Lesson 11 – Suicide: Comprehensive Match Table
| Study Guide Topic | Details from Exam Notes |
|---|---|
| Risk factors for suicide | Includes previous suicide attempts, psychiatric disorders (especially depression and bipolar), family history, substance abuse, and feelings of hopelessness. Notes mention social isolation and impulsivity as contributing factors. |
| Sex differences in suicide | Women attempt more often; men die more often due to lethal methods (e.g., firearms). This trend holds across most countries and is explained by access to means and social norms. |
| Trends in suicide rates in different countries | Suicide rates are highest in Eastern Europe, Asia, and Russia. Notes highlight socioeconomic factors, stigma, access to mental health care, and cultural views on suicide. |
| Psychological autopsy | Defined in notes as an after-death evaluation of a person’s psychological state, often involving interviews with friends/family and examination of personal documents. Used to clarify intent or diagnosis. |
| Military suicide data | Increased rates in veterans and active duty members. Risk is higher post-deployment. Correlated with PTSD, brain trauma, and access to weapons. Data from VA is cited. |
| Interpersonal Theory of Suicide (Joiner) | Core components: perceived burdensomeness, thwarted belongingness, and acquired capability for suicide (developed through repeated exposure to pain or trauma). This theory appears as a major explanation model. |
| Protective factors | Mentioned in notes: strong social support, religious beliefs, restricted access to lethal means, and access to mental healthcare. Resilience factors like coping skills are also listed. |
| Warning signs of suicide | Explicit statements (“I want to die”), giving away belongings, withdrawal, sudden mood changes, and increased substance use. Notes tie this into assessment protocols. |
| Crisis intervention strategies | Use of safety plans, hospitalization, hotlines, and emergency therapy. Cognitive Behavioral Therapy for suicide prevention (CBT-SP) is noted as evidence-based. |
| Suicide contagion & media | Notes mention Werther effect (increase in suicide after media reports), especially when details of the act are shared. Media guidelines for reporting suicide are briefly summarized. |
| Firearms and suicide | Access to firearms significantly increases suicide risk, particularly in men. Gun control and safe storage laws are listed as key prevention efforts. |
Lesson 12 – Schizophrenia Spectrum Disorders: Comprehensive Match Table
| Study Guide Topic | Expanded Note Detail |
|---|---|
| DSM-5 criteria for schizophrenia | Requires ≥2 symptoms for 1+ month (delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech, behavior, negative symptoms). At least one must be 1–3. Symptoms persist ≥6 months. |
| Positive symptoms | Includes delusions and hallucinations. These are most treatable and include excesses of normal function. Examples of delusions: grandeur, control, thought broadcasting. |
| Negative symptoms | Includes avolition, alogia, flat affect (diminished emotional expression), asociality. These symptoms are less responsive to medication and tied to poor prognosis. |
| Disorganized speech (cognitive) | Involves loosening of associations, derailment, cognitive slippage. Often makes psychotherapy difficult. |
| Psychomotor abnormalities | Includes catatonia, which has excited and withdrawn types. Waxy flexibility is also described. |
| Course of schizophrenia | Consists of prodromal, active, and residual phases. Early signs include odd behavior, poor grooming, and social withdrawal. |
| Etiology (biopsychosocial) | Genetics (up to 49% concordance in identical twins), dopamine hypothesis, brain structure abnormalities, childhood trauma, poverty, and family stress. |
| Treatment strategies | Antipsychotics (typical vs. atypical), cognitive-behavioral therapy, distraction and selective listening techniques. Medication manages symptoms but isn’t a cure. |
| Schizoaffective Disorder – diagnosis | Psychosis must be primary: psychotic symptoms occur ≥2 weeks without mood episode. Also must meet mood disorder criteria during the illness. |
| Schizoaffective – subtypes | Bipolar Type (mania ± depression); Depressive Type (only depression). More common in women and varies by age. |
| Delusional Disorder – characteristics | Persistent delusions without other psychotic symptoms. Functioning relatively intact. Hallucinations only allowed if tied to the delusional theme. |
