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Schizophrenia
A complex disorder with psychosis as its core diagnostic symptom.
Schizophrenia Spectrum
Set of psychotic disorders that share similarities with Schizophrenia but are not as severe of persistent.
Positive Symptoms
1. Delusions
Are ideas that an individual believes are true but are highly unlikely and often impossible.
Types:
Persecutory delusions
Delusion of reference
Somatic delusions
Grandiose delusions
Delusions of being controlled
2. Hallucinations
Unreal perceptual experiences which tend to be more frequent, persistent, complex, and sometimes more bizarre and
often entwined with delusions.
Types:
Auditory hallucination
Visual hallucination
Tactile hallucination
Somatic hallucination
Asian culture: Common hallucinatory experience is ghost.
Puerto Rican: Images of saints and virgins in the house, and images of Jesus.
3. Disorganized Thought and Speech
Loose association or Derailment ─ Seemingly unrelated topic with little coherent transition.
Word Salad ─ Totally incoherent.
Neologism ─ The person may make up words that mean something only to him or her.
Clangs ─ Make association of words based on sounds.
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4. Disorganized or Catatonic Behavior
Display unpredictable and apparently untriggered agitation, shouting, swearing, and pacing rapidly.
This may occur as a response to hallucinations or delusions.
Catatonia ─ Disorganized behavior that reflects unresponsiveness to the environment
Negativism ─ Showing rigid and inappropriate posture to complete lack of response.
Negative Symptoms
Restricted Affect ─ Severe reduction or absence of emotional response/expression.
They may avoid contact.
Avolition ─ Inability to initiate or persist common, goal-oriented activities. The person is unmotivated and physically slowed
down.
Asociality ─ The lack of desire to interact with others.
Makes recovery difficult.
Cognitive Deficits
Basic cognitive functions: Attention, Memory, and Processing Speed.
Phases
Prodromal Symptom
Before the acute or active phase.
Predominantly negative symptoms.
Residual Symptom
After the acute phase, they may be withdrawn and uninterested in others.
Prognosis
Life expectancy is shorter by 10 years.
It’s the most severe and debilitating mental disorder.
10 to 15% commits suicide.
Research shows 41% of these cases had complete recovery lasting for 1 year.
Sociocultural Factors
In underdeveloped countries, Schizophrenia is less debilitating because of social environment which facilitates adaptation an d
recovery.
They also have broader and closer family systems surrounding the client.
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Less hostility and criticism in underdeveloped countries.
Developed countries resort to putting the client in mental seclusion.
Biological Theories
Genetic transmission.
Structural and functional abnormalities in specific areas of the brain.
History of birth complications or prenatal exposure to viruses which affect brain development.
Neurotransmitter Theories: Excess level of dopamine, serotonin, GABA, and glutamate.
A. Structural Abnormalities
Gross reduction in the gray matter in the cortex.
Abnormal activity in prefrontal area (language, emotion, and expression). This is also connected to the limbic system
responsible for cognition and emotion, and to basal ganglia involved in motor movement; thus, the symptoms.
Abnormal hippocampus responsible for information stored in the memory.
Enlarged ventricles – Atrophy and deterioration in other brain tissue; they are less responsive to medication.
B. Birth Complications
Perinatal hypoxia.
History of obstetrical difficulties.
Prenatal viral infection: Influenza, especially those exposed on the 2nd trimester.
Those exposed to herpes simplex virus.
Adoption Studies
Increases the risk of Schizophrenia due to stressful environment; exposure to illogical thought, mood swings, and chaotic
behavior.
C. Neurotransmitters
Dopamine Theory
Supported by neuroleptics.
Drugs that increase dopamine (amphetamines).
Neuroimaging Studies: More dopamine in areas of the brain.
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Different types of dopamine receptors and different levels in the various areas of the brain are accountable for the
symptoms of Schizophrenia.
Serotonin neurons regulate dopamine neurons in the mesolimbic system.
Interaction plays an important role in Schizophrenia.
Abnormal levels of GABA and glutamate neurotransmitters.
This contributed to the cognitive and emotional symptoms.
Psychosocial Perspectives
Social Drift and Urban Birth
Chronically stressful circumstances.
Symptoms interfere with the person’s ability to complete education and hold a job.
Urban birth – Overcrowding that exposes the mother to infectious disease (Flu, Herpes, Measles, etc.) .
Stress and Relapse
This does not cause Schizophrenia but triggers episode for people with disorder.
Negative life events precede relapse (break up, loss of job, etc.) – social withdrawal.
Psychodynamics theory
Blames the Schizophrenogenic mother: Overprotective/rejecting moms.
Communicating conflicting messages = Child cannot trust feelings or perception thus develops distorted views about self.
Expressed Emotions
Low warmth and high criticism.
This creates stress for persons with Schizophrenia that overwhelms their ability to cope thus triggers episodes of psychosis.
