Current Diagnostic Systems
What does the current medical model argue?
Mental health suffering has an underlying biological cause; Treatment should be biologically focused since there is a biological cause
Why is effective diagnosis so complex?
It involves asking a variety of questions using different formats
Would an observable rapid physiological response (e.g., fight, flight, freeze, fawn) be considered fear or anxiety?
Fear
List 3 symptoms of GAD
According to the ICD-11:
General apprehensiveness that is not restricted to any particular environmental circumstance; excessive worry about events occurring in several different aspects of everyday life; irritability; sleep disturbances; difficulty concentrating; muscle tension, etc.
List 2 pros and 2 cons of the ICD-11.
Pros: International, most widely used for insurance codes, free/open source
Cons: Needs more integration with research, fewer "categorical" diagnoses, still contains considerable symptom overlap
What questions might you ask a client to get a better understanding of how to diagnose them?
How long have you been experiencing symptoms? When did they start occurring? Have any big/upsetting life events occurred recently? Have you been experiencing any other symptoms (loss of sleep, headaches, etc.)?
Is this an example of fear or anxiety:
Some physiological responses; tend to be more chronic and prolonged (e.g., GI issues, muscle tension, headaches)
Anxiety
List 2 common comorbidities or challenges related to GAD
Major depressive disorder, insomnia/sleep problems, cardiac and gastrointestinal problems, headaches/migraines, other anxiety disorders, perfectionism, neuroticism, behavioral inhibition
List 2 pros and 2 cons of the DSM-V.
Pros: Popular, common language, well known, has facilitated development of diagnostically specific treatments
Cons: US-centric/biased, slow to change, developed by committee, expensive
What are common myths of mental illness?
Mental illness is caused by demonic possession, Godly punishment, bad blood. PTSD only happens to soldiers. There is no treatment/cure to mental health suffering. Bipolar individuals are just moody, etc.
What is the 1 common physiological symptom of anxiety disorders?
Physiological arousal (fight, flight, freeze, and fawn)
List 2 treatment options for GAD
Medication (SSRIs, SNRIs, antiepileptics, antipsychotics, benzodiazepines); Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT), mindfulness based stress reduction techniques, lifestyle changes
List 1 pro and 1 con of the continuous approach
Pros: Aligns more closely with patients' experiences, may be more validating, captures more nuances
Cons: Still assumes there are distinct categories of disorders, harder to measure
List 2 methods of assessment that might be used to diagnose a patient.
Self-report, structured or semi-structured interviews, questionnaires, observations, formal psychological testing, supportive evidence from parents, partners, or peers
List 1 common cognitive symptom of anxiety disorders
Ambiguous situations perceived as threatening (intolerance of uncertainty); focus excessive cognitive attention on perceived threats (e.g., worry)
List 2 factors that contribute to the etiology/development of GAD
Possible genetic component (but still unclear); increased threat perception, cognitive and emotional hyperactivity; environmental interaction particularly with childhood trauma, environmental adversity, and stressful life events
List 1 pro and 1 con of the transdiagnostic approach
Pros: Strong evidence base, effective, easy to train providers, organized, allows for consistency of care
Cons: May feel invalidating to patients, may not align with all theoretical orientations, chef vs. cook arguments
List the four criteria for a behavior to be considered "abnormal" or "disordered".
The behavior deviates from cultural norms, is maladaptive, distressing/threatening, and causes discomfort or concerns in others.
According to the ICD-11, how long must an individual demonstrate symptoms of anxiety to be diagnosed with generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)?
Their symptoms must persist for at least several months, more days than not.
List 2 populations that have higher prevalence rates of GAD
Women, young adults (aged 18-29), and non-Hispanic white individuals