What you'll learn
Stress and health, psychological disorders, and their treatment.
Stress & health
Stressors trigger the body's response (sympathetic arousal; Selye's general adaptation syndrome). Chronic stress harms health; coping (problem- vs emotion-focused) and social support help.
Defining disorders
Behavior that is maladaptive, distressing, deviant, or dysfunctional. Classified via the DSM-5. The biopsychosocial model explains causes.
Major categories
- Anxiety (generalized, phobias, panic), OCD, PTSD.
- Depressive and bipolar disorders.
- Schizophrenia (positive symptoms: hallucinations/delusions; negative: flat affect).
- Others: dissociative, personality (e.g. antisocial), neurodevelopmental.
Treatment
- Psychotherapies: psychodynamic, cognitive (challenging distorted thoughts), behavioral (conditioning, exposure), humanistic (client-centered), and cognitive-behavioral (CBT).
- Biomedical: drugs (antidepressants, antipsychotics, anxiolytics), and others.
- The biopsychosocial approach often combines methods.
Exam tips
- Match a therapy to its theoretical perspective.
- Distinguish positive vs negative symptoms of schizophrenia.
Common mistakes
- Confusing therapy types (CBT vs psychodynamic).
- Treating any unusual behavior as a 'disorder' without the criteria.