Treatment
Biological Treatment
Insulin Coma Therapy
Electroconvulsive Therapy
Psychopharmacology
A. Typical Antipsychotics
• Dopamine Antagonists – Target the positive signs of Schizophrenia i.e. delusions, hallucinations, disturbed thinking,
and other psychotic symptoms but have no observable effect on the negative signs.
◦ Ex. Haloperidol (Haldol)
Chlorpromazine (Thorazine)
Levomepromazine (Nozinan)
◦ Side effects: Grogginess, dry mouth, blurred vision, drooling, sexual dysfunction, visual disturbances, menstrual
irregularities, and depression.
◦ Akinesia – Slowed motor activity, monotonous speech, and expressionless face.
◦ Pseudoparkinsonism – Freezing of facial muscles, tremors, and spasm in extremities.
◦ Akathesia – Agitation that causes the people to pace and unable to sit still.
◦ Tardive Dyskinesia – A neurological disorder that involves involuntary movements of the tongue, face, mouth, or
jaw; irreversible.
B. Atypical Antipsychotics
• More effective treatment because of lesser side effects.
• Treat also negative symptoms.
• Side effect:
◦ Agranulocytosis – Deficiency of granulocytes substance that fight infection.
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Psychological and Social Treatments
Help the client understand their disorder, appreciate the need to remain in their mediation, and cope more effectively with
the side effects of medication.
Behavioral Treatment
The use of operant conditioning and modeling.
To teach the client skills such as initiating and maintaining conversation with others.
Asking for information and help from physicians.
Persisting in an activity such as cleaning or cooking.
Family is taught to ignore symptoms (bizarre comments), and instead reinforce socially appropriate behavior by giving it
attention and positive emotional response.
Token economies.
Cognitive Therapies
Helping client recognize and change demoralizing attitudes they may have toward illness so that they will seek help when
needed and participate in society to the extent that they can.
Social Intervention
Increasing contact between clients.
Increasing support through self-help groups.
They can learn problem solving skills through feedback and role playing of new skills.
Family Therapy
They are taught basic education on the disorder’s biological causes, symptoms, medications, and side effects.
To reduce self-blame in family members, increase tolerance on symptoms, and help monitor side effects.
They are also taught basics on communication to reduce harsh and conflicting interactions, and problem solving to help
manage issues in the family.
Proven successful if combined with drug.
Assertive Community Tx Program
Provides comprehensive services relying on the expertise of medical professionals, social workers, and psychologists to meet
variety of patient’s need.
The Lodge – Mental health professionals were available for help but residents ran the household and work with other
residents to establish healthy behaviors; they have their own employment agency.
Skills training, vocational rehabilitation, and social support given to Schizophrenic patient.
Schizophrenia: Subtypes
1. Paranoid
Characterized by one or more delusions/frequent auditory hallucinations.
None of the following is prominent: Disorganized speech & behavior, affective flattening and catatonic behavior.
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2. Disorganized
Characterized by disorganized speech, disorganized behavior, and flat/inappropriate affect.
Does not meet the criteria for catatonic type.
3. Catatonic
At least 2 of the following are present:
Motor immobility, waxy flexibility, or stupor.
Excessive motor activity (purposeless).
Extreme negativity or mutism.
Peculiar movement, prominent mannerisms.
Echolalia or echopraxia.
4. Undifferentiated
Symptoms in Criteria A are present but criteria for paranoid, catatonic, or disorganized subtypes are not met.
5. Residual
Symptoms in Criteria A are no longer present; persistence of negative symptoms; Criteria A symptoms are in attenuated
form.
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2: MOOD DISORDERS
Mood refers to a sustained emotion that colors the way we view life.
Mood disorders are common among those who are single and who have no significant other.
It is more likely in someone who has relatives with similar problems.
It is formerly called Affective Disorders.
Mood Episodes
Any period of time when a patient feels abnormally happy or sad.
They are the building blocks from which any of the codable mood disorders are constructed.
This is not a codable diagnosis.
Major Depressive Episode – For at least 2 weeks, the patient feels depressed.
Manic Episode – For at least 1 week, the patient feels elated and hyperactive; often patients must be hospitalized.
Hypomanic Episode – Briefer and less severe than manic; no hospitalization is needed; can last for years without
hospitalization.
Depression
S – leep (increased/decreased)
I – nterest (decreased)
G – uilt/low self-esteem
E – nergy (decreased)
C – oncentration (decreased)
A – ppetite (decreased/increased)
P – sychomotor activities (decreased/increased)
S – uicidal ideation
Mania
Mood is elated mixed with irritation and agitation.
Unrealistically positive grandiose self-esteem.
Speaks rapidly and forcefully conveying a racing stream of rapid thoughts.
Symptoms last for 1 week.
Engages in variety of impulsive behavior (e.g. sexual indiscretions and spending sprees).
Often they pursue grand plans and goals.
Hypomania
A milder episode of mania.
Involves the same symptoms but not severe enough to cause impairment.
No hallucinations and delusions and lasts for at least 4 days.
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Bipolar and Related Disorders
1. Bipolar I Disorder
Includes at least 1 manic episode.
Formerly called Manic-Depressive Illness.
