Psychological Disorder:

A psychological disorder is a condition characterized by abnormal thoughts,

emotions, or behaviors that cause significant distress or impairment in daily
functioning. These disorders often deviate from cultural norms and are classified
based on specific diagnostic criteria.

Classification of Psychological Disorders

1. Mood Disorders
 Disorders characterized by disturbances in mood.
o Examples:
 Major Depressive Disorder (MDD): Persistent sadness, loss of
interest, and other depressive symptoms.
 Bipolar Disorder: Alternating periods of mania and depression.
2. Anxiety Disorders
 Disorders involving excessive fear or anxiety.
o Examples:
 Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD): Chronic and excessive
worry about various aspects of life.
 Social Anxiety Disorder: Intense fear of social situations and
being judged.
3. Somatoform Disorders
 Disorders characterized by physical symptoms without a medical cause.
o Example:
 Somatization Disorder: Multiple, recurring physical complaints
across different organ systems.
4. Factitious Disorders
  Disorders involving intentional falsification of symptoms for psychological
gain.
o Example:
 Münchausen Syndrome: Deliberately fabricating illness to gain
attention or care.
5. Dissociative Disorders
 Disorders involving disruptions in memory, identity, or consciousness.
o Example:
 Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID): Presence of two or more
distinct identities or personality states.
6. Sexual and Gender Dysphoria
 Disorders related to sexual functioning or gender identity distress.
o Examples:
 Dyspareunia: Pain during intercourse.
 Gender Dysphoria: Distress due to incongruence between
one’s gender identity and assigned sex at birth.
7. Eating Disorders
 Disorders related to abnormal eating behaviors and concerns about body
weight.
o Examples:
 Anorexia Nervosa: Extreme food restriction leading to
significant weight loss.
 Bulimia Nervosa: Binge eating followed by compensatory
behaviors like purging.
8. Sleep Disorders
 Disorders affecting the quality, timing, or amount of sleep.
 o Example:
 Insomnia: Difficulty initiating or maintaining sleep.
9. Impulse Control Disorders (Not Elsewhere Classified)
 Disorders characterized by difficulty resisting harmful impulses.
o Example:
 Kleptomania: Recurrent failure to resist the urge to steal
objects.
10. Adjustment Disorders
 Disorders triggered by identifiable stressors, resulting in emotional or
behavioral symptoms.
o Example:
 Adjustment Disorder: Emotional distress or behavior changes
within three months of a stressor.
11. Personality Disorders
 Enduring patterns of behavior, cognition, and inner experience that deviate
significantly from cultural expectations.
o Clusters:
 Cluster A (Odd/Eccentric): Paranoid, Schizoid, Schizotypal
Personality Disorders.
 Cluster B (Dramatic/Emotional): Borderline, Narcissistic,
Histrionic, Antisocial Personality Disorders.
 Cluster C (Anxious/Fearful): Avoidant, Dependent, Obsessive-
Compulsive Personality Disorders.

Diagnosis of Psychological Disorder:

A psychological disorder is diagnosed by a mental health professional, such as a
psychologist or psychiatrist, who performs a psychological evaluation. The
evaluation includes a discussion about your symptoms, thoughts, feelings, and
behaviors. The professional may also ask about your family history and administer
tests.
Steps in the diagnosis process
1. Medical history
The professional will ask about your medical history and perform a physical
exam.
2. Psychological evaluation
The professional will ask questions about your thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.
3. Tests
The professional may administer tests, such as lab tests or intelligence tests.
4. Diagnosis
The professional will use the information gathered to diagnose your condition.

Tools used in the diagnosis process

 Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)
This manual is used by mental health professionals to diagnose mental health
conditions. It contains descriptions and symptoms of mental illnesses, as well as
diagnostic criteria.
 International Classification of Disease, 11th Revision (ICD-11)
This manual is used by the World Health Organization to diagnose mental health
conditions.
Anxiety Disorder:
What is an anxiety disorder?
An anxiety disorder is a type of mental health condition. If you have an anxiety
disorder, you may respond to certain things and situations with fear and dread.
You may also experience physical signs of anxiety, such as a pounding heart and
sweating.
Types of anxiety disorders:
 Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD): This condition causes fear, worry and
a constant feeling of being overwhelmed. It’s characterized by excessive,
frequent and unrealistic worry about everyday things, such as job
responsibilities, health or chores.
 Agoraphobia: This condition causes an intense fear of becoming
overwhelmed or unable to escape or get help. People with agoraphobia
often avoid new places and unfamiliar situations, like large, open areas or
enclosed spaces, crowds and places outside of their homes.
 Panic disorder: This condition involves multiple unexpected panic attacks. A
main feature of the condition is that the attacks usually happen without
warning and aren’t due to another mental health or physical condition.
Some people with panic disorder also have agoraphobia.
 Specific phobias: A phobia is when something causes you to feel fear or
anxiety that’s so severe it consistently and overwhelmingly disrupts your
life. There are hundreds of different types of phobias, and there’s one
diagnosis for almost all of them: specific phobia. Only one phobia,
agoraphobia, is a distinct diagnosis.
 Social anxiety disorder: This condition (formerly known as social phobia)
happens when you experience intense and ongoing fear of being judged
negatively and/or watched by others.

