Unit 5 covers psychological disorders and treatments — and the FRQ frequently presents a person with symptoms and asks you to identify the disorder and recommend a treatment. Know the key symptoms of each major disorder AND which therapy type is most supported by evidence for it.
Major Psychological Disorders
Major Depressive Disorder — persistent sad mood, anhedonia (loss of interest/pleasure), fatigue, sleep changes, hopelessness, for ≥2 weeks; biological (low serotonin/dopamine), cognitive (Beck's negative triad: self, world, future), and social triggers. Bipolar Disorder — alternates between depressive episodes and manic episodes (elevated mood, reduced sleep need, grandiosity, impulsivity). Schizophrenia — positive symptoms (hallucinations, delusions, disorganized speech — things added to behavior); negative symptoms (flat affect, alogia, avolition — things removed from behavior); linked to excess dopamine; brain abnormalities. Anxiety Disorders: Generalized Anxiety Disorder (excessive worry about many things), Panic Disorder (sudden intense fear episodes), Specific Phobia, Social Anxiety Disorder. OCD — obsessions (intrusive thoughts) + compulsions (repetitive behaviors to reduce anxiety); now in its own DSM-5 category. PTSD — after trauma: flashbacks, hyperarousal, avoidance, negative thoughts. Dissociative Identity Disorder — two or more distinct identity states. Somatic Symptom Disorder — physical symptoms without medical cause.
Therapy Types
Psychoanalytic/Psychodynamic (Freud) — uncover unconscious conflicts; free association, dream analysis, transference; long-term; limited empirical support. Humanistic (Rogers) — client-centered; unconditional positive regard, empathy, genuineness; goal = self-actualization; non-directive. Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) — identify and restructure distorted thinking (cognitive) + behavior modification; most evidence-based; exposure therapy for phobias and PTSD; cognitive restructuring for depression. Behavior therapy — systematic desensitization (gradual exposure + relaxation for phobias), token economies (operant conditioning in institutional settings), aversion therapy. Group therapy — social support, cost-effective. Biomedical: Antidepressants (SSRIs for depression/anxiety), antipsychotics (dopamine blockers for schizophrenia), mood stabilizers (lithium for bipolar), anti-anxiety (benzodiazepines for short-term). ECT (electroconvulsive therapy) — for severe depression unresponsive to medication; effective but mechanism unclear.
Stress and Health
General Adaptation Syndrome (Selye) — alarm (fight/flight activates), resistance (body copes), exhaustion (resources depleted → illness). Psychoneuroimmunology — stress suppresses immune system (cortisol). Type A behavior — competitive, time-pressured, hostile → higher heart disease risk. Coping: Problem-focused (addressing the stressor directly) vs. emotion-focused (managing emotional response — exercise, social support, reframing).
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