Men=Women; strongly hereditary.
Bipolar I patients have a high likelihood of completing suicide; some reports suggest that they account for up to a quarter
of all suicides.
2. Bipolar II Disorder
Principal distinction from Bipolar I is the degree of disability and discomfort.
They are ill longer and spend more time in the depressive phase.
Comorbidity is their way of life.
3. Cyclothymic Disorder
Alternates episode of hypomanic and period of depressive symptoms for at least 2 years.
Numerous episodes of hypomania and dysthymia that last chronically and do not affect social/occupational functioning.
Depressive Disorders
1. Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder
It showcases extremes of childhood.
Child’s mood is persistently negative – depressed, angry, or irritable.
80% will also meet criteria for Oppositional Defiant Disorder, in which case you will o nly diagnose DMDD.
2. Major Depressive Disorder
A severe bout of depressive symptoms for 2 weeks.
Depressed mood + Anhedonia must be present.
A patient who has one or more depressive episodes and no manic or hypomanic episodes.
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Females; strongly hereditary.
Multiple episodes of depression greatly increase the likelihood of suicide attempts and completed suicide.
In severe cases, they may have delusions and hallucinations (often negative).
Ex. They have committed a sin and that they are being punished by their suffering.
They may hear voices accusing them of having committed a crime or sometimes telling them to kill themselves.
Subtypes:
Anxious Distress – Prominent anxiety symptoms.
Atypical Features – Positive mood reactions to some events, significant weight gain or increase in appetite,
hypersomnia and long standing sensitivity to interpersonal rejection.
Melancholic Features – Inability to experience pleasure, depression is regularly worse in the morning, EMA,
psychomotor retardation, excessive guilt, and anorexia.
Peripartum Onset – Onset of MDD is during pregnancy or in the 4 weeks after delivery.
Psychotic Features – Presence of mood congruent or incongruent delusions and hallucinations.
Mixed Features – Presence of 3 manic/hypomanic episodes but does not meet mania.
Seasonal Pattern – History of 2 years in which MDD occurs during 1 season of the year (winter) and remit when the
season is over.
3. Persistent Depressive Disorder (Dysthymia)
They are chronically depressed.
Same symptoms with MDD except inappropriate guilt feelings and thoughts of death.
They have an illness that is enduring but also relatively mild.
Depression + 3 SIGECAPS
Chronically depressed mood with a duration of at least 2 years.
Does not affect social and occupational functions.
4. Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder
Women complain of varying degrees of dysphoric mood, fatigue, and physical symptoms that include sensitivity of
breasts, weight gain, and abdominal swelling.
Experiences mood symptoms during an accumulated 8 years of her reproductive life.
Modifiers
Severity Codes:
Mild
Moderate
Severe
Remission Codes:
In Partial Remission – Patient formerly met full criteria but now has fewer required number of symptoms or had no
symptoms at all but for under 2 months.
In Full Remission – For at least 2 months, the patient has had no important symptoms of the mood episode.
Most Episode Patterns:
With rapid cycling
With seasonal pattern
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If a client in the acute stage of mania or depression exhibits psychosis (disordered thinking, as seen in delusions, hallucin ations,
and illusions), an antipsychotic agent is administered in addition to the bipolar medication.
Psychopharmacology:
Antidepressant: SSRI, MAOI, and atypical antipsychotic.
Mood Stabilizers: Lithium
ECT
Behavioral Therapy – Focus on increasing positive reinforcers and decreasing aversive experiences.
CBT – To change negative patterns of thinking, followed by developing problem solving skills.
IPT – Look for the problems such as grieving the loss of a loved one, interpersonal role disputes, role transitions, and deficits in
interpersonal skills.
Family Focused Therapy – Reduce interpersonal stress by educating them in proper communication and problem solving skills.
2 to 3 times common in women than men (suicide attempts).
But men are 4 times likely to complete suicide than women.
Suicide
Death from injury, poisoning or suffocation where there is evidence that the injury is self-inflicted and that the decedent
intended to kill the self.
Understanding Suicide
Freud: Depressed people express anger at themselves instead of the people they feel have betrayed or abandoned them.
Durkheim (Sociologist)
Egoistic – Done by people who feel alienated from others.
Anomic – Done by people who experience severe disorientation due to a major change in their societal role.
Altruistic – Done by people who believe that taking their life will benefit the society (Ex. Vietnam war).
Stressful Events – Sexual abuse and traumatic events link to suicidal thoughts and attempts.
Loss of Loved Ones (Death and divorce).
Suicide Contagion – Suicide becomes acceptable if it is done by popular people who can be identified with.
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Suicide Prevention
Suicide hotlines and crisis intervention.
Education of entire community.
Presence of gun at homes increases suicide 3 times by mentally disordered client and 33 times by clients without mental
problems.
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3: PERSONALITY DISORDERS
Personality
Enduring patterns of perceiving, feeling, thinking about, and relating to oneself and the environment.
Personality Trait
Aspect personality that is relatively consistent across time and situation i.e. outgoing, caring, compassionate, exploitative, and
impulsive.