What are the symptoms of anxiety disorders?

Symptoms of anxiety disorders vary depending on the type.
Psychological symptoms may include:
 Feeling panic, fear, dread and uneasiness.
 Feeling on edge or irritable.
 Uncontrollable, obsessive thoughts.
 Difficulty concentrating.
Physical symptoms may include:
 Restlessness.
 Heart palpitations.
 Shortness of breath.
 Muscle tension.
 Cold or sweaty hands.
 Dry mouth.
 Nausea.
 Numbness or tingling in your hands or feet.
 Difficulty falling asleep or staying asleep (insomnia).

What causes anxiety disorders?

Like other types of mental health conditions, researchers don’t know exactly what
causes anxiety disorders. But they think a combination of factors plays a role:
 Chemical imbalances: Several neurotransmitters and hormones play a role
in anxiety, including norepinephrine, serotonin, dopamine and gamma-
aminobutyric acid (GABA). Imbalances in these chemicals can contribute to
an anxiety disorder.
 Brain changes: A part of your brain called the amygdala plays an important
role in managing fear and anxiety. Studies show that people with anxiety
disorders show increased amygdala activity in response to anxiety cues.
  Genetics: Anxiety disorders tend to run in biological families. This suggests
that genetics may play a role. You may be at an increased risk of developing
one if you have a first-degree relative (biological parent or sibling) with an
anxiety disorder.
 Environmental factors: Severe or long-lasting stress can change the balance
of neurotransmitters that control your mood. Experiencing a lot of stress
over a long period can contribute to an anxiety disorder. Experiencing a
traumatic event can also trigger anxiety disorders.

What is a mood disorder?

A mood disorder is a mental health condition that primarily affects your
emotional state. It’s a disorder in which you experience long periods of extreme
happiness, extreme sadness or both. Certain mood disorders involve other
persistent emotions, such as anger and irritability.

What are all the mood disorders?

Mood disorders include:
 Depression and its subtypes.
 Bipolar disorder and its subtypes.
 Premenstrual dysphoric disorder.
 Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder.

Depression:
Depression (major or clinical depression) is a common mental health condition.
Depressive symptoms include feeling sad or hopeless. The condition can also
cause difficulty with thinking, memory, eating and sleeping. For a person to
receive a diagnosis of clinical depression, symptoms must last for at least two
weeks.
Bipolar disorder
Bipolar disorder is a lifelong mood disorder and mental health condition that
causes intense shifts in mood, energy levels, thinking patterns and behavior.
There are a few types of bipolar disorder, which involve experiencing significant
fluctuations in mood referred to as hypomanic/manic and depressive episodes.
Premenstrual dysphoric disorder:
Premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD) is a much more severe form of
premenstrual syndrome (PMS). It may affect women who are able to get
pregnant.
Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder.
Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder (DMDD) is a mental health condition that
affects children and adolescents. It's characterized by frequent, intense temper
outbursts and chronic irritability.
What are the symptoms of mood disorders?
Each mood disorder has different symptoms and/or different patterns of
symptoms.
Mood disorders typically have symptoms that affect your mood, sleep, eating
behaviors, energy level and thinking abilities (such as racing thoughts or loss of
concentration).
In general, depressive symptoms include:
 Feeling sad most of the time or nearly every day.
 A lack of energy or feeling sluggish.
 Feeling worthless or hopeless.
 Loss of interest in activities that formerly brought enjoyment.
 Thoughts about death or suicide.
 Difficulty concentrating or focusing.
 Sleeping too much or not enough.
 Loss of appetite or overeating.
In general, symptoms of hypomanic or manic episodes include:
 Feeling extremely energized or elated.
 Rapid speech or movement.
 Agitation, restlessness or irritability.
 Risk-taking behavior, such as spending more money than usual or driving
recklessly.
 Racing thoughts.
 Insomnia or trouble sleeping.
What causes mood disorders?
Researchers believe several factors contribute to the development of mood
disorders, including:
 Biological factors: The brain areas responsible for controlling your feelings
and emotions are the amygdala and orbitofrontal cortex. People with mood
disorders have been shown to have an enlarged amygdala on brain imaging
tests.
 Genetic factors: People who have a strong family history of a mood
disorder are more likely to develop mood disorders, which shows that
mood disorders are likely partly genetic/inherited.
 Environmental factors: Stressful life changes, such as the death of a loved
one; chronic stress; traumatic events; and childhood abuse are major risk
factors for the development of a mood disorder later on in life, especially
depression. Depression has also been linked to chronic illnesses, such
as diabetes, Parkinson’s disease and heart disease.

