Learning goals Understand the main classifications of psychological disorders and common diagnoses Identify the various origins of psychological disorders Identify characteristics or criteria that may indicate a psychological disorder

Discussion questions: Look at the definition of a psychological disorder. Do you think this definition is adequate? Explain. What are the advantages and disadvantages to labeling people with various psychological disorders?

General Categories of Disorders There are numerous types of psychological disorders and thousands of specific diagnosis Common categories: –Anxiety Disorders –Somatoform Disorders –Dissociative Disorders –Mood Disorders –Schizophrenia Disorders –Personality Disorders

Psychological Disorders behavior is atypical, disturbing, maladaptive and unjustifiable origins of psychological disorders: –medical model (biological perspective) –social-cultural perspective –behavioral (learning) perspective –cognitive perspective –psychoanalytic perspective

Anxiety Disorders intense, distressing, persistent anxiety -or- maladaptive behaviors to reduce anxiety types: –generalized anxiety disorder –phobic disorders –obsessive-compulsive disorder

Generalized anxiety disorder continual apprehension, tension and arousal constant autonomic nervous system arousal person has difficulty identifying causes of the tension/fear and thus cannot avoid it may experience panic attacks –short episodes of intense fear/terror person often responds by isolating self

Phobic Disorders persistent, irrational, maladaptive fear of a specific object, activity or situation develop coping mechanisms to avoid/deal with feared object examples: –agoraphobia xenophobia –claustrophobia mikrophobia –uxoriphobia phonophobia –phobophobia triskaidekaphobia

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder persistent, maladaptive, unwanted repetitive thoughts or actions repetitive thoughts/actions that interfere with daily life or cause distress obsessions –repetitive thoughts compulsions –repetitive behaviors

Explaining anxiety disorders psychoanalytic perspective –childhood repression of intolerable ideas, events or feelings learning (behavioral) perspective –learn fears through conditioning or past experiences biological perspective –innate disposition to fear certain objects (things deemed dangerous to survival) –overarousal of certain brain areas (impulse control and habits)

Somatoform Disorders distressing physical symptoms with no apparent physical cause factors: –physical functioning must be lost or altered –symptoms cannot be explained by a know physical condition –indication that psychological factors have produced the symptom –victims frequently indifferent to the physical loss –symptoms not under voluntary control

Somatoform Disorders conversion disorder –specific, genuine physical problem with no physiological explanation –example- paralysis from the waist down may be due to history of sexual abuse hypochondriasis –misinterpretation of normal physical sensations as symptoms of a disease –example- think that a headache is an indication of a brain tumor

Dissociative Disorders Have you ever walked in your sleep? Did you have imaginary playmates as a child? Were you physically abused as a child? Were you sexually abused as a child? Have you ever noticed that things are missing from your personal possessions? Have you ever noticed that things appear where you live, but you don’t know how?

Dissociative Disorders Do people ever talk to you as if they know you but you don’t’ know them? Do you ever speak about yourself as “we” or “us”? Do you ever feel that there is another person or persons inside you? If there is another person inside you, does he or she ever come out and take control of your body?

Dissociative Disorders conscious awareness is separated from previous memories/thoughts/feelings sudden loss of memory or change in identity believed to be caused by severe, extended trauma types: –amnesia –fugue –dissociative identity disorder

Dissociative Disorders amnesia –failure to recall past events or information –usually caused by extreme, intolerable stress –selectively forget painful or stressful information fugue –in addition to amnesia, leave home and identity –very abrupt beginning and ending –duration varies

Dissociative Disorders dissociative identity disorder –formerly called multiple personality disorder –multiple, distinct personalities –result of severe trauma (physical, emotional, sexual) –may be a relationship to “role-playing”

Mood Disorders emotional extremes (extremely high or low) main types: –major depressive disorder prolonged hopelessness, lack of energy, despair, or lack of interest in regular activities –bipolar disorder alternate between being very high (mania) and very low (depression) formerly called manic-depressive disorder mania- wildly optimistic state

Explaining mood disorders psychoanalytic perspective –moods caused by associations to unconscious childhood impulses biological perspective –genetic influence (may be inherited) –chemical imbalances in the brain social-cultural perspective –moods are shaped and influenced by our surroundings

Schizophrenia Disorders disorganized/deluded thinking, disturbed perceptions, and inappropriate emotions/actions often suffer from delusions (false beliefs) and hallucinations (sensory experience without any actual sensory stimulation) believed to be caused by brain abnormalities, genetic predisposition, and psychological/environmental factors

Personality Disorders inflexible and enduring patterns of behavior that impair regular social functioning can coexist with other psychological disorders examples: –antisocial –histrionic –narcissistic –borderline