Common Features of Psychological Disorders Katherine Durrell

Depression: The basics Affective disorder Diagnosed after two weeks of a depressed mood or loss of interest and pleasure Other symptoms include insomnia, changes in appetite, energy loss, feelings of worthlessness, suicidal thoughts, and difficulty concentrating Affects about 15% of people at some point Two to three times more common in women Occurs frequently in members of lower socio- economic groups and in young adults Higher prevalence rate in Jewish males (Levav 1997)

Depression: Etiology Biological Changes in the levels of certain neurotransmitters and hormones such as cortisol or serotonin Genetic vulnerability Cognitive Irrational and illogical thinking (overgeneralization, non-logical inference, dichotomous thinking) (Beck 1976) Negative thinking Sociocultural Life events resembling previous experiences such as unemployment, lack of social support, multiple young children at home, loss of mother when young, childhood abuse Chinese are likely to have somatization because collective, but individualistic more likely to have affective symptoms Core pattern of symptoms globally

PTSD: The basics Anxiety disorder Lasts more than 30 days in response to a specific stressor Intrusive memories of stressor, emotional withdrawal, insomnia, aggression, sense of estrangement and anhedonia (inability to feel positive) USA: 5% lifetime prevalence in men and 10% in women Affects 15-24% of people exposed to traumatic events Can appear in conjuction with other disorders such as depression, substance abuse or an impairment to function in social/ familial life with marital problems and occupational instability

PTSD: Etiology Biological Noradrenaline in high levels causes people to express emotions more openly and is found in people with PTSD Adrenal system Genetic vulnerability Cognitive Lack of control over their lives Intrusive memories triggered by stimuli Personal responsibility to failures Cope with stress by focusing on emotion, not problem Sociocultural 20.6% black and 27.6% Hispanic veterans versus 13% white 73% girls and 35% boys in Sarajevo 1998 Non-western survivors have body memory symptoms, eg feeling dizzy if made drunk and raped Women have 5 times greater risk than men in developing PTSD Men more likely to have symotoms of irritablitly, impulsiveness, and substance abuse vs numbing and avoidance and anxiety/affective disorders Gender differences due to socialization differences where girls internalize and men externalize (Nolen-Hoeksema, 1994)