psychological disorder
a significant dysfunction in a person's thoughts, feelings, or behaviors
medical 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 hospital
attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)
a psychological disorder marked by the appearance by age 7 of one or more of three key symptoms; extreme inattention, hyper activity, and impulsivity
DSM-IV-TB
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 disorders
anxiety disorders
psychological disorders characterized by distressing, persistent anxiety or maladaptive behaviors that reduce anxiety
generalized anxiety disorder
an anxiety disorder in which a person is continually tense, apprehensive, and in a state of autonomic nervous system arousal
panic disorder
an anxiety disorder marked by unpredictable, minutes-long episodes of intense dread in which a person experiences terror and accompanying chest pain, choking, or other frightening sensations
phobia
an anxiety disorder marked by a persistent, irrational fear and avoidance of a specific object, activity or situation
obsessive-compulsive disorder
an anxiety disorder characterized by unwanted repetitive thoughts (obsession), actions (compulsions), or both
post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
an anxiety disorder characterized by haunting memories, nightmares, social withdrawal, jumpy anxiety, and/or insomnia that lingers for four weeks or more after a traumatic experience
mood disorders
psychological disorders characterized by emotional extremes, see major depressive disorder, mania and bipolar disorder
major depressive disorder
a mood disorder in which a person experiences, in the absence of drugs or another medical condition, two or more weeks of significantly depressed moods or diminished interest or pleasure in most activities, along with at least four other symptoms
bipolar disorder
a mood disorder in which a person alternates between the hopelessness and lethargy of depression and the overexcited state of mania (formerly called manic-depressive disorder)
mania
a hyperactive, wildly optimistic state in which dangerously poor judgement is common
schizophrenia
a group of severe disorders characterized by disorganized and delusional thinking, disturbed perceptions, and inappropriate emotions and behaviors
psychosis
a psychological disorder in which a person loses contact with reality, experiencing irrational ideas with distorted perceptions
delusions
false beliefs, often of persecution or grandeur, that may accompany psychotic disorders
dissociative disorders
disorders in which conscious awareness becomes separated from (dissociated) from previous memories, thoughts and feelings
dissociative identity disorder (DID)
a rare dissociative disorder in which a person exhibits two or more distinct and alternating personalities. Formerly called multiple personality disorder
anorexia nervosa
an eating disorder in which a person (usually an adolescent female) maintains a starvation diet despite being significantly (15 percent or more) underweight
bulimia nervosa
an eating disorder in which a person alternates binge eating (usually of high-calorie foods) with purging or fasting
binge eating disorder
significant binge eating episodes, followed by distress, disgust, or guilt, but without the compensatory purging or fasting that marks bulimia nervosa
personality disorders
psychological disorders characterized by inflexible and enduring behavior patterns that impair social functioning
antisocial personality disorder
a personality disorder in which a person (usually a man) exhibits a lack of conscience for wrongdoing, even towards friends and family members. may be aggressive and ruthless or a clever con artist
although some psychological disorders are culture-bound, others are universal. for example, in every known culture some people have
schizophrenia
many psychologist reject the "disorders - as-illness) view and instead contend that other factors may also be involved- for example, the person's bad habits and poor social skills. this view represents the approach
biopsychosocial
most psychologists and psychiatrists have used to classify psychological disorders
the DSM-IV-TR
one study found that psychologists using DSM-IV agreed on a diagnosis for more than 80 percent of patients. The DSM-IV's reliability stems in part from its reliance on
structured-interview procedures
an episode of intense dread, accompanied by trembling, dizziness, chest pain, or choking sensations and by feelings of terror is called
a panic attack
the learning perspective proposes that phobias are
conditioned fears
although bipolar disorder is as maladaptive as depression, it is much less common and it affects
women and men equally
a person with positive symptoms of schizophrenia is most likely to experience
delusions
chances for recovery from schizophrenia are best when
onset is sudden, in response to stress
dissociative identity disorder is controversial because
it is almost never reported outside North America
Which of the following statements is true of bulimia nervosa
bulimia is marked by weight fluctuations within or above normal ranges
a personality disorder, such as antisocial personality, is characterized by
enduring and inflexible behavior patterns that impair social functioning
PET scans of murderers brains have revealed
lower-than normal activation in the frontal lobes
the symptoms of appear around age 10; tends to appear later, around age 25.
phobias; major depression