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Questions and Answers
What is another name for Dissociative Identity Disorder?
What is another name for Dissociative Identity Disorder?
Which of the following is a symptom of Major Depressive Disorder?
Which of the following is a symptom of Major Depressive Disorder?
Women attempt suicide more than men but men succeed more.
Women attempt suicide more than men but men succeed more.
True
What is one hormonal factor that may contribute to depression?
What is one hormonal factor that may contribute to depression?
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People with Somatic Symptom Disorder usually have another ______ diagnosis that requires _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ assistance.
People with Somatic Symptom Disorder usually have another ______ diagnosis that requires _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ _ assistance.
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Define aetiology in the context of mental disorders.
Define aetiology in the context of mental disorders.
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Which of the following are key criteria used to define abnormal behavior? (Select all that apply)
Which of the following are key criteria used to define abnormal behavior? (Select all that apply)
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Obsessions are thoughts that repeatedly intrude on one's consciousness.
Obsessions are thoughts that repeatedly intrude on one's consciousness.
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_______ is a false belief that is held strongly by an individual, even when presented with evidence to the contrary.
_______ is a false belief that is held strongly by an individual, even when presented with evidence to the contrary.
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Which medical model views mental illness as a disease and uses structured cognitive tools for identifying symptoms?
Which medical model views mental illness as a disease and uses structured cognitive tools for identifying symptoms?
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Study Notes
Abnormal Behaviour
- Abnormal behaviour is defined as behaviour that is rare or unusual, maladaptive, and personally distressing.
- Emil Kraepelin, the founder of modern scientific psychiatry, defined mental illness as being rooted in a biological disease or medical model.
Criteria of Abnormal Behaviour
- Deviance: behaviour that differs from societal norms and expectations
- Dysfunction: behaviour that impairs an individual's ability to perform daily activities
- Personal distress: behaviour that causes significant distress or impairment to the individual
Classification Systems
- International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) by the World Health Organization (WHO)
- Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) by the American Psychological Association (APA)
Anxiety Disorders
- Generalized Anxiety Disorder: characterized by chronic, high-level anxiety not tied to a specific threat, excessive worry, and physical symptoms such as trembling and muscle tension
- Specific Phobia Disorder: characterized by an irrational fear of a specific object or situation, interference with daily functioning, and physical symptoms such as trembling and palpitations
- Panic Disorder: characterized by recurrent, unexpected panic attacks, fear of losing control or dying, and avoidance of situations that may trigger panic attacks
- Agoraphobia: characterized by fear of going out to public places, triggered by real or anticipated exposure to situations involving public transportation, open spaces, or enclosed places
Aetiology of Anxiety Disorders
- Biological factors: genetic overlap, inherited differences in temperament, and inherited anxiety disorders
- Conditioning and learning: classical conditioning and operant conditioning, where anxiety responses are acquired and maintained
- Cognitive factors: certain styles of thinking that make individuals vulnerable to anxiety disorders, such as misinterpreting harmless situations as threatening
Dissociative Disorders
- Dissociative Amnesia: characterized by sudden loss of memory for important personal information, often associated with traumatic events
- Dissociative Identity Disorder: characterized by disruption of identity, experience of two or more distinct personalities, and unawareness of each other's existence
Aetiology of Dissociative Disorders
- Dissociative Amnesia: excessive stress, traumatic events, and conditioning
- Dissociative Identity Disorder: unknown, but may be associated with intentional role-playing, sexual or physical abuse, and controversial diagnosis
Depressive and Bipolar Disorders
- Unipolar: emotional extremes at one end of the mood continuum, such as depression
- Bipolar: emotional extremes at both ends of the mood continuum, both depression and mania
Major Depressive Disorder
- Characterized by persistent feelings of sadness and despair, loss of interest in previous sources of pleasure, and negative emotions
- Symptoms: anhedonia, lack of motivation, trouble getting out of bed, anxiety, irritability, and lack of self-esteem
- Occurs anytime, usually before the age of 40, and may have more than one episode
Bipolar Disorder
- Characterized by one or more manic or hypomanic episodes, and periods of depression
- Manic episode: elevated mood, high energy, and excessive optimism, with a paradoxical negative undercurrent of irritability and depression
Aetiology of Depressive and Bipolar Disorders
- Genetic vulnerability: heredity, concordance rates, and identical twins
- Neurochemical and neuroanatomical factors: abnormal levels of neurotransmitters, reduced hippocampal volume, and neurogenesis
- Hormonal factors: hormonal changes, stress, and the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenocortical (HPA) axis
- Cognitive factors: learned helplessness, rumination, and attribution of setbacks to personal flaws
- Interpersonal roots: inadequate social skills, poor social discretion, and correlation with depression
- Precipitating stress: strong link between stress and the onset of depressive and bipolar disorders
Somatoform and Related Disorders
- Somatic Symptom Disorder (SSD): characterized by somatic symptoms that are distressing or disruptive, excessive thoughts, feelings, and behaviors
- Illness Anxiety Disorder: characterized by illness and somatic concerns, repeated examination, excessive information gathering, and avoidance of situations
- Conversion Disorder: characterized by neurological symptoms incompatible with neurological disorders, often associated with psychological issues
- Factitious Disorders: characterized by intentional falsification of medical or psychological signs and symptoms, and may be associated with abuse
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Description
Introduction to Psychology chapter 15 notes, covering abnormal behaviour from the University of Pretoria