Personality Disorder
An enduring pattern of thinking, feeling, and behaving that is relatively stable over time and the particular personality
features must be evident by early adulthood.
Cluster A PDs
Withdrawn, cold, suspicious, or irrational.
Cluster B PDs
Theatrical, emotional, and attention-seeking; their moods are labile and often shallow. They often have intense interpersonal
conflicts.
Cluster C PDs
Anxious and tensed, often over controlling.
CLUSTER A
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2. Schizoid Personality Disorder
They are indifferent to the society or other people.
Typically lifelong loners who show a restricted emotional range.
Appears unsociable, cold, and reclusive.
They succeed at solitary jobs that others may find difficult to tolerate.
May daydream excessively, become attached to animals, and often do not marry or even form long-lasting romantic
relationships but they do retain contact with reality.
Management:
Cognitive therapy focuses on increasing their sense of self-efficacy in dealing with difficult situations.
Psychosocial treatments focus on increasing the person’s awareness of his or her own feelings, as well as increasing his or her
social skills and social contacts.
Traditional neuroleptics such as haloperidol and thiothixene.
Atypical antipsychotics.
Antidepressants.
CLUSTER B
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2. Borderline Personality Disorder
They appear unstable throughout their adult lives.
Often at the crisis point with regards to their mood, behavior or interpersonal relationships.
Many feel empty and bored, they attach themselves strongly to others then become intensely angry or hostile when they
believe they are being ignored or mistreated by those they depend on.
May impulsively try to harm or mutilate themselves as expressions of anger, cries for he lp or attempts to numb themselves
from their emotional pain.
It runs in families. These people are truly miserable to the point of having 10% complete suicide.
Extreme emotional reactions to situations lead to impulsive actions.
They tend to see themselves and other people as either all good or all bad and to vacillate between these two views, a
process known as splitting.
Marked by instability, abuse, neglect, and parental psychopathology.
Histories of physical and sexual abuse during childhood.
Greater activation of the amygdala, which may contribute to the difficulty they have in regulating their moods.
Low levels of serotonin.
Beautiful and talented Angelina Jolie voluntarily checked herself into a treatment facility in
the late 1990s, claiming she had experienced both suicidal and homicidal thoughts.
Although she had no intentions of acting on these thoughts, she realized that she needed
help.
Adolf Hitler. There has been much speculation about Hitler’s psychiatric profile over the years. In his
book, Hitler: Diagnosis of a Destructive Prophet, author Fritz Redlich concludes that the genocidal
leader showed strong symptoms of Narcissistic Personality Disorder.
Management:
Antisocial Personality Disorder
In psychotherapy , focus on helping the person gain control over his or her anger and impulsive behaviors by recognizing
triggers and developing alternative coping strategies.
Lithium and atypical antipsychotics. The efficacy of these drugs in treating antisocial personality disorder is not yet clear.
Borderline Personality Disorder
Dialectical Behavior Therapy reduces depression, anxiety, self-mutilating behavior while increasing interpersonal
functioning.
Antianxiety and antidepressant drugs.
Histrionic and Narcissistic Personality Disorder
Cognitive techniques can help these clients develop more realistic expectations of their abilities and more sensitivity to the
needs of others.
CLUSTER C
David Beckham. According to at least one source, the handsome and famous soccer star
suffers from Dependent Personality Disorder. While certainly not financially dependent on
anyone, Beckham has shown excessive clinginess in his relationship, a low self-esteem, and
inability to cope with situations by himself.
Steve Jobs. The late CEO of Apple Computer Corporation suffered from OCPD. According to an
article in State Magazine, Jobs’ OCPD is “what made him great”.
Management:
Dependent Personality Disorder
Psychodynamic treatments
− Free Association
− Dream Interpretation
− Interpretation of the transference process
Cognitive-behavioral therapy for dependent personality disorder includes behavioral techniques designed to increase
assertive behaviors and decrease anxiety, as well as cognitive techniques designed to challenge clients’ assumptions about
the need to rely on other.
Nondirective and humanistic therapies.
Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder
Supportive therapies.
Behavioral therapies can decrease their compulsive behaviors.
Relaxation techniques.
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4: DISRUPTIVE, IMPULSE-CONTROL, AND CONDUCT DISORDERS
These disorders entail problems with the regulation of behavior and emotions.
Behaviors may occur on the spur of the moment or it may be planned; some are accompanied by efforts to resist.
These acts are often illegal.
Male predominate. Typically start in childhood or adolescence. Sometimes this is a progression.
Children: Oppositional Defiant Disorder
Conduct Disorder
Adults: Intermittent Explosive Disorder
Antisocial Personality Disorder
2. Conduct Disorder
This can happen as early as 5 or 6.
4 categories:
Aggression to people and animals.
Destruction of property.
Lying and theft.
Serious rule violation.
They chronically disrespect rules and other people’s rights.
They use aggression to peers and even adults such as bullying, using dangerous weapons, showing cruelty to people or
animals, and even sexual abuse.
