Emotional Disabilities
Psychiatric DiagnosisAnd
Practical Applications
Linda ZimmermanProfessor, Psychology and Student
DevelopmentOakton Community College
What is Mental Illness?
Mental illness is a term that describes a broad range of mental and emotional conditions.
What is Mental Illness?
Mental illness also refers to one portion of the broader ADA term mental impairment, and is different from other covered mental impairments such as mental retardation, organic brain damage, and learning disabilities.
Psychiatric Disability The term ‘psychiatric
disability’ is used when mental illness significantly interferes with the performance of major life activities, for example:
Learning Thinking Communicating Sleeping others
Mental Illness
can experience a mental illness over many years.
type, intensity and duration of symptoms vary from person to person.
symptoms come and go and do not always follow a regular pattern
difficult to predict when symptoms will worsen, even if treatment recommendations are followed
Mental Illness
Although the symptoms of mental illness often can be controlled effectively through medication and/or psychotherapy, or may even go into remission, for some people the illness continues to cause periodic episodes that require treatment.
Support needed varies widely: 1. none2. occasional 3. Substantial4. ongoing support to maintain their
productivity
Most Common Forms of Mental Illness
Anxiety Disorders Depressive
Disorders Schizophrenia
Anxiety Disorders
the most common group of mental illnesses
characterized by severe fear or anxiety associated with particular objects and situations.
most people with anxiety disorders try to avoid exposure to the situation that causes anxiety
Panic Disorder
the sudden onset of paralyzing terror or impending doom with symptoms that closely resemble a heart attack
Phobias
Simple Phobias: excessive fear of particular objects
Social Phobias: situations that expose a person to the possible judgment of others
Agoraphobia: situations where escape might be difficult
Phobias – Fear of…
Acrophobia: Heights
Ophidiophobia: Snakes
Aerophobia: Flying Arachnophobia:
Spiders Ornithophobia:
Birds Agoraphobia: Open
spaces
Astraphobia: Lightning
Mikrophobia: Germs
Phonophobia: Speaking aloud
Brontophobia: Thunder
Trichophobia: Hair Anthropophobia:
People
Phobias – Fear of…
Gephyrophobia: Bridges
Herpetophobia: Reptiles
Ailurophobia: Cats Murophobia: Mice Pyrophobia: Fire Claustrophobia: Closed
spaces
Numerophobia: Numbers Thanatophobia: Death Anthophobia: Flowers Cynophobia: Dogs Nyctophobia: Darkness Aquaphobia: Water
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
1. Obsessions - persistent distressing thoughts
2. Compulsions - a person attempts to alleviate the distress of certain thoughts by performing repetitive, intentional actions such as hand washing
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
OCD – As Good as it Gets: Jack Nicholson
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wM_W8OcExo&NR=1
http://www.vh1.com/video/misc/503670/the-ocd-project-supertrailer.jhtml
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)
a psychological syndrome characterized by specific symptoms that result from exposure to terrifying, life-threatening trauma such as an act of violence, war, or a natural disaster
Anxiety Therapy Exercise Meditation Sleep Reduce caffeine Psychotherapy
– Behavioral therapy (extinction)– Cognitive therapy (change thinking)– Tranquilizers
New drug, D-cycloserine – increase learning receptors– Virtual reality sessions
Depressive Disorders Mood Disorders or Affective
DisordersSymptoms• changes in mood• Mania• Depression
Treatments• Medication• Psychotherapy• Electroconvulsive
Therapy (ECT)• Phototherapy
Depressive Disorders
Major depression - an extreme or prolonged episode of sadness in which a person loses interest or pleasure in previously enjoyed activities
Depressive Disordershttp://www.facetheissue.com/depressionmovie.html
Major depression – characteristicsDepressed moodHopeless, helplessLoss of interest, pleasureAppetite, weight changesSleeping problemsAgitationDecreased energyGuilt, worthless feelingsSuicidal thoughtsDelusions, hallucinationsPhysical aches and pains
Depressive Disorders
Bipolar Disorder alternating episodes of mania ("highs") and depression ("lows")
Depressive Disorders
Dysthymia - continuous low-grade symptoms of major depression and anxiety
Depressive Disorders
Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) - a form of major depression that occurs in the fall or winter and may be related to shortened periods of daylight
Dissociative Disorders
Dissociative Disorders conscious awareness
becomes separated (dissociated) from previous memories, thoughts, and feelings
Dissociative Disorders
Dissociative Identity Disorder rare dissociative disorder in which a
person exhibits two or more distinct and alternating personalities
formerly called multiple personality disorder
SchizophreniaHighly complex illnessDifficult to generalizeUndetermined if it is a single
disorder or a group of related illnesses
Symptoms generally develop between the ages of 15 and 25.
Characterized by thoughts that seem fragmented and difficulty processing information.
Schizophrenia Symptoms are categorized
as either "negative" or "positive."
-Negative symptoms include:
social isolation or withdrawal,
loss of motivationa flat or
inappropriate affect (mood or disposition).