Schizophrenia:
Schizophrenia is a serious mental health condition that affects how people think,
feel and behave. It may result in a mix of hallucinations, delusions, and
disorganized thinking and behavior. Hallucinations involve seeing things or
hearing voices that aren't observed by others.
What are the types of schizophrenia?
Psychiatrists once referred to different types of schizophrenia, like paranoid
schizophrenia and catatonic schizophrenia. But the types weren’t very useful in
diagnosing or treating schizophrenia. Instead, experts now view schizophrenia as
a spectrum of conditions, including:
 Schizotypal personality disorder (which also falls under the category
of personality disorders).
 Delusional disorder.
 Brief psychotic disorder.
 Schizophreniform disorder.
 Schizoaffective disorder.
  Other schizophrenia spectrum disorders (specified or unspecified). This
diagnosis allows healthcare providers to diagnose unusual variations of
schizophrenia.

What are the five symptoms of schizophrenia?

Many people with schizophrenia can’t recognize that they have symptoms of
schizophrenia. But those around you might. These are the five main symptoms of
schizophrenia
1. Delusions: These are false beliefs that you hold even when there’s plenty of
evidence that those beliefs are wrong. For example, you might think that
someone is controlling what you think, say or do.
2. Hallucinations: You still think you can see, hear, smell, touch or taste things
that don’t exist, like hearing voices.
3. Disorganized or incoherent speaking: You may have trouble organizing
your thoughts while speaking. This might look like trouble staying on topic,
or your thoughts might be so jumbled that people can’t understand you.
4. Disorganized or unusual movements: You might move differently than
people around you expect. For example, you may turn around a lot for no
clear reason, or you might not move much at all.
5. Negative symptoms: These refer to a reduction or loss of your ability to do
things as expected. For example, you might stop making facial expressions,
or speak with a flat, emotionless voice. Negative symptoms also include a
lack of motivation, especially when you don’t want to socialize or do things
you ordinarily enjoy.
What causes schizophrenia?
There’s no one single cause of schizophrenia. Experts suspect schizophrenia
happens for different reasons. The three main reasons include:

 Imbalances in chemical signals your brain uses for cell-to-cell

communication.
 Brain development problems before birth.
 Loss of connections between different areas of your brain.

How is schizophrenia diagnosed?

Your (or your loved one’s) healthcare provider can diagnose schizophrenia or its
related disorders based on a combination of questions they ask, the symptoms
you describe or by observing your actions. They’ll also ask questions to rule out
other potential causes of your symptoms. They then compare what they find to
the criteria required for a schizophrenia diagnosis.
According to the DSM-5, a schizophrenia diagnosis requires the following:
 At least two of the five main symptoms.
 You’ve had symptoms for at least one month.
 Your symptoms impact your ability to work or your relationships (friendly,
romantic, professional or otherwise).

How is schizophrenia treated?

Treating schizophrenia usually involves a combination of medication, therapy and self-

management techniques. These include:

 First- and second-generation antipsychotics. These medications, including

haloperidol (Haldol®), aripiprazole (Abilify®, Aristada®), olanzapine (Zyprexa®,
Lyablvi®, Symbyax® and quetiapine (Seroquel®), block how your brain uses certain
chemicals for cell-to-cell communication. But they can cause side effects like
drowsiness, weight gain and tremors, among others.
 Next-generation antipsychotics. The FDA recently approved xanomeline and trospium
chloride (Cobenfy™), which is a new type of antipsychotic that acts on cholinergic
receptors instead of dopamine receptors. In clinical trials, this new treatment reduced
symptoms of schizophrenia with a different side effect profile. Side effects include
nausea, stomach upset, urinary retention, increased heart rate and constipation.
 Psychotherapy. Talk therapy methods like cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT) can help
you cope with and manage your condition. Long-term therapy can also help with
secondary problems alongside schizophrenia, such as anxiety, depression or substance
use issues.
 Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). If other treatments don’t work, your provider may
recommend ECT. This treatment involves using an electrical current applied to your
scalp, which then stimulates certain parts of your brain. The stimulation causes a brief
seizure, which can help improve brain function if you have severe depression, agitation
and other problems. If you have ECT, you receive anesthesia. You’ll be asleep for this
procedure and won’t feel any pain.