DSM-5 Specifiers:
Lack of remorse or guilt.
Lack of empathy for others.
Lack of concern about social performance/work.
Shallow or deficient emotions to manipulate others.
They are less reactive to fear and distress stimulus; less sensitive to punishment = “The Psychopaths”.
With Limited Prosocial Emotions
Co-behavior can take 2 forms:
1. The patient has trouble regulating powerful, angry, and hostile emotions. They tend to come from dysfunctional
families.
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2. The others lack empathy and guilt. They easily get bored so they prefer exciting and dangerous activities. They
typically report the four symptoms.
Factors:
Parents with antisocial behavior (genes and environment).
Genes that are directly involved in regulation of certain neurotransmitters (low activity of amygdala).
Environment that promotes abuse and maltreatment.
Exposure to toxins (alcoholism and drugs in pregnancy).
Low socioeconomic status.
Neglect and low quality of parenting.
Negative cognitions on social interactions – aggressive reactions.
Management:
CBT – Aim to change children’s way of interpreting interpersonal interactions. “Self talk” to control impulsive behaviors.
Teach them to take and respect the perspective of others.
Recognize situations that trigger aggressive and impulsive behaviors.
Family and parents should be involved through negative and positive reinforce ments of behaviors.
Psychopharmacology: Lithium, antidepressants, and antipsychotics.
4. Pyromania
An impulse-control disorder in which individuals repeatedly fail to resist impulses to deliberately start fires in order to
relieve tension or for instant gratification.
Only when there is a typical history of yielding with relief to an irresistible impulse can the diagnosis be sustained.
With interest in various aspects of fire. They will turn in false alarms, appear as spectators at fires, or collect the apparatus
used by firefighters.
These patients may make advanced preparations, such as searching out a site and collecting combustibles.
5. Kleptomania
An ICD characterized by an intense urge to steal things.
The client may experience a compulsive urge to steal things usually of trivial value; often with OCD/Bulimia.
Stealing occurs not as a result of need, or even necessarily of desire.
When caught, they typically have enough money with them to pay for what they have taken.
Once they left the scene undetected, they may give away or discard their loot.
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Management:
Psychotherapy – Focus on helping the client gain control over his impulsive behaviors by recognizing triggers and developing
alternative coping strategies.
Mood stabilizers and atypical antipsychotics.
No established cure or management.
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5: NEURODEVELOPMENTAL DISORDERS
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Signs and Symptoms:
Clinging to inanimate objects.
Resist normal teaching method.
Silly laughing/giggling.
Echolalia, insensitive to pain, acts as deaf.
No fear of danger, rocking or head banging.
Some children do not speak at all, others speak in limited phrases or conversations, and some have relatively normal
language development.
Repetitive play skills and limited social skills are generally evident.
Unusual responses to sensory information i.e. loud noises and lights are also common.
Management:
Protect from injury (head banging).
Assist in performance/completion of ADLs.
Provide constant routine for the child.
Educate family for the therapy and education of the child.
Haloperidol – Symptomatic relief for hyperactivity, stereotypical, and self-destructive behavior.
Goals of TX – To reduce behavioral symptoms and to promote learning and development, particularly the acquisition of
language skills.
Comprehensive and individualized TX, i.e.:
▫ Special education
▫ Language therapy - Is associated with more favorable outcomes.
3. Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder
They tend to be impulsive, to say things that hurt the feelings of others, and to be unpopular.
These behaviors usually decrease with adolescence.
Adults may have continuing interpersonal problems, alcohol, or drug us, and personality problems.
Adults may also complain of trouble with concentration, disorganization, impulsivity, quick temper, and intolerance to stress.
Tends to run in families.
Symptoms of ADHD:
Is in motion as if “driven by a Acts and speaks without thinking. Has a hard time paying attentio n,
motor”. May run into the street without daydreams.
Cannot stay seated. looking for traffic first. Does not seem to listen.
Squirms and fidgets. Has trouble taking turns. Is easily distracted from work or
Talks too much. Cannot wait for things. play.
Runs, jumps, and climbs when this is Calls out answers before the question Does not seem to care about details,
not permitted. is complete. makes careless mistakes.
Cannot play quie tly. Interrupts others. Does not follow instructions or finish
tasks.
Is disorganized.
Loses a lo t of im portant things.
Does not want to do things that
require ongoing mental effort.
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Management:
Nutrition: Finger foods.
Safety: Environmental manipulation.
Medication: Methylphenidate (Ritalin) – CNS stimulant (increases focus).
Behavioral Therapy – Reward and punishment.
Parents’ education.
Play techniques (to channel energy).
Dramatic play and play techniques.
Environmental strategies in school and home (type of school).
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6: NEUROCOGNITIVE DISORDERS
Problems
Memory deficits
Language disturbances
Perceptual disturbances
Impairment in executive function
Failure to recognize/identify objects
Symptoms
1. Aphasia – Deterioration of language.
Echolalia – Repeating what they hear.
Papilalia – Repeating words over and over again.
