AP Psychology AMSCO Guided Notes

5.4: Selection of Categories of Psychological Disorders

AP Psychology
AMSCO Guided Notes

AP Psychology Guided Notes

AMSCO 5.4 - Selection of Categories of Psychological Disorders

Essential Questions

  1. What are the symptoms and possible causes of psychological disorders?
I. Topic 5.4 Selection of Categories of Psychological Disorders

1. What is the purpose of the DSM-5 and how do psychologists use it to diagnose psychological disorders?

2. How can diagnostic labels in mental health be both beneficial and problematic?

3. What is comorbidity and why does it complicate diagnosis and treatment planning?

II. Neurodevelopmental Disorders

1. What are neurodevelopmental disorders and when do they typically begin?

2. How do symptoms of neurodevelopmental disorders vary in specificity and scope?

A. Attention Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder

1. What are the key symptoms of ADHD and how do they affect daily functioning?

2. Why is diagnosing ADHD contentious and what must be observed to confirm a diagnosis?

B. Autism Spectrum Disorder

1. What are the main challenges individuals with autism face in social communication and interaction?

2. What behaviors and sensory sensitivities are associated with autism spectrum disorder?

C. Possible Causes of Neurodevelopmental Disorders

1. What genetic and environmental factors contribute to the development of ADHD?

2. How do prenatal factors and parental age influence the risk of developing autism spectrum disorder?

III. Schizophrenic Spectrum Disorders

1. What is psychosis and what is the typical age of onset for schizophrenia?

2. What does the 'rule of quarters' describe about the long-term outcomes for people with schizophrenia?

A. Symptoms of Schizophrenia

1. How are positive and negative symptoms of schizophrenia defined and what are examples of each?

2. What are delusions and what types of delusions are associated with schizophrenia?

3. What are hallucinations and why is the auditory hallucination the most common type in schizophrenia?

4. How does disorganized thinking manifest in speech and what are clang association and word salad?

5. What is catatonia and how does it differ between its positive and negative manifestations?

6. What is flat affect and avolition and how do they represent negative symptoms of schizophrenia?

B. Possible Causes of Schizophrenia

1. What is the dopamine hypothesis and what neurological features are associated with schizophrenia?

2. What prenatal and genetic factors increase the risk of developing schizophrenia?

IV. Depressive Disorders

1. What are the most common features of depressive disorders?

A. Major Depressive Disorder

1. What are the key symptoms of major depressive disorder and what diagnostic criteria must be met?

2. How do genetic and environmental factors contribute to the development of major depressive disorder?

B. Persistent Depressive Disorder

1. How does persistent depressive disorder differ from major depressive disorder in duration and severity?

C. Possible Causes of Depressive Disorders

1. What neurological factors and neurotransmitter deficits are involved in depressive disorders?

2. How do social, cultural, and socioeconomic factors contribute to the development of depression?

3. What is the negative cognitive triad and how do maladaptive schemas perpetuate depressive thinking?

4. What stressful life events and circumstances can trigger the onset of depressive disorders?

V. Bipolar Disorders

1. How do bipolar disorders differ from depressive disorders in terms of mood episodes and symptomatology?

2. What is mania and how does it affect functioning and behavior?

3. What is the difference between bipolar I and bipolar II disorders?

4. What is hypomania and how does it differ from a full manic episode?

A. Possible Causes of Bipolar Disorders

1. What biological and genetic factors contribute to the development of bipolar disorders?

2. How do social, cultural, behavioral, and cognitive factors influence bipolar disorder onset and course?

VI. Anxiety Disorders

1. What distinguishes an anxiety disorder from normal anxiety or nervousness?

A. Specific Phobia Disorder

1. What is a specific phobia and how does it affect a person's behavior and functioning?

B. Agoraphobia

1. What is agoraphobia and how is it related to panic attacks?

C. Panic Disorder

1. What is a panic attack and what physical and psychological symptoms are associated with panic disorder?

D. Culture-Bound Anxiety Disorders

1. What is ataque de nervios and in which populations is it prevalent?

2. What is taijin kyofusho and how does it differ from other social anxiety disorders?

E. Social Anxiety Disorder

1. What is social anxiety disorder and what situations do people with this disorder typically avoid?

F. Generalized Anxiety Disorder

1. What are the defining characteristics and symptoms of generalized anxiety disorder?

G. Possible Causes of Anxiety Disorders

1. How do learned associations and conditioning contribute to the development of anxiety disorders?

2. What cognitive distortions and maladaptive thinking patterns are associated with anxiety disorders?

3. What genetic and neurobiological factors predispose individuals to anxiety disorders?

VII. Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders

1. What distinguishes obsessive-compulsive disorder from normal compulsive habits?

2. What is the relationship between obsessions and compulsions in OCD?

A. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

1. What are obsessions and compulsions and how do they reinforce each other in the OCD cycle?