| Delusional Disorder – examples | Erotomania (e.g., belief that a celebrity is in love with you), somatic complaints (e.g., infestation), jealousy, grandeur. |
| Shared Psychotic Disorder (Folie à Deux) | One dominant individual transmits a delusion to another person. More likely among socially isolated dyads (e.g., mother-daughter cases). |
| Brief Psychotic vs. Schizophreniform vs. Schizophrenia | <1 month = Brief Psychotic (often with stressor); 1–6 months = Schizophreniform (good vs poor prognosis); >6 months = Schizophrenia. |
| Diagnostic exclusions | Head injury, substance use, and other mood disorders must be ruled out before schizophrenia or schizoaffective diagnosis. |
| Guess the Delusion (applied learning) | Items test student ability to identify types of delusions, including grandiosity, reference, persecution, thought withdrawal, etc. |
| Antipsychotic medication comparison | Typical (e.g., Thorazine) vs. Atypical (e.g., Risperdal). Research shows no conclusive benefit of atypical meds over older ones. Cost vs. efficacy explored. |
Lesson 14 – Traumatic Brain Injury
| Study Guide Topic | Expanded Note Detail |
|---|---|
| Brain anatomy & localization of symptoms | Each lobe controls specific functions: Cerebellum: balance and coordination (ataxia)Hippocampus: memory (anterograde/retrograde amnesia)Occipital lobe: visual processing (visual agnosia, simultanagnosia)Temporal lobe: auditory perception (may mimic psychosis)Parietal lobe: sensory processing (apraxia, anosognosia)Frontal lobe: executive functioning (pseudodepression, pseudopsychopathy) |
| Amygdala and criminal behavior | Research shows reduced amygdala volume linked to aggression, lack of fear, and impulsivity. Studies: Pardini et al. (2013), Glenn et al. (2009), Gao et al. (2010). |
| Neurodevelopmental prevention of crime | Enrichment programs for at-risk children, maternal health education, nutrition, and yoga reduce later criminal behavior. Suggests neuroplasticity can mediate early risk. |
| Types of TBI | Concussion: mild, reversible brain dysfunctionContusion: bruising due to coup/contrecoup impactLaceration: open injury with ruptured brain tissue (e.g., bullet wound) |
| Symptoms of closed head injuries | Symptoms include headache, memory loss, hemorrhage, swelling (edema), and altered consciousness. Severity linked to duration of loss of consciousness (LOC). |
| Severity of injury based on LOC | Mild: LOC ≤ 30 minsModerate: LOC ≤ 6 hoursSevere: LOC > 6 hours |
| Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) | Progressive condition from repeated trauma. Stage I: attention lossStage II: depression, memory lossStage III: executive dysfunctionStage IV: dementia, aggression |
| Postconcussional Syndrome (PCS) | Long-term cognitive and emotional issues in ~50% of mild TBI cases. Early: nausea, drowsiness. Late: depression, tinnitus, fatigue, anxiety. Recovery influenced by personality and support. |
| Case Study: Chris Benoit | WWE wrestler who killed family then himself. Likely suffered CTE and PCS. Used to illustrate real-life outcomes of repeated head trauma. |
| Criminal psychological profile (MMPI) | Typical traits: low anxiety, high aggression, impulsiveness (Greene, 1991). Ties back to amygdala studies and pseudopsychopathy symptoms. |
Lesson 15: Sleep-Wake Disorders
| Theme/Subtopic | Keywords/Concepts |
|---|---|
| Sleep Statistics | Prevalence, age/gender differences, driving drowsy, chronic sleep issues |
| Sleep Deprivation Effects | Irritability, memory lapses, stress tolerance, immune suppression, early mortality |
| Dyssomnias | Sleep disorders related to quantity, quality, or timing of sleep |
| Insomnia Disorder | Difficulty falling/staying asleep, DSM-5 criteria, episodic/persistent/recurrent |
| Hypersomnolence Disorder | Excessive sleep, daytime drowsiness, unrefreshing long sleep, DSM-5 criteria |
| Narcolepsy | Sudden sleep episodes, cataplexy, hypocretin deficiency, REM latency |
| Obstructive Sleep Apnea | Apneas/hypopneas, CPAP therapy, DSM-5 thresholds, personal narrative |
| Circadian Rhythm Disorder | Shift work, jet lag, biological clock disruptions, DSM-5 alignment criteria |
| Parasomnias | NREM/REM behaviors, RLS criteria, nightmare disorder |
| Sleep Tips & Treatments | CBT-I, sleep hygiene practices, medication pros/cons, sleep study anecdote |
| Course Summary | Etiology, treatment, ethics, public perception of mental illness, final reflections |