psychology

PSY-101: Principles of Psychology

Chapter 13: Psychological Disorders

WHAT ARE PSYCHOLOGICAL DISORDERS?

● Abnormal thoughts, feelings, or behaviors that cause people to experience distress and prevents them from functioning in their daily lives ○ Deviant

■ Different from what’s culturally expected ○ Distressful

■ Causes unwanted negative emotions ○ Dysfunctional

■ Biology or psychology isn’t functioning as expected

THE DSM Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders

● First edition from 1952 ● Currently in the 5th edition (revised in 2013) ● 237 diagnosable disorders

■ Nearly half of all Americans will meet the criteria for a DSM disorder at some point in their life

THE CAUSES ● Is it supernatural forces?

○ E.g., Black magic, possession ● Is it biology?

○ E.g., Chemical imbalance, brain abnormality ● Is it environmental factors?

○ E.g., Childhood abuse, trauma

■ The Diathesis-Stress Model prevails! ○ A complex interaction between biology and environment

AN OVERVIEW OF WHAT WE’LL COVER...

● Anxiety Disorders ● Mood Disorders ● Schizophrenia ● Dissociative Disorders ● Personality Disorders ● “Childhood” Disorders

ANXIETY DISORDERS When anxiety occurs without logical external justification and begins to affect people’s daily functioning

Some major types ● Phobias ● Panic disorder ● Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD) ● Obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)

PHOBIAS

ANXIETY DISORDERS Panic Disorder

● Usually have recurring panic attacks ● Anxiety suddenly rises to a peak and the person feels

a sense of impending, unavoidable doom

Generalized Anxiety Disorder ● Long-term, persistent, excessive, and uncontrollable

anxiety

ANXIETY DISORDERS Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder ● Obsession

○ Persistent unwanted thought or idea that keeps recurring

● Compulsion ○ Irresistible urges to repeatedly carry out some act that

may seem strange and unreasonable to others ○ Helps control anxiety stemming from the obsession

MOOD DISORDERS Major Depressive Disorder

● Severe form of depression that interferes with concentration, decision making, and sociability

Bipolar Disorder ● Periods of alternating mania (state of elation) &

depression ● Periods of depression are usually longer than manic

periods

COMORBIDITY OF OCD AND

MAJOR DEPRESSIVE

DISORDER ● 41% of people

diagnosed with OCD also qualify for a major depressive disorder diagnosis

SCHIZOPHRENIA Refers to a class of disorders in which a severe distortion of reality occurs

● Disturbances of thought ● Delusions ● Hallucinations ● Emotional disturbances

DISSOCIATIVE DISORDERS Characterized by the separation of different facets of a person’s personality that are normally integrated and work together

Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID) ● Formerly multiple personality disorder ● Characteristics of two (or more) distinct personalities,

identities, or personality fragments ● Controversial diagnosis

PERSONALITY DISORDERS Characterized by a set of inflexible, maladaptive behavior patterns that keep a person from functioning appropriately in society (the DSM-5 recognizes 10 different personality disorders)

Antisocial Personality Disorder ● Show no regard for the moral and ethical rules of society ● Lack guilt or anxiety about their wrongdoing ● Impulsive and lack the ability to withstand frustration ● Extremely manipulative & may have excellent social skills ● Commonly referred to as “psychopaths” or “sociopaths”

PERSONALITY DISORDERS Narcissistic Personality Disorder ● Characterized by an

exaggerated sense of self-importance

● Expect special treatment ● Have trouble experiencing

empathy for others

“CHILDHOOD” DISORDERS Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD) ● Marked by inattention, impulsiveness, low tolerance for

frustration, and generally a great deal of unexpected activity

Autism Spectrum Disorder ● Severe developmental disability that impairs children’s ability

to communicate and relate to others

A BETTER WAY OF VISUALIZING

THE AUTISM SPECTRUM

HELP ME BUILD A BETTER CLASS!

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The material for these slides was adapted from:

Introduction to Psychology An open-access text written and edited

by multiple individuals and organizations

Greg Mullin, 2022 - Licensed CC BY - SA