Psychopathology
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Psychopathology - Leaderboard
Psychopathology - Details
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| 🇬🇧 | 🇬🇧 |
| Anxiety | An apprehensive and future oriented state with a negative affect accompanied with somatic symptoms such as muscle tension, restlessness and an elevated heart rate. |
| Fear | An immediate and present oriented state with sympathetic nervous system activation. |
| Panic | A sudden and overwhelming reaction |
| Panic attack | An abrupt experience of intense fear. Physical symptoms include: heart palpitations, chest pain, sweating and heat sensations. Cognitive symptoms include: fear of losing control or "going crazy". These can either be cued or uncued |
| Psychological contribution to anxiety | Freud: a psychic reaction to danger that reactivates infantile fear to a situation. Behaviourism: symptoms are a result of learned associations. Modelling: linked to the beliefs about one's controlability over their environment. |
| Social contribution to anxiety | Biological vulnerabilities are triggered by stressful life events |
| Generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) - diagnostic criteria | 1)Excessive anxiety and worrying occurring more days than not over a 6 month period (or longer). 2)Difficulty controlling the worrying. 3) Three or more of the following: restlessness, difficulty concentrating, easily fatigued, irritability, muscle tension, sleep disturbances (Only one in the case of a child). 4) The worrying impairs functioning. 5) Not caused by substance abuse. 6) Symptoms not better explained by another mental disorder |
| Generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) - clinical description | Shift from possible crisis to possible crisis; worries are about minor "everyday" concerns; leads to procrastination over preparation |
| Generalised anxiety disorder (GAD) - treatment | Pharmacological: Benozodiazapines (short term); antidepressants (SSRI's) Psychological: CBT; exposure therapy, confront anxiety provoking images; coping strategies |
| Behavioural inhibition system (BIS) | Brain circuit in the limbic system that responds to threat signals by inhibiting activity and causing anxiety (Jeffrey Gray). |
| CRF | Cotricotropin-releasing factor; activates the HPA |
| HPA | Hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical axis |
| Panic disorder (PD) | Unexpected severe panic attacks and fear of another occurring and avoid situations that might provoke one; must persist for at least a month |
| Panic Disorder (PD) - diagnostic criteria | 1) Recurrent unexpected (uncued) panic attacks 2) A panic attacked followed by either or both of the following: persistent worry about additional attacks and/or a significant maladaptive change in behaviour 3) Not attributable to substance abuse or medication |
| Agoraphobia | Fear/avoidance of experiencing a panic attack. Concerned about whether or not one can get help in the event of a panic attack. Escapist tendencies. |
| Agoraphobia - diagnostic criteria | 1) A fear of two or more: public transport, open spaces, enclosed spaces, standing inline/ in a crowd, outside or home alone. 2)Fears or avoids these situations due to the thoughts that escape might be difficult or help might not be available in the event of a panic attack - the fear is not proportional to actual danger. |
| Nocturnal panic | Occurs during non-REM sleep; caused by deep relaxation, the sensation of "letting go" arouses anxiety. |
| Specific phobia | Extreme and irrational fear of a specific object/situation. Significant impairment and distress. |
| Social anxiety disorder | Extreme and irrational concern about being negatively evaluated by others. Sometimes manifests as shyness. Leads to significant impairment or distress, avoidance and fear. |
| Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) - diagnostic criteria (Pt. 1) | 1)Exposure to actual or threatened death, serious injury or sexual violence 2) |
| Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) - clinical description | Exposure to trauma and continued re-experiencing of said trauma (eg flashbacks, nightmares). Avoidance of things that remind of the trauma. Emotional numbing. Reckless or self destructive behaviour. INterpersonal problems. Trauma can either be experienced directly or witnessed. |
| Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) - cause | Intense trauma evokes PTSD; a generalised biological predisposition/vulnerability is typically present too; Psychological vulnerabilities like the belief that one lacks control as well as poor social support. |
| Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) - cause | Intense trauma evokes PTSD; a generalised biological predisposition/vulnerability is typically present too; Psychological vulnerabilities like the belief that one lacks control as well as poor social support. |
| Adjustment disorder | Anxious or depressive symptoms in reaction to life stressors. Milder than PTSD and only becomes clinically significant if it impairs functioning and causes distress. |
| Acute stress disorder | Assigned for patients experiencing PTSD symptoms longer than one month i.e PTSD is persistent. |
| Obsessive-compulsive disorder - clinical description | Unwanted, intrusive and persistent thoughts as well as repetitive actions to suppress these thoughts (OCD does not equate to bing neat and orderly). Debilitating and chronic. Ego dystonic. |
| Ego distonic | Behaviour goes against the conscious will of the individual. |
| Obsessions | Persistent intrusive and often nonsensical thoughts, images or urges. |
| Compulsions | Ritualistic acts that provide relief from obsessions. |
| Obsessive-compulsive disorder - diagnostic criteria | 1) Presence of obsessions or compulsions or both. 2) The obsessions are time consuming and cause clinically significant distress or impairment. |
| Body dismorphic disorder | A preoccupation with some imagined defect in appearance. If an actual defect is present it appears slight to others and is over-inflated by the sufferer. 10% coromorbid with OCD. Chronic |
| Mood | Enduring period of emotionality. |
| Anhedonia | Failure to respond to pleasurable events or absence of desire for pleasure, associated with some mood and schizophrenic disorders. |
| Mood disorder | Group of disorders involving severe and enduring disturbances in emotionality ranging from elation to severe depression. |
| Structure of mood disorders | 1) Unipolar: only one extreme mood is experienced; either depression or mania (depression is more common than mania alone). 2) Bipolar: Both depression and mania are experienced |
| Major depressive episode - clinical description | An extremely depressed mood accompanied with anhedonia. Lasts most of the day, nearly everyday for at least two weeks. At least four of the following: indecisiveness, feelings of worthlessness, fatigue, appetite change, restlessness, feeling slowed down. |
| Major depressive episode - diagnostic criteria (Pt. 1) | 1) At least five of the following symptoms present during the first two week period that marked the change in behviour : depressed mood, anhedonia, significant weight loss, insomnia or hypersomnia, psychomotor agitation, loss of energy, feelings of worthlessness, diminished ability concentrate, recurrent thoughts of death/suicidal ideation. 2)symptoms cause clinically significant impairment or distress. |
| Major depressive disorder - diagnostic criteria | 1) At least one major depressive episode. 2) Never been a manic or hypomanic episode (does not apply if these symptoms are attributable to medication or substance abuse or physiological conditions). 3) Occurrence not better explained by another diagnosis. |
| Persistent depressive disorder - clinical description | At least two years of depressive symptoms (depressed mood most of they day for more days than not). Chronic. No more than months symptom free. |
| Diagnostic specifier for depressive episodes | 1) Psychotic specifier: delusions and/or hallucinations. 2) Anxious specifier: depression accompanied with several significant symptoms of anxiety (poorer outcome). 3) Mixed features specifier: depression with manic symptoms. 4) Melancholic specifier: depressive episode with a lack of reactivity to positive stimuli. |
| Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder | Severe temper outburst back-dropped by angry and irritable moods (designed to combat over-diagnosis in bipolar disorders in kids). |
| Manic episode - clinical description | Elevated, expansive mood for at least a week. Inflated self-esteem, decreased need for sleep, excessive talkativeness, flight of thoughts, easily distracted, increase in goal oriented behaviour (psychomotor agitation), risky behaviour. |
| Manic episode - diagnostic criteria | 1)Elevated mood lasting most of the day everyday for a week. 2) During the period of mood disturbance 3 (or more) of the following symptoms are present: inflated self-esteem, decreased need for sleep, talkativeness, flight of ideas, distractability, increase in goal directed behaviour. |
| Bipolar I disorder | The occurrence of one manic episode or mixed manic episode, often recurrent, or alternating with major depressive episodes. |
| Bipolar II disorder | Occurrence of hypomanic episodes, frequently alternating with major depressive episodes (absences of manic episode). Bipolar II has a greater tendency of recurrent cycles of mood disturbances. |