2. Apraxia – Impairment of the ability in executing actions.
3. Agnosia – Failure to recognize objects or people.
Types of Dementia
1. Dementia of the Alzheimer’s Type
2. Vascular Dementia (Formerly called Multi-infarct Dementia)
Blockage of blood in the brain, commonly known as stroke.
3. Dementia Associated with other Medical Conditions
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Shrinking of the cortex and enlargement of ventricles of the brain results from the
extensive cell death of the cortex in Alzheimer’s patients. The remaining cells lose
many of their dendrites.
Causes of Alzheimer’s Disease
Viral infection.
Immune system dysfunction.
Exposure to toxic levels of aluminum.
Deficiencies of the vitamin folate.
Head traumas.
* In current research, it focused on the genes that might transmit a vulnerability to
this disorder and on the beta-amyloid proteins that form the plaques found in the brains of almost all Alzheimer’s patients.
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Treatment and Prevention
Drugs for cognitive symptoms are:
Cholinesterase Inhibitors – Donepezil (Aricept), Rivastigmine (Exelon), and Galantamine (Reminyl)
▫ Help prevent the breakdown of acetylcholine, which randomized trial shows that it has an effect on neurocognitive
disorder symptoms.
▫ Side effects are nausea, diarrhea, and anorexia.
Memantine (Namenda)
▫ Regulates the activity of glutamate, which plays an essential role in learning and memory.
Antidepressants and antianxiety
▫ Control emotional symptoms.
Antipsychotic drugs
▫ Control hallucinations, delusions, and agitation.
Behavioral Therapies
Helpful in controlling outburst and emotional instability.
Families are given behavioral therapies to help manage the patient’s symptoms.
Reduces stress, emotional distress, and fewer behavioral problems.
Delirium
Characterized by disorientation, recent memory loss and a clouding of attention.
Most common psychiatric syndrome specifically in older people.
High mortality rate on older people due delirium.
Symptoms are: Difficulty focusing, sustaining, or shifting attention.
Signs arise suddenly for hours or days and shift over the course of the day and often become worse at night (sundowning).
Causes of Delirium
Dementia is the strongest predictor of delirium, increasing the risk fivefold.
Stroke, congestive heart failure, infectious diseases, high fever, and HIV infection, is associated with a risk of delirium.
Intoxication with illicit drugs and withdrawal from these drugs or from prescription medications.
Fluid and electrolyte imbalances, medications, and toxic substances.
The level of acetylcholine affected by toxic substances, drugs, or other mental condition.
Abnormalities on neurotransmitters such as dopamine, serotonin, and GABA.
Can be due to the person’s medical disorder or the effect of medications.
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Treatment
Antipsychotic medications – To treat patient’s confusion.
Nursing care.
* If another medical condition is associated with delirium, the condition must be treated first.
Amnesia
Unlike the previous topic, amnesia only affects the memory.
It often follows periods of confusion, disorientation, and delirium.
Anterograde Amnesia – Inability to learn new information.
Retrograde Amnesia – Inability to recall previously learned information or past events.
Causes of Amnesia
Stroke
Head injury
Chronic nutritional deficiency
Exposure to toxins (e.g. carbon monoxide poisoning)
Herpes encephalitis
Chronic substance abuse
Korsakoff’s Syndrome
▫ An amnesiac disorder caused by damage to the thalamus, a part of the brain that act as a relay station for other parts
of the brain.
▫ This is also associated to chronic and heavy use of alcohol due to neglect nutrition that may develop thiamin deficiency.
Treatment
▫ First is to remove any possible condition associated with amnesia (e.g. alcohol use).
▫ Proper nutrition.
▫ Treat other health condition (e.g. hypertension).
▫ Present familiar environment.
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7: FEEDING AND EATING DISORDERS
Disorders characterized by persistent disturbance of eating or eating-related behavior that results in the altered consumption or
absorption of food.
It impairs physical or psychological functioning.
1. PICA
It is the eating of one or more nonnutritive, nonfood substances on persistent basis over a period of 1 month.
Substances includes: Paper, soap, cloth, hair, string, soil, chalk, talcum powder, paint, charcoal, ash, or starch.
To exclude a minimum age of 2 (developmentally normal mouthing of objects).
Comorbidity:
ASD
Intellectual disability
OCDs and trichotillomania/excoriation
Diagnostic Markers
Scan may reveal obstructions
Blood test for poisoning
2. Rumination Disorder
It is the repeated regurgitation of food occurring after eating or feeding over a period of at least one month.
Weight loss and failure to make expected weight gain is expected despite excessive hunger.
Some will avoid social eating due to undesirability.
Risk factors:
Problem with parent-child relationship
Neglect
Stressful life situations
3. Anorexia Nervosa
Restriction of energy intake relative to requirements leading to low body weight in the context of age, sex, developmental,
and physical health.
Intense fear of gaining weight despite significantly low weight.
Persistent lack of recognition of the seriousness of the current body weight.
Development and Course:
Commonly begins in adolescence or young adults.
