Deck 13: Section 1: Psychological Disorders

Question 1

What is posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), and what types of situations have been shown to evoke PTSD?

Answer 1

The answer should include the following information: PTSD is a disorder that is triggered by exposure to a highly traumatic event which results in recurrent involuntary and intrusive memories of the event; avoidance of stimuli and situations associated with the event; negative changes in thoughts, mood, and emotions; and a persistent state of heightened physical arousal. PTSD typically occurs in response to an extreme physical or psychological trauma-events that produce intense feelings of horror and helplessness, such as a serious physical injury or threat of injury to oneself or to loved ones. Historically, PTSD was primarily associated with direct experiences of military combat; however, it's now known that PTSD can also develop in survivors of other sorts of extreme traumas, such as natural disasters, physical or sexual assault, random shooting sprees, or terrorist attacks. Rescue workers, relief workers, and emergency service personnel can also develop PTSD symptoms. Witnessing the injury or death of others can be sufficiently traumatic for PTSD to occur. Some research has even suggested that PTSD can occur in people who are exposed to trauma in the media.

Question 2

Identify the symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder (GAD), panic attacks, panic disorder, and explain how agoraphobia is related to panic disorder.

Answer 2

The answer should include the following information: GAD is an anxiety disorder characterized by excessive, global, and persistent symptoms of anxiety. It is also called free-floating anxiety. People with GAD are constantly tense and anxious, and their anxiety is pervasive. The textbook describes GAD as being like the dull ache of a sore tooth-a constant, ongoing sense of uneasiness, distress, and apprehension. This is different from a panic attack, which is a sudden episode of extreme anxiety that rapidly escalates in intensity. The panic is accompanied by an intense escalating surge of physical arousal or feelings of terror, and the belief that the person experiencing it is about to die, go crazy, or completely lose control. Panic attacks usually peak within 10 minutes of onset and then gradually subside. If a person has panic attacks frequently and unexpectedly, he or she might be suffering from panic disorder. In this disorder, the frequency of panic attacks is highly variable and unpredictable, so it is perhaps not surprising that some panic sufferers go on to develop agoraphobia. Agoraphobics have a pathological fear of suffering a panic attack or other embarrassing or incapacitating symptom in a place from which escape would be difficult or impossible.

Question 3

Teresa is a 51-year-old mother of three children. Since childhood, Teresa has had difficulties with controlling her emotions and behaviors. Beginning in her teenage years, Teresa started stealing from stores, friends, and family members. Often, the items had little or no monetary value or she had no need for them. For example, she once stole a lint brush from her aunt and boots that were three sizes too large from a co-worker. Friends and family have always been perplexed by Teresa's behavior, wondering why she would hurt and betray her loved ones over such insignificant items. What disorder does Teresa have, and what are the primary characteristics of this disorder?

Answer 3

The answer should include the following information: Teresa is suffering from a disruptive, impulse control disorder called kleptomania. Kleptomania is the recurrent failure to resist impulses to steal items that are not needed for personal use or for their monetary value.

Question 4

Joel has persistent and recurring complaints of bodily symptoms that are accompanied by abnormal thoughts, feelings, and behaviors. For instance, when Joel gets a headache, he panics, calls his wife, and tells her he has a brain tumor. After eating certain foods, Joel sometimes gets heartburn. On three occasions, he has gone to the hospital to make sure he wasn't having a heart attack. What disorder does Joel likely have? What clues suggest that Joel has this disorder?

Question 5

Describe the learning principles involved in the development of some phobias, including the role of biological preparedness. Include "real world" examples for each.

Question 6

Describe the triple vulnerabilities model and the catastrophic cognitions theory and explain how they account for the development of panic disorder.

Question 7

Discuss the prevalence of cigarette smoking among people with mental disorders, and summarize the key research findings showing a link between cigarette smoking and mental disorders.

Question 8

Phillip and Emily are siblings. According to research on the prevalence and course of major depressive disorder, which sibling is at greater risk for being diagnosed with a major depressive disorder, and why?

Question 9

How does pathological anxiety differ from normal feelings of anxiety?

Question 10

What symptoms characterize bipolar disorder?

Question 11

Explain why social and cultural factors must be considered in distinguishing normal behavior from abnormal behavior, and give an example.

Question 12

What was the National Comorbidity Survey Replication (NCS-R)? What did it reveal about past-year and lifetime occurrence of symptoms of any psychological disorders, and how do these rates compare to common perceptions about the prevalence of psychological disorders?

Question 13

What is obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and what are the most common types of obsessions and compulsions?

Question 14

Define major depressive disorder, persistent depressive disorder, and seasonal affective disorder (SAD), and describe the similarities and differences between these three disorders.

Question 15

Describe the most common categories of specific phobias, and provide at least two examples for each. Then, note the specific symptoms of social anxiety disorder and the cultural variation called taijin kyofusho.

Question 16

Describe the results of a survey of media portrayals of people with mental disorders, and discuss the accuracy of these portrayals.

Question 17

Compare and contrast the characteristics and possible causes of anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa.

Question 18

Identify two core symptoms of mood disorders (or affective disorders). How does a mood disorder differ from typical mood swings?

Question 19

What factors have been found to play a role in the development of depressive and bipolar disorders?

Question 20

Explain what the DSM-5 is, describe how it was developed, and list some of the major criticisms of the manual.

Question 21

List the symptoms of borderline personality disorder, and describe possible causes of the disorder, including reference to the biosocial developmental theory.

Question 22

What can a person do to help someone who expresses suicidal intentions?

Question 23

Describe the characteristics of dissociative identity disorder, and discuss the factors that have been implicated in its development. Why are many psychologists and other mental health professionals skeptical about the validity of this disorder?

Question 24

Describe the culture-based syndrome called hikkomori.

Question 25

Describe the behavior of a person with antisocial personality disorder. What is the difference between a sociopath and a psychopath?

Question 26

What forms can hallucinations take in the experience of schizophrenia, and what factors are thought to influence the content of the hallucinations?

Question 27

Describe the relationship between paternal age and the risk of producing offsprings who develop schizophrenia.

Question 28

What evidence is there to support, and to contradict, the dopamine hypothesis as an explanation of schizophrenia?

Question 29

Distinguish between the positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia, and give at least two examples of each.

Question 30

Marcus appears completely normal on the outside. He is well-dressed, clean, and seems upbeat and happy. However, Marcus has periods of time where he is confused about who he is. He will travel thousands of miles away from home and when asked to present his driver's license (such as when checking into a hotel), he seems confused about whose ID he has. In several instances, he has argued that he must have picked up the wrong wallet because the driver's license is not his. What disorder does Marcus likely have? Explain your answer.

Question 31

Describe the basic premise of the viral infection theory of schizophrenia, and summarize the research supporting it.

Question 32

Summarize the research by neuroscientist Paul Thompson and contrast the brain development of normal, healthy teenagers with that of adolescents who have early-onset schizophrenia.

Question 33

What is a personality disorder? Describe the symptoms, behaviors, and personality characteristics associated with the three conditions that are included in the odd, eccentric cluster of personality disorders.

Question 34

What kinds of themes are commonly present in delusional thinking?

Question 35

Describe the Finnish Adoptive Family Study of Schizophrenia and the implications of its findings.

Question 36

What evidence seems to support the role of genetic factors in the development of schizophrenia?