Major Depressive Disorder : two or more weeks during which a person is over- whelmed by feelings of sadness, apathy, worthlessness and guilt.

Mania : state in which a person is overly excited, hyperactive, and optimistic. Bipolar Disorder : the person alternates between periods of depression & mania.

Explaining Affective Disorders
Biological Model:

     Genetics—runs in families, higher concordance rate in identical than fraternal twins.

     Biochemical----serotonin &
norepinephrine levels in the brain are low during periods of depression & high during periods of mania.

Behavioral Model:

     operant conditioning—reinforcement

     learned helplessness (Seligman)
Cognitive Model:

     negative & irrational attributions—
     explain bad events in terms that are
     stable, global, and internal (Beck)

Depression’s vicious cycle: stress--> negative explanations-->depressed mood-->cognitive
& behavioral changes-->stress

Personality Disorders

A person exhibits inflexible & maladaptive ways of thinking and behaving that impair social functioning.

Schizoid : withdrawn, lacks feelings for others.

Paranoid : inappropriately suspicious and mistrustful of others.

Narcissistic : exaggerated sense of self- importance & need for constant attention. Antisocial : violent, criminal, or unethical behavior due to lack of conscious.
Borderline : instability in mood, self-image, & personal relationships. Self-mutilation,
impulsiveness, sexual promiscuity,

substance abuse, “splitting”, & suicidal threats

Schizophrenic Disorders
Disturbances in thought, communication, emotions, & perceptions. May include:

     Hallucinations: false sensory perceptions

     Delusions: false beliefs about reality
Positive Symptoms : incoherent speech,

hallucinations, delusions, “strange”

behavior

Negative Symptoms : motionlessness, stupor, lack of emotion (flat affect)

Schizophrenic Subtypes
Disorganized : bizarre speech & behavior— Flat or inappropriate affect.
Catatonic : disturbed motor behavior— immobility or excessive movement. Mimicking of others’ speech & movements or “waxy flexibility”.

Paranoid : excessive suspiciousness & complex, bizarre delusions.
Undifferentiated : symptoms from more than one of the above categories.

Development of Schizophrenia
Acute (reactive) : Sudden onset—best prognosis.

Chronic (process) : Slower development over a long period of time—worse prognosis

Explaining Schizophrenia

Brain anatomy:
      large ventricles & shrinkage of
      cerebral tissue

Genetics:
      more common in people with a close
      relative who has the disorder (e.g., 50%
      concordance in identical twins, 16% in
      fraternal twins.

Prenatal virus: (still under study)

Biochemical: too many dopamine

receptors in the brain.
 
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