Onset is usually associated with stressful events.
Patients have a period of changed eating behavior prior to full criteria for the disorder being met.
Some recovers after a single episode, with fluctuating weight gain followed by relapse, others expe rience chronic course
over many years.
Comorbidity:
Bipolar, depressive, and anxiety disorders commonly occur with anorexia nervosa.
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4. Bulimia Nervosa
Characterized by recurrent episodes of binge eating.
Binge Eating:
Eating within 2 hour period, an amount of definitely larger than usual.
Sense of lack of control over eating.
Recurrent inappropriate compensatory to prevent weight gain (vomiting, misuse of laxatives, diuretics, fasting, or
excessive exercise).
It occurs at least once a week in 3 months.
Binge eating can be a way to deal with anxiety and purging behaviors are used to get rid of the food to avoid becoming
fat.
Tooth enamel is lost because of recurrent vomiting and there is an increased incidence of dental caries and ragged or
chipped teeth.
Characteristics Dieters, extraneous exercising, may Binge eaters followed by self-induced vomiting,
become purgers, and uses laxatives. use of laxatives, and enemas.
Weight Less than 85% of normal. Normal or near normal.
Cognitive Thin but feels extremely fat. No control over binge eating.
Management:
Clients are treatment-resistant d/t denial problems.
Note for risk of suicide is significant.
Outpatient is more likely to be effective for those who have been ill for less than 6 months, who are not binging and purging,
and who have parents who participate in family therapy.
Medical management focuses on weight restoration, nutritional rehabilitation, rehydration, and correction of electrolyte
imbalances.
Severely malnourished may require TPN or tube feedings, nutritionally balanced meals, and snacks are introduced and
gradually increase calories.
Generally client is supervised during meals to ensure eating and after meals while using bathroom to prevent purging.
Weight gain and adequate intake are often criteria for judging treatment effectiveness.
Many drugs have been studied and tried but few show success. Amitripyline (Elavil) and cyprophetadine (Periactin) can
promote weight gain. Fluopxentine (Prozac) may help prevent relapse but only when weight has been gained because It can
cause weight gain.
5. Binge-Eating Disorder
Binge-Eating Disorder is a serious eating disorder in which you frequently consume unusually large amounts of food.
Deeply embarrassed about gorging and vows to stop.
Occurs in normal-weight/overweight and obese individuals.
Distinct from obesity.
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Symptoms:
Eating in a discrete period of time (e.g. within any 2-hour period).
Lack of control over eating during the episode.
Eating much more rapidly than normal.
Eating until feeling uncomfortably full.
Eating large amounts of food when not feeling physically hungry.
Eating alone because of feeling embarrassed by how much one is eating.
Feeling disgusted with oneself, depressed, and very guilty afterward.
Severity:
▫ Mild: 1-3 binge-eating episodes per week.
▫ Moderate: 4-7 binge-eating episodes per week.
▫ Severe: 8-13 binge-eating episodes per week.
▫ Extreme: 14 or more binge-eating episodes per week.
Theories
Families of girls with eating disorders have high levels of conflict, discourage the expression of negative emotions, and
emphasize control and perfectionism.
Children with depression, anxiety disorders, and several other forms of psychopathology.
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Girls from troubled families who cannot completely ignore their hunger.
Low parental warmth and high parental demands or control seems to distinguish girls an d women who develop binge-eating
disorder from those with other forms of psychopathology.
History of binge-eating among other family members.
Differential Diagnosis
Bulimia Nervosa
Obesity
Bipolar and Depressive Disorders
Borderline Personality Disorder
Treatments
Psychotherapy
Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy
Supportive-Expressive Psychodynamic Therapy
Biological Therapies
SSRI’s such as fluoxetine
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8: ELIMINATION DISORDERS
These all involve the inappropriate elimination of urine or feces and are diagnosed in childhood or adolescence.
There is a specific minimum age requirement for diagnosis and is based on developmental age.
It may be voluntary or involuntary.
1. Enuresis
Repeated voiding of urine during the day or night into beds or clothes.
Nocturnal enuresis happens during REM; the child may recall a dream involving urinating.
Diurnal Enuresis – The child differs voiding until incontinence happen (d/t social anxiety or preoccupation with school
activities).
Prognostic Factors:
Delay/lax toilet training
Psychosocial stress
Physiological:
Associated with delays in the development of normal circadian rhythms or urine production resulting in nocturnal polyuria.
Unstable bladder syndrome.
Genetic Heritability:
The social impairment is through the limitation of the child’s social activities which may lead to social ostracism, negative
effect on self-esteem.
2. Encopresis
Repeated passage of feces into inappropriate places (floor or clothing).
It is often involuntary but sometimes also intentional.
Involuntary:
Constipation, impaction, and retention.
Due to psychological reasons (anxiety, etc.) which may lead to avoidance of defecation.
Risk Factors:
Inadequate/inconsistent toilet training.
Psychosocial stressors: Entering school, birth of sibling, etc.
