Chapter 14: Psychological DisordersPerspectives of psychological disordersPsychological disorder- deviant (being different), distressful, and dysfunctional behavior patternsTo be considered disordered deviant behavior usually causes a person distressDysfunction is key to defining a disorder: an intense fear of spiders may be deviant, but if it does not impair your life it is not a disorderAttention- deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)- a psychological disorder marked by the appearance by age 7 of one or more of three symptoms: extreme inattention, hyperactivity, and impulsivityDiagnosed 2 or 3 times more in boys than in girlsDeviant behavior varies by context and cultureUnderstanding psychological disordersThe medical modelMedical model- the concept that diseases, in this case psychological disorders, have physical causes that can be diagnosed, treated, and, in most cases, cured, often through treatment in a hospitalPhilippe Pinel- moral treatmentBoosting patient’s morale by unchanging them and talking to them, by replacing brutality with gentlenessThe Biopsychosocial ApproachAll behavior arises from the interaction of nature (genetic and physiological factors) and nurture (past and present experiences)Depression and schizophrenia occur worldwideClassifying Psychological disordersDSM-IV-TR- the American psychiatric association’s diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders, Fourth Edition, with an updated “Text revision”; a widely used system for classifying psychological disordersIncludes medical terminology (diagnosing, symptoms, illness)Refines diagnostic process and 16 clinical syndromesHow are psychological disorders diagnosed?Based on assessments, interviews, and observations, many clinicians diagnose by answering the following questions from the five levels, or axes, of the DSM-IV-TRAxis I Is a clinical syndrome present?Axis II Is a personality disorder or mental retardation present?Axis III Is a general medical condition, such as diabetes, hypertension, or arthritis, also present?Axis IV Are psychosocial or environmental problems, such as alcohol or housing issues, also present?Axis V What is the global assessment of this person’s functioningClinicians assign a code from 0-11The un-DSMFocuses on human strengthsIdentifies 6 clusters of 24 strengthsWisdom and knowledgeCourage (overcoming opposition)LoveJusticeTemperanceTranscendenceLabeling Psychological DisordersLabels create preconceptions that guide our perceptions and our interpretationsLabels bias perceptionsLabels can serve as self-fulfilling propheciesAnxiety disorderAnxiety disorders- psychological disorders characterized by distressing, persistent anxiety or maladaptive behaviors that reduce anxietyGeneralized anxiety disorder- a person is unexplainably and continually tense and uneasyPanic disorder- a person experiences sudden episodes of intense dreadPhobias- a person feels irrationally and intensely afraid of a specific object or situationObsessive-compulsive disorder- a person is troubled by repetitive thoughts or actionsPost- traumatic stress disorder- a person has lingering memories, night-mares, an other symptoms for weeks after a severely threatening, uncontrollable eventGeneralized anxiety disorderGeneralized anxiety disorder- an anxiety disorder in which a person is continually tense, apprehensive, and in a state of autonomic nervous system arousalPeople with this condition are jittery, agitated, and sleep-deprivedConcentration is difficultUnfocused, out-of-controlFree-floating: hard to identify its causeCan lead to physical problems, such as ulcers and high blood pressureTwo-thirds are womenMany with this disorder were maltreated and inhibited as childrenBy age 50, this disorder becomes rarePanic disorderPanic disorder- an anxiety disorder marked by unpredictable minutes-long episodes of intense dread in which a person experiences terror and accompanying chest pain, chocking, or other frightening sensations.Strikes suddenly, then disappears1 person in 75 have this disorderheart palpitations, shortness of breath, chocking sensations, trembling, or dizziness accompany this disordersmokers have at least a doubled risk of panic disorderPhobiasPhobia- An anxiety disorder marked by persistent, irrational fear and avoidance of a specific object or situation.People avoid stimulus that arouses the fearAgoraphobia- fear or avoidance of situations in which escapes might be difficult or help unavailable when panic strikesObsessive-compulsive disorderObsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)- an anxiety disorder characterized by unwanted repetitive thoughts (obsessions) and/or actions (compulsions)2 to 3 % of people have thiseffective functioning becomes impossibleas people age, this disorder is less commonmore common around teen years and early twentiesPost-Traumatic Stress DisorderPost-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) - an anxiety disorder characterized by haunting memories, nightmares, social withdrawal, jump anxiety, and/or insomnia that lingers for four weeks or more after a traumatic experienceHappens a lot to war veteransThe greater one’s emotional distress during a trauma, the higher the risk of post-traumatic stress disorderSensitive limbic system can trigger the traumatic experiences to come back to consciousnessPTSD symptoms may be genetically predisposedImpressive survivor resiliencyMany do not actually have this disorderPost-traumatic growth- positive psychological changes as a result of struggling with extremely challenging circumstances and life crisisUnderstanding Anxiety disordersThe learning perspectiveFear conditioningWhen bad events happen unpredictably and uncontrollably anxiety often developsLearned to fear somethingEx. Rats learned to fear the shockStimulus generalizationPerson attacked by one god fears all dogsReinforcementAvoiding a feared situation reduces anxietyObservational learningWe may learn to fear by observing others’ fearsHumans transmit their fears to their childrenThe Biological perspectiveNatural selectionWe humans seem biologically prepared to fear threats faced by our ancestorsFear of snakes causes us to surviveEvolution has not prepared us to fear bombs dropping from the skyOur phobias focus on dangers faced by our ancestorsGenesIdentical twins develop similar phobiasGenes influence disorders by regulating neurotransmittersThe brainBrain regions that monitor our actions for checking errors, seems to be active in people with OCDSomatoform