PSYCH 333 Exam 2 (WSU) – Psychology Study Guide and Practice Questions
What is the most common category of psych disorders in the US? - ANS ✔✔Anxiety Disorders.
What is Anxiety? - ANS ✔✔a negative mood state characterized by bodily symptoms of physical
tension and apprehension about the future
What is the subjective component of Anxiety? - ANS ✔✔sense of unease, worry, dread, sense of
being unable to predict or control future threat
What is the behavioral component of Anxiety? - ANS ✔✔appearing worried, fidgeting, active
avoidance
What is the physiological component of anxiety? - ANS ✔✔elevated heart rate/ muscle tension
How is anxiety different from fear? - ANS ✔✔Fear = immediate real threat
Anxiety = anticipation of FUTURE threat
What is Panic Disorder? - ANS ✔✔an abrupt surge of intense fear or intense discomfort that
reaches a peak within minutes and during which time four (or more) of the following symptoms
occur.
1) palpitations 2) sweating 3) trembling or shaking 4) sense of shortness of breath or
smothering 5) choking feeling 6) chest pain or discomfort 7) nausea or abdominal distress 8)
feeling dizzy or faint 9) chills or heat sensations 10) paresthesia (numbness/tingling) 11)
derealization or depersonalization 12) fear of losing control or "going crazy" 13) fear of dying
Note: need at least 2 reoccurring and UNEXPECTED panic attacks
Intense fear response that occurs in the absence of any real danger.
,At least on of the panic attacks has been followed by one month (or more) or one or both of the
following: - ANS ✔✔1) persistent concern or worry about additional panic attacks or their
consequences
or
2) a significant maladaptive change in behavior related to the attacks (to avoid future panic
attacks)
Interoceptive avoidance - ANS ✔✔avoidance of situations or activities that produce
physiological symptoms related to a panic attack. (ex: sex, exercise, horror movies)
Sex ratio of panic disorder - ANS ✔✔2:1 (women)
prevalence rate of panic disorder - ANS ✔✔one year: 2-3%
lifetime: 4.7%
average age of onset for panic disorder - ANS ✔✔20-24 years
course of panic disorder - ANS ✔✔episodic course with years of remission between episodes or
continuous severe symptomatology
Biological contributions of Panic disorder - ANS ✔✔-genetic contribution (FDBR- 8x times more
likely to develop)
-increased risk for panic disorder if parents have anxiety, depressive and bipolar episodes.
-Anxiety sensitivity: tendency to catastrophic the meaning of anxiety related bodily sensations
-Neuroticim: process to experience negative emotions (heritable)
-overactivity in the noradrenergic system
-diminished GABA receptor binding sites (GABA inhibit noradrenalin)
,Social Contributions of panic disorder - ANS ✔✔-stress/stressors in the months before their first
panic attack
-modeling: parents may model anxiety sensitivity
Psychological contributions of panic disorder - ANS ✔✔-conditioning: association of internal
(racing heart) and external cues (location) with attack
-dysfunctional beliefs: belief that physical sensations mean something terrible is going to
happen (death)
-heightened interoceptive awareness: increased awareness of internal sensations
Explain the panic cycle. - ANS ✔✔Individuals experience anxiety about the prospect of having
more attacks This anxiety produces more physical sensations. The individual has an increased
awareness of these sensations and that creates more anxiety which results in more symptom,
creating a vicious cycle.
Treatments for panic disorder: Medications - ANS ✔✔-SSRI's (most common/fewer side effects)
-Tricyclic antidepressants. 50% relapse after stopped
-Benzodiazepines (not long term) 90% relapse after stopped
60% free of panic attacks as long as medicated, however relapse is common after drug is
stopped
Therapy treatment for panic disorder - ANS ✔✔Exposure-Based Treatment: gradual exposure
combined with anxiety reducing coping strategies
-panic control treatment: expose clients to interoceptive sensations associated with an attack to
teach them that these sensations are normal, not dangerous, and they are in control of them
, What is more effective in treating panic disorder? - ANS ✔✔short-term: meds and therapy
equally effective
long-term: therapy
DSM criteria of GAD - ANS ✔✔-excessive (far out of proportion) anxiety and worry occurring
more days than not for at least 6 months about a number of activities or events (cannot be
limited to work and school)
-individual finds it difficult to control the worry (interfering with attention to other tasks)
How long does someone need to have symptoms of GAD to be diagnosed? - ANS ✔✔More days
than not for the last 6 months
How many anxiety symptoms does someone need to have to be diagnosed with GAD? - ANS
✔✔3 or more of the following 6 symptoms
1) restlessness or feeling "keyed up" or on edge 2) being easily fatigued 3) difficulty
concentrating or mind going blank 4) irritability 5) muscle tension 6) sleep disturbances
Do the anxiety, worry, or physical symptoms need to cause clinically significant distress or
impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning to be diagnosed
with GAD? - ANS ✔✔YES
Biological components to GAD - ANS ✔✔-1/3 risk of developing GAD is genetic (tendency to
develop anxiety, rather than GAD specifically)
-GAD and MDD have common underlying genetic predisposition
-may be a result of personality trait neuroticism that is inherited
-genes related to activation of corticotrophin-releasing factor (CRF) system which activated the
HPA axis
-deficiency in GABA (GABA inhibits anxiety)
What is the most common category of psych disorders in the US? - ANS ✔✔Anxiety Disorders.