-Positive symptoms include:
hallucinationsdelusionsthought disorder
Schizophrenia
Personality Disorders
Other diagnosis we will explore: Borderline Personality Disorder Narcissistic Personality Disorder Histrionic Personality Disorder
Borderline Personality Disorder (BPD
pervasive instability in mood impaired interpersonal
relationships changing self-image lack of personal boundaries The majority of people diagnosed
with this disorder appear to have been abused or traumatized during childhood
Some researchers believe that BPD is a name given to a particular manifestation of post-traumatic stress disorder
Narcissistic Personality Disorder
extreme self-admiration, self-centeredness and self-regard, superiority, exhibitionism, entitlement, vanity, authority, exploitiveness.
overestimation of personal abilities excessive need for admiration and affirmation
from others disregard for the feelings of others, lack of
empathy erratic behavior well-liked at first meeting, extroverted, perform
well in public mal-adaptive, rigid, persistent
Histrionic Personality Disorder
A pattern of excessive emotional expression and attention-seeking
An excessive need for approval Inappropriate seductiveness Lively, dramatic, enthusiastic, flirtatious Express strong emotions, dramatic Easily influenced by others, easily bored More frequently diagnosed in women May affect social or romantic relationships Great difficulty coping with loss or failure Crave novelty and excitement thus get into risky
situations High risk of developing depression
Autistic Disorder and Asperger’s Syndrome
Autistic Disorder
Autistic Disorder Delays or abnormal functioning
observed prior to 3 years. Cognitive impairment Problems:
social interactionlanguage in social
communicationsymbolic or imaginative
play
Asperger’s Syndrome
Asperger’s Syndrome No clinically significant developmental
delay Eccentric behavior in childhood Impairments in two-sided social interaction Impairments in non-verbal communication Peculiar inflections and repetitions in
speech Gross motor clumsiness Often have a circumscribed area of interest
that leaves little room for more age appropriate, common interests: cars, trains, door knobs, hinges, meteorology, etc.
Asperger’s Syndrome
http://pediatricneurology.com/autism.htm
The speech of a 13 year old girl with Asperger’s
No clinically significant delay in cognitive intelligence
Tourette Syndrome
Inherited neurological disorder Genetic combined with environmental factors
considered causal Onset in childhood Multiple physical (motor) tics and at least
one vocal (phonic) tic Tics wax and wane Coprolalia – exclamation of obscene or
derogatory remarks – only present in a small minority.
Tourette Syndrome
Mild in most cases Often misidentified Incidence may be as high as one in 100
people, up to 530,000 U.S. school-age children may have it.
Exact causes are unknown Most are aware of an urge when they have
a tic No such thing as a typical case Often accompanied by OCD and/or ADHD.
Eating Disorders http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R
RseSpdGC2s Major Eating disorders:
– Anorexia nervosa characterized by refusal to maintain a healthy body weight and an obsessive fear of gaining weight.
– Bulimia nervosa restraining of food intake for a period of time followed by an over intake or binging period that results in feelings of guilt and low self-esteem.
ADHD
six (or more) of the following symptoms of inattention have persisted for at least six months to a degree that is maladaptive and inconsistent with developmental level:
Diagnostic criteria for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivi
ty Disorder
Often: fails to give close attention
to details or makes careless mistakes in schoolwork, work, or other activities
has difficulty sustaining attention in tasks or play activities
Celebrity ADHD
Diagnostic criteria for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity
Disorder does not seem to listen
when spoken to directly does not follow through
on instructions and fails to finish: school work
chores duties in the workplace
Diagnostic criteria for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity
DisorderOften:
has difficulty organizing tasks and activities
avoids, dislikes, or is reluctant to engage in tasks that require sustained mental effort (such as schoolwork or homework)
Diagnostic criteria for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity
Disorder
loses things necessary for tasks or activities (e.g., school assignments, pencils, books, tools, files, notes, keys, glasses)
easily distracted by extraneous stimuli
forgetful in daily activities
Often:
Diagnostic criteria for Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity
DisorderAnd/or:hyperactivity-impulsivity: six (or more) of the
following symptoms of hyperactivity-impulsivity have persisted for at least 6 months to a degree that is maladaptive and inconsistent with developmental level:
Hyperactivity
Often:
(1) fidgets or squirms (2) leaves seat in situations in which remaining seated is expected (3) moves excessively in situations in which it is inappropriate (in adolescents or adults, may be limited to subjective feelings of restlessness)
Hyperactivity
(4) has difficulty engaging in leisure activities quietly or alone(5) "on the go" or often acts as if "driven by a motor" (6) talks excessively
Often:
Myths About Mental Illness
People choose to have mental illness.
It reflects moral weakness.A person can “snap out of it.”Nothing will help.The person cannot succeed in
work or school.
Basic Statistics about Mental Illness
Mental illnesses are treatable Lack of treatment can lead to
suicide. 1 in 5 people will experience mental
illness in their lifetime. Depressive disorders occur in 8% of
the population Schizophrenia occurs in 2% of the
population
InternationalPsychological
Disorders
American Psychological Disorders, 2008
Suicide Risk Factors Varies by gender, age, and marital status
– easy accessibility to firearms– mood disorders– substance abuse– feelings of loneliness and hopelessness – previous suicide attempts
under age 30 – interpersonal loss; – poor social adjustment; and – problems surrounding love relationships, dating,
and friends College Undergraduates
– Rejection by a potential partner – loss of a romantic relationship