Painful defecation due to constipation as a result of taking medications (anticonvulsants, cough suppressants, etc.).
Management:
Monitoring fluid intake.
Routine toileting (urine alarm).
Treat comorbid constipation and other general medical condition.
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9: SEXUAL DYSFUNCTIONS
Sexual dysfunctions are a heterogeneous group of disorders that are typically characterized by a clinically significant distu rbance
in a person’s ability to respond sexually or to experience sexual pleasure.
The difficulty must be more than occasional and must cause significant distress or interpersonal difficulty.
4 Categories
1. Sexual Desire Disorders
2. Sexual Arousal Disorders
3. Orgasmic Disorders
4. Sexual Pain Disorders
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2. Sexual Aversion Disorder
Recurrent extreme aversion to, and avoidance of, all (or almost all) genital sexual contact with a sexual partner.
Individuals with this disorder actively avoid sexual activities.
They may feel sickened by it or experience acute anxiety.
Fear, revulsion, disgust, or similar emotions when the person with the disorder engages in genital contact with a partner.
The aversion may take a number of different forms:
Sight of the partner’s genitals
Smell of his or her body secretions
Kissing
Hugging
Petting
Intercourse itself
Orgasmic Disorders
1. Female Orgasmic Disorder (Anorgasmia)
Recurrent delay in, or absence of, orgasm following normal sexual excitement phase.
2. Male Orgasmic Disorder (Impotence)
Recurrent delay in, or absence of, orgasm following normal sexual excitement phase.
Difference between ejaculation and orgasm:
Ejaculation – Releasing semen
Orgasm – Involuntary muscle spasms and letting go; the emotion side of the orgasm.
The biggest indicator that male orgasmic disorder is a problem is the delay or absence of orgasm after adequate sexual
stimulation.
3. Premature Ejaculation
Recurrent ejaculation with minimal sexual stimulation before, on, or shortly after penetration and before the person
wishes it.
Men with this disorder persistently ejaculate with minimal sexual stimulation before they wish to ejaculate.
Premature ejaculation must cause significant distress or interpersonal problems before it is considered a disorder.
Treatments
Biological Therapies
Male Erectile Disorder: Sildenafil (trade name Viagra), Cialis, and Levitra.
Bupropion appears to reduce the sexual side effects of the SSRIs and can itself be effective as an antidepressant.
Mechanical interventions.
Premature Ejaculation: Antidepressants can be helpful i.e. fluoxetine (Prozac), clomipramine (Anafranil), and sertaline
(Zoloft), etc.
Hypoactive Sexual Desire Disorder: Hormone therapy (use of testosterone to increase sexual desire).
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10: PARAPHILIC DISORDERS
Paraphilia is a condition in which a person’s sexual arousal and gratification depend on fantasizing about and engaging in sexual
behavior that is atypical and extreme.
Most paraphilias are far more common in men than in women.
A paraphilia is distinguished by a preoccupation with the object to the point of being dependent on that object or behavior for
sexual gratification.
Paraphilias are diagnosed when people have sexual fantasies, urges, or behavior that involve:
1. Nonliving objects
2. Non-consenting adults
3. Suffering or the humiliation of the person or the person’s partner
4. Prepubescent children
Sexual masochism Acts (real, not sim ulated) of being humiliated, beaten, bound, or
otherwise made to suffer
Voyeurism The act of observing an unsuspecting person who is naked, in the process
of undressing, or engaged in sexual activity
Exhibitionism Exposure of one’s genitals to an unsuspecting stranger
Causes of Paraphilia
Several lines of evidence suggest that alterations in the development of the nervous system may contribute to pedophilia.
Men with pedophilia are more likely to have had head injury before age 13, to have cognitive and memory deficits, to have
lower intelligence, and to have differences in brain structure volume.
Strong sex drive and masturbate often, providing many opportunities for the pairing of their fantasies with sexual
gratification.
Few opportunities for other types of sexual reinforcement and has difficulty relating appropriately to other adults.
Children whose parents frequently use corporal punishment and engage in aggressive, and perhaps sexualized acts towards
others as they grow older.
Many people with pedophilia have poor interpersonal skills and feel intimidated when interacting sexually with adults.
Childhood sexual abuse was a particularly strong predictor of pedophilia.
Cognitive theorists have also identified a number of distortions and assumptions that people with paraphilia have about their
behaviors and the behaviors of their victims.
Treatments
Treatment is often forced on those who are arrested after engaging in illegal acts including voyeurism, exhibitionism,
frotteurism, or pedophilia.
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Simple incarceration does little to change these behaviors, and convicted sex offenders are likely to become repeat
offenders.
Biological interventions generally are aimed at reducing the sex drive in order to reduce paraphilic behavior.
Surgical castration, which almost completely eliminates the production of androgens, lowers repeat offense rates among sex
offenders.
Behavior modification therapies commonly are uses to treat paraphilia and can be successful if people with a paraphilia are
willing to change their behavior.
Aversion Therapy
Desensitization
Cognitive Interventions
Group Therapy
Cognitive-Behavior Therapy
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