2. What are examples of different types of OCD and how do they affect daily functioning?

B. Hoarding Disorder

1. What is hoarding disorder and how does it differ from normal collecting or organizing behaviors?

C. Possible Causes of Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders

1. How do learned behaviors and repeated actions contribute to the development of OCD?

2. What cognitive patterns and emotional factors are associated with OCD?

3. What biological, genetic, and neurochemical factors play a role in OCD development?

VIII. Dissociative Disorders

1. What are dissociative disorders and what aspects of mental functioning can be affected?

2. How do dissociative disorders function as a coping mechanism for trauma?

A. Dissociative Amnesia

1. What is dissociative amnesia and what types of memory loss are associated with it?

2. What is dissociative amnesia with fugue and how does it differ from other forms of amnesia?

B. Dissociative Identity Disorder

1. What is dissociative identity disorder and how do the different alters function?

2. What evidence suggests that different alters in DID have distinct brain functioning?

3. Why is DID diagnosis concentrated in Western cultures and what does this suggest about the disorder?

C. Possible Causes of Dissociative Disorders

1. What role does severe psychological trauma play in the development of dissociative disorders?

2. How do early attachment disruptions and personality traits contribute to dissociative symptoms?

IX. Trauma and Stressor-Related Disorders

1. What types of traumatic events can lead to trauma and stressor-related disorders?

A. Posttraumatic Stress Disorder

1. What are the key symptoms of PTSD and when do they typically develop after a traumatic event?

2. How do environmental triggers affect individuals with PTSD?

3. Why do some people develop PTSD after trauma while others do not?

B. Possible Causes of Trauma and Stressor-Related Disorders

1. What individual and psychological factors increase susceptibility to trauma-related disorders?

X. Feeding and Eating Disorders

1. What characterizes feeding and eating disorders and what are the most common types?

A. Anorexia Nervosa

1. What are the key symptoms and psychological features of anorexia nervosa?

2. What are the medical complications and health risks associated with anorexia?

B. Bulimia Nervosa

1. What is the binge-purge cycle and what compensatory behaviors are used in bulimia?

2. What cognitive distortions and emotional factors are associated with bulimia nervosa?

C. Possible Causes of Feeding and Eating Disorders

1. What biological and genetic factors contribute to the development of eating disorders?

2. How do social and cultural influences, particularly media and beauty standards, affect eating disorders?

3. What behavioral and cognitive factors increase the risk of developing eating disorders?

XI. Personality Disorders

1. What are personality disorders and what five characteristics are associated with them?

2. How are personality disorders grouped into clusters and what distinguishes each cluster?

A. Cluster A: "Odd, Suspicious, and Eccentric"

1. What are the key features of paranoid personality disorder and how does it differ from paranoid schizophrenia?

2. What are the characteristics of schizoid personality disorder?

3. What are the defining features of schizotypal personality disorder?

B. Cluster B: "Dramatic, Emotional, Erratic"

1. What are the key characteristics of antisocial personality disorder and what biological factors contribute to it?

2. What are the defining features of histrionic personality disorder?

3. What are the characteristics of narcissistic personality disorder?

4. What are the key features of borderline personality disorder?

C. Cluster C: "Anxious and Fearful"

1. What are the characteristics of avoidant personality disorder?

2. What are the defining features of dependent personality disorder?

3. What is obsessive-compulsive personality disorder and how does it differ from OCD?

D. Possible Causes of Personality Disorders

1. What biological and genetic factors contribute to the development of personality disorders?

2. How do social, cultural, behavioral, and cognitive factors influence personality disorder development?

Key Terms

acrophobia

agoraphobia

anorexia nervosa

antisocial personality disorder (APD)

arachnophobia

ataque de nervios (ADN)

attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD)

autism spectrum disorder (ASD)

avoidant personality disorder

bipolar I

bipolar II

bipolor disorder

borderline personality disorder

bulimia nervosa

catatonia

catatonic stupor

compulsion

delusion

dependent personality disorder

depressive disorder

developmental period

dissociative amnesia

dissociative amnesia with fugue

dissociative disorder

dissociative identity disorder (DID)

dopamine hypothesis

eating disorder

flat affect

generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)

hallucination

histrionic personality disorder

hoarding disorder

hypomania

learned association

major depressive disorder

mania

narcissistic personality disorder

negative symptom

neurodevelopmental disorder

obsession

obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)

obsessive-compulsive personality disorder

panic attack

panic disorder

paranoid personality disorder

persistent depressive disorder

personality disorders

phobia

posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD)

psychosis

psychotic disorder

schizoid personality disorder

schizophrenia

schizophrenic spectrum disorder

schizotypal personality disorder

social anxiety disorder

specific phobia disorder

taijin kyofusho (TKS)

word salad