focuses on etiology, diagnoses, treatment, and prognosis
• Categorical and dimensional approaches differ by the fact that categorical (yes/no) approaches are usually MDs (doctors), while dimensional (scale) approaches are usually PHDs
• The Diathesis-Stress model of mental disorders states that nature and nurture both have a cause to psychological disorders
• Diathesis-Stress Model

  A) diathesis

  B) vulnerability

  C) environmental stressors

  D) psychological disorders

  
• Mental disorders are classified by the DSM-5-TR which classifies numerous disorders into categories, and also comorbidity
• Comorbidity is the co-occurrence of more than one disorder in the same individual
• The types of disorders include anxiety disorders, substance-related, mood disorders, schizophrenia, and personality disorders
• The 3 most common disorders are anxiety disorders, substance-related, and mood disorders
• Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) is non-specific to topics, often causes insomnia or psychological symptoms such as headaches, tension, etc
• Phobias are intense, irrational fears of specific objects or situations
• Social phobia is the concern that you will embarrass yourself -> avoidance in public speaking, ordering, interactions
• Panic disorders are characterized by panic attacks (which can be triggered or unqueued by a specific event) and is often when you go from 0->100 on the physiological arousal scale
• Agoraphobia is a type of panic disorder; it is the fear of having a panic attack walking in an open space, leading to people with this disorder not leaving the house often
• Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) refers to intrusive thoughts and compulsions that are repetitive behaviors aimed at counter-acting anxiety-producing thoughts
• The lifetime prevalence of having any DSM-5-TR disorder is 32% (one-third)
• Lifetime prevalence is the percentage of people who meet the criteria for a disorder at any time in their lives
• Post-traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) occurs after a traumatic event and is characterized by sleep disturbance, anger, decreased concentration, and increased startle response
• Ross Szabo (from the textbook) was diagnosed with bipolar disorder a year and a half before his suicide attempt
• Psychological conditions primarily result from psychological, biological, and developmental processes
• "Obsessive" in OCD refers to intrusive thoughts that increase anxiety, while "compulsive" refers to the repetitive/ritualistic behavior aimed at reducing said anxiety
• OCD always involves negative reinforcement (operant conditioning)
• Stephanie (from the video showed in class) suffers from OCD of germs
• Anxiety disorders are more apparent in women than men by a 2:1 ratio
• What are the causes (etiology) of anxiety disorders?

  1. Biological factors: twin studies - genetic predisposition, anxiety sensitivity, neurotransmitters GABA and serotonin
  2. Learning/conditioning: classical, operant, observational
  3. Cognitive factors: certain ways of thinking
• Twin studies show there is a genetic predisposition to having anxiety disorder, MZ > DZ in concordance rate
• In relation to anxiety sensitivity: the feedback loop is when an increase in physiological symptoms leads to catastrophic thinking, and vice verse
• If GABA is too low, valium or xanax is used to bring it up (treats anxiety)
• Anxiety disorders can be acquired through classical conditioning, maintained through operant conditioning (negative reinforcement, avoidance) and observational learning may play a role
• In relation to cognitive factors: there are certain ways of thinking that make someone more vulnerable to anxiety disorders, such as finding a threat -> overexaggerating the threat
• There are 2 types of mood disorders: major depressive disorder (unipolar disorder) and bipolar disorder (manic-depression)
• Major depressive disorder affects women twice as much than men
• Major depressive disorder (unipolar) is only depressed symptoms, while bipolar disorder is both depressed symptoms and manic episodes
• Bipolar disorder is diagnosed more often in women by a 3:2 ratio
• In relation to bipolar disorder: a manic episode usually lasts days or a week, and is characterized by no sleep, feeling of invincibility, pressured speech, impulsive behavior, sexual acting out, and financial disasters
• DSM-5 symptoms of depression (you need at least 5/9 to be diagnosed with depression, one of them need to have #1 or #2, yes/no checkbox)

  1. Depressed mood most of the day, nearly every day
  2. Diminished pleasure in activity
  3. Significant weight loss/gain, increase or decrease in appetite
  4. Insomnia or hypersomnia
  5. Psychomotor agitation (restlessness) or psychomotor retardation
  6. Loss of energy
  7. Feelings of worthlessness/guilt
  8. Less concentrated
  9. Suicidal thoughts/concerns
• What are the causes (etiology) of depression?

  1. Biological factors: twin studies - strong genetic predisposition
  2. Neurochemical factors: when norepinephrine and serotonin is too low
  3. Cognitive factors: depressogenic thinking
  4. Situational factors: there is a positive correlation between the number of life stressors and the risk of depression
• In relation to depression: if norepinephrine is too low -> give SNRI medication, if serotonin is too low -> give SSRI medication (prozac, paxil, zoloft)