Psychopharmacology Quiz

Psychopharmacology

• Study of the use of medications in treating mental health disorders
• Involves understanding the effects of psychotropic medications on the brain and behavior
• Key concepts:
  • Mechanism of action: how medications work in the brain
  • Indications: conditions for which medications are prescribed
  • Contraindications: conditions or situations in which medications should not be used
  • Side effects: potential adverse effects of medications
  • Drug interactions: effects of combining medications

Personality Disorders

• Pervasive patterns of thought, behavior, and emotional experience that deviate from cultural norms
• Classified into 3 clusters:
  • Cluster A: odd or eccentric (e.g. paranoid, schizoid, schizotypal)
  • Cluster B: dramatic or emotional (e.g. borderline, histrionic, narcissistic)
  • Cluster C: anxious or fearful (e.g. avoidant, dependent, obsessive-compulsive)
• Key features:
  • Chronic and inflexible patterns
  • Impairment in social and occupational functioning
  • Difficulty with impulse control and emotional regulation

Schizophrenia

• Chronic and severe mental disorder characterized by:
  • Distortions in perception, thought, and emotion
  • Disorganized thinking and behavior
  • Impaired social and occupational functioning
• Key symptoms:
  • Positive symptoms: hallucinations, delusions, disorganized speech and behavior
  • Negative symptoms: flattened affect, apathy, social withdrawal
  • Cognitive symptoms: impaired attention, memory, and executive function

Mood Disorders

• Disorders characterized by disturbances in mood or emotional state
• Key subtypes:
  • Major depressive disorder: persistent feelings of sadness and hopelessness
  • Bipolar disorder: alternating periods of mania and depression
  • Cyclothymic disorder: chronic fluctuation between hypomania and depression
• Key features:
  • Changes in mood, appetite, sleep, and energy
  • Impairment in social and occupational functioning

Anxiety Disorders

• Disorders characterized by excessive and persistent feelings of fear and anxiety
• Key subtypes:
  • Panic disorder: recurring panic attacks and fear of future attacks
  • Social anxiety disorder: fear of social or performance situations
  • Generalized anxiety disorder: excessive and persistent worry about everyday things
  • Phobias: irrational fears of specific objects or situations
• Key features:
  • Physiological symptoms: rapid heartbeat, sweating, trembling
  • Avoidance behaviors: avoidance of situations or objects that trigger anxiety
  • Impairment in social and occupational functioning

Psychopharmacology

• Involves understanding the effects of psychotropic medications on the brain and behavior
• Mechanism of action: how medications work in the brain, e.g. binding to receptors, altering neurotransmitter levels
• Indications: conditions for which medications are prescribed, e.g. depression, anxiety, bipolar disorder
• Contraindications: conditions or situations in which medications should not be used, e.g. pregnancy, allergic reactions
• Side effects: potential adverse effects of medications, e.g. drowsiness, weight gain, dry mouth
• Drug interactions: effects of combining medications, e.g. increased risk of serotonin syndrome, altered metabolism

Personality Disorders

• Classified into 3 clusters: Cluster A (odd or eccentric), Cluster B (dramatic or emotional), Cluster C (anxious or fearful)
• Paranoid personality disorder: pervasive distrust and suspicion of others
• Borderline personality disorder: intense emotional dysregulation, impulsive behavior
• Avoidant personality disorder: pervasive feelings of social inadequacy, avoidance of social interactions
• Key features: chronic and inflexible patterns, impairment in social and occupational functioning, difficulty with impulse control and emotional regulation

Schizophrenia

• Chronic and severe mental disorder characterized by distortions in perception, thought, and emotion
• Disorganized thinking and behavior: disorganized speech, difficulty with decision-making, erratic behavior
• Impaired social and occupational functioning: difficulty maintaining relationships, performing daily tasks, and maintaining employment
• Key symptoms: positive symptoms (hallucinations, delusions, disorganized speech and behavior), negative symptoms (flattened affect, apathy, social withdrawal), cognitive symptoms (impaired attention, memory, and executive function)

Mood Disorders

• Major depressive disorder: persistent feelings of sadness and hopelessness, loss of interest in activities, changes in appetite and sleep
• Bipolar disorder: alternating periods of mania and depression, characterized by extreme mood shifts
• Cyclothymic disorder: chronic fluctuation between hypomania and depression, with periods of normal mood
• Key features: changes in mood, appetite, sleep, and energy, impairment in social and occupational functioning

Anxiety Disorders

• Panic disorder: recurring panic attacks and fear of future attacks, characterized by intense fear and discomfort
• Social anxiety disorder: fear of social or performance situations, characterized by fear of embarrassment or judgment
• Generalized anxiety disorder: excessive and persistent worry about everyday things, characterized by restlessness and feeling on edge
• Phobias: irrational fears of specific objects or situations, characterized by avoidance behaviors
• Key features: physiological symptoms (rapid heartbeat, sweating, trembling), avoidance behaviors, impairment in social and occupational functioning