Causes and Course of Mental Illness
T/F
Symptoms of mental illness are probably caused by chemicals in the brain
TRUE
What is it called when someone hears, sees, feels, tastes, or smells things that other people are not noticing?
hallucinations
can be auditory, visual, tactile, olfactory, gustatory, somatic
An individual with Bipolar Disorder goes through episodes of two very different moods. What are those moods?
Mania and depression
Schizoaffective Disorder = Schizophrenia Symptoms + what kind of symptoms?
Mood symptoms
"Everything seemed dark and negative. I spent a lot of time crying."
Depression - depressed mood and tearfulness
T/F
Mental illnesses usually develop between the ages of 20 and 45
TRUE
What is it called when someone holds a belief that other people generally do not hold?
delusions
What are the symptoms of depression?
Altered sleep, altered eating habits, low motivation, low energy, limited social engagement, tearfulness
T/F
To be diagnosed with schizoaffective disorder, someone needs to have episodes of both symptoms of mania and symptoms of depression.
False
"I had a really hard time trusting my family members, I was pretty sure that they were talking about me and planning ways to harm me."
T/F
Genetic factors do not play a role in mental illness.
FALSE
What are disorganized thoughts/speech?
When someone has a hard time communicating their thoughts due to atypical thought content. May look like someone who is jumping from topic to topic, having a hard time staying focused on one topic, or takes a long time to come back to the point.
What are symptoms of mania?
irritable mood, increased goal-directed activity, decreased need for sleep, distractibility, inflated self-esteem
What domains of functioning are likely to be impaired by someone experiencing symptoms of a serious mental illness?
occupational, social
"I felt on top of the world. I went on a shopping spree and ended up overdrafting all of my accounts."
Mania
What are some things that you may be asked about during a clinical interview?
family history of mental health, your history of mental health symptoms, how you are sleeping and eating, what your mood is like
persecutory
Jenny feels really sad one day and really excited and happy the next day. Does this information indicate that she likely has Bipolar Disorder?
No, would need more information.
T/F
Schizoaffective disorder can be treated with medication.
True. Although some symptoms may persist even with medication, it can also be helpful in allowing an individual to engage in other forms of treatment.
Hallucinations - visual
T/F
Neurotransmitters are hypothesized to influence an individuals symptoms.
TRUE
dopamine --> motivation, pleasure, feeling good
serotonin --> mood regulation
What are the symptoms that are more subtle in schizophrenia and may include things like low motivation, limited social interactions, or blunted affect?
negative symptoms
What are some of the examples of reckless things that an individual may do when experiencing an episode of mania?
spending a lot of money, going on impulsive vacations, engage in risky sexual behaviors
If an individual experiences symptoms like hallucinations, high energy, or recklessness when they are using substances, do they meet criteria for a disorder like Schizoaffective or Bipolar Disorder?
It depends. Additional information about their symptoms before/after substance use would be important to gather.
"I listened to a recording of myself that I had made during a time that I was trying to make a lot of plans for my future. I realized it was hard for me to understand what I was talking about because I was jumping from topic to topic so quickly."
Disorganized thoughts