| Hypomanic episode | Milder form of mania with similar symptoms yet less severe and less disruptive (hypo means 'under"). Occurring for at least four days without psychotic symptoms or the need for hospitalisation. Hypomanic episodes define cyclothymic and bipolar II disorders. Not necessarily problematic on its own. |
| Cyclothymic disorder | Chronic (at least 2 years) mood disorder characterised by alternating mood elevation and depression levels that are not as severe as manic or depressive episodes. |
| Unipolar mood disorder | Mood disorder charaterised by depression or mania but not both, most cases involve unipolar depression. |
| Mixed features | Condition in which the individual experiences both elation and depression or anxiety at the same time. Also known as dysphoric manic episode. |
| Seasonal affective disorder | Mood disorder involving a cycling of episodes corresponding to the seasons of the year, typically with depression occurring in the winter. |
| Premenstrual dysohoric disorder (PMDD) | Condition charaterised by mood disturbances, typically lability (rapid and exaggerated mood swings), and uncomfortable physical symptoms associated with menstruation. |
| Integrated grief | Grief that evolves from acute grief into a condition in which the individual accepts the finality of a death and adjusts to the loss. |
| Complicated grief | Characterised by debilitating feelings of loss and emotions so painful a person has trouble resuming a normal life. |
| Causes of a mood disorder - familial | The risk is higher if a relative has a mood disorder. Severe mood disorders have a strong genetic contribution. Heritability rates are higher for females than males. |
| Causes of a mood disorder - neurobiological influences | 1) Neurotransmitter system: serotonin and its relation to other neurotransmitters (eg noradrenaline and dopamine), associated with a lack of serotonin. Permissive hypothesis - low serotonin permits other neurotransmitters to vary wildly increasing vulnerability. 2) Endocrine system: elevated cortisol; decrease neurogenesis in the hippocampus. |
| Causes of a mood disorder - psychological influences | 1) Stressful life events 2) Learned helplessness: lack in the belief one has control over ones life 3) Negative thinking/coping styles (cognitive error triad) |
| Pattern of eating involving distress-induced binges not followed by purging behaviour. Associated with distress or impairment of functioning. | Binge-eating disorder (BED) |
| Little to no interest in any type of sexual activity. Effects 5% of all men. | Male hypoactive sexual desire disorder |
| Difficulty in achieving or maintaining an erection. Sexual desire intact. Most common problem for which men seek help for. | Erectile disorder |
| Ejaculation occurring within approx. 1 minute of penetration and before desired. Most prevalent of sexual problems men experience: 21%. Problem decreases with age. | Premature ejaculation |
| Marked delay, absence or decreased intensity in orgasm in almost all sexual encounters. Not explainable by relationship distress or another significant stressors. | Female orgasmic disorder |
| Sexual attraction to non-human objects, can be inanimate or tactile. | Fetishistic disorder |
| Exposure of genitals to unsuspecting strangers, the element of risk and thrill are necessary for arousal. | Exhibitionistic disorder |
| Observing unsuspecting strangers, risk associated with "peeping" may increase arousal. | Voyeuristic disorder |
| Sexual disorder (involving problems with desire, arousal and/or orgasm) in which a person finds it difficult to function adequately while having sex. | Sexual dysfunction |
| Sensory experience in the absence of sensory input. | Hallucinations |
| Separation among basic functions of human personality (cognition, emotion and perception) seen by some as the defining characteristic of schizophrenia. | Associative splitting |
| Eugene Bleuler - schizophrenia meaning "splitting of the mind". Formerly dementia praecox by Emil Kraeplin. | Nature of schizophrenia - historical |
| Includes delusions and hallucinations | Positive cluster of symptoms of schizophrenia |
| Absence of insufficiency of normal behaviour. Avolition (apathy). Alogia. Anhedonia. Flat affect. | Negative cluster of symptoms of schizophrenia |
| Confused and abnormal speech, behaviour and emotion: Disorganised speech is characterised by cognitive slippage. Tangentiality. Loose association. Disorganised affect. Disorganised behaviour. | Disorganised cluster of symptoms of schizophrenia |
| Illogical and incoherent speech. | Cognitive slippage |
| Going off on a tangent. | Tangentiality |
| Conversation in unrelated direction. | Loose association |
| Inappropriate emotional behaviour. | Disorganised affect |