Intro to Psychology: Disorders & Treatments Cheat Sheet

This cheat sheet summarizes key concepts in abnormal psychology, covering definitions of abnormal behavior, theoretical approaches, diagnostic tools, various disorder categories, and therapeutic interventions.

Core Principles

Abnormal behavior is defined by deviance from norms, maladaptive functioning, and personal distress.
Disorders are understood through biological, psychological, and sociocultural lenses, often integrated in the biopsychosocial model.
The DSM is a classification tool but faces criticisms regarding bias and overdiagnosis.
Disorders like ASD, ADHD, anxiety, mood disorders, schizophrenia, and personality disorders have distinct symptom profiles.
Therapies include psychodynamic, humanistic, behavioral, cognitive, integrative (like DBT), and biological approaches.
The therapeutic alliance is crucial for treatment effectiveness.
Evidence-based practice guides treatment decisions.
Cultural competence and humility are vital for effective therapy.

Key Terms

Deviance: Behavior that violates social norms.
Maladaptive: Behavior that interferes with daily functioning.
Personal Distress: Individual experiences suffering.
Biopsychosocial Model: Integrates biological, psychological, and sociocultural approaches to disorders.
DSM: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders; used to classify and diagnose psychological disorders.
Theory of Mind: The ability to understand others' perspectives; deficits are linked to ASD.
Negative Reinforcement: Behavior that reduces anxiety is repeated (e.g., compulsions in OCD).
Positive Symptoms (Schizophrenia): Added behaviors like hallucinations and delusions.
Negative Symptoms (Schizophrenia): Missing behaviors like flat affect and social withdrawal.
Transference: Client projects feelings onto therapist in psychodynamic therapy.
Unconditional Positive Regard: Acceptance and support from therapist regardless of client's feelings/behaviors (Humanistic therapy).
Cognitive Distortions: Irrational thought patterns (e.g., overgeneralization, catastrophizing).
DBT: Dialectical Behavior Therapy; integrates CBT with mindfulness for emotion regulation.
Therapeutic Alliance: Trust and collaboration between client and therapist.
Cultural Competence: Ability to interact effectively with people from different cultures.

Timeline

Ancient Times: Abnormal behavior often attributed to supernatural causes or demonic possession.
Middle Ages: Continued supernatural explanations; rise of asylums, often with poor conditions.
17th-18th Centuries: Enlightenment thinkers like Pinel advocated for more humane treatment; early biological explanations emerge.
19th Century: Development of asylums as places for care; rise of the medical model; Kraepelin categorizes mental illnesses.
Early 20th Century: Psychoanalytic theory (Freud) gains prominence; behavioral approaches emerge.
Mid-20th Century: Humanistic psychology arises; cognitive revolution begins; development of psychotropic medications.
Late 20th Century - Present: DSM-III published (1980), standardizing diagnosis; rise of evidence-based practice; increased focus on neuroscience and cultural factors.