What is Anxiety? - ANS ✔✔a negative mood state characterized by bodily symptoms of physical
tension and apprehension about the future
What is the subjective component of Anxiety? - ANS ✔✔sense of unease, worry, dread, sense of
being unable to predict or control future threat
What is the behavioral component of Anxiety? - ANS ✔✔appearing worried, fidgeting, active
avoidance
What is the physiological component of anxiety? - ANS ✔✔elevated heart rate/ muscle tension
How is anxiety different from fear? - ANS ✔✔Fear = immediate real threat
Anxiety = anticipation of FUTURE threat
What is Panic Disorder? - ANS ✔✔an abrupt surge of intense fear or intense discomfort that
reaches a peak within minutes and during which time four (or more) of the following symptoms
occur.
1) palpitations 2) sweating 3) trembling or shaking 4) sense of shortness of breath or
smothering 5) choking feeling 6) chest pain or discomfort 7) nausea or abdominal distress 8)
feeling dizzy or faint 9) chills or heat sensations 10) paresthesia (numbness/tingling) 11)
derealization or depersonalization 12) fear of losing control or "going crazy" 13) fear of dying
Note: need at least 2 reoccurring and UNEXPECTED panic attacks
Intense fear response that occurs in the absence of any real danger.
,At least on of the panic attacks has been followed by one month (or more) or one or both of the
following: - ANS ✔✔1) persistent concern or worry about additional panic attacks or their
consequences
or
2) a significant maladaptive change in behavior related to the attacks (to avoid future panic
attacks)
Interoceptive avoidance - ANS ✔✔avoidance of situations or activities that produce
physiological symptoms related to a panic attack. (ex: sex, exercise, horror movies)
Sex ratio of panic disorder - ANS ✔✔2:1 (women)
prevalence rate of panic disorder - ANS ✔✔one year: 2-3%
lifetime: 4.7%
average age of onset for panic disorder - ANS ✔✔20-24 years
course of panic disorder - ANS ✔✔episodic course with years of remission between episodes or
continuous severe symptomatology
Biological contributions of Panic disorder - ANS ✔✔-genetic contribution (FDBR- 8x times more
likely to develop)
-increased risk for panic disorder if parents have anxiety, depressive and bipolar episodes.
-Anxiety sensitivity: tendency to catastrophic the meaning of anxiety related bodily sensations
-Neuroticim: process to experience negative emotions (heritable)
-overactivity in the noradrenergic system
-diminished GABA receptor binding sites (GABA inhibit noradrenalin)
,Social Contributions of panic disorder - ANS ✔✔-stress/stressors in the months before their first
panic attack
-modeling: parents may model anxiety sensitivity
Psychological contributions of panic disorder - ANS ✔✔-conditioning: association of internal
(racing heart) and external cues (location) with attack
-dysfunctional beliefs: belief that physical sensations mean something terrible is going to
happen (death)
-heightened interoceptive awareness: increased awareness of internal sensations
Explain the panic cycle. - ANS ✔✔Individuals experience anxiety about the prospect of having
more attacks This anxiety produces more physical sensations. The individual has an increased
awareness of these sensations and that creates more anxiety which results in more symptom,
creating a vicious cycle.
Treatments for panic disorder: Medications - ANS ✔✔-SSRI's (most common/fewer side effects)
-Tricyclic antidepressants. 50% relapse after stopped
-Benzodiazepines (not long term) 90% relapse after stopped
60% free of panic attacks as long as medicated, however relapse is common after drug is
stopped
Therapy treatment for panic disorder - ANS ✔✔Exposure-Based Treatment: gradual exposure
combined with anxiety reducing coping strategies
-panic control treatment: expose clients to interoceptive sensations associated with an attack to
teach them that these sensations are normal, not dangerous, and they are in control of them
, What is more effective in treating panic disorder? - ANS ✔✔short-term: meds and therapy
equally effective
long-term: therapy
DSM criteria of GAD - ANS ✔✔-excessive (far out of proportion) anxiety and worry occurring
more days than not for at least 6 months about a number of activities or events (cannot be
limited to work and school)
-individual finds it difficult to control the worry (interfering with attention to other tasks)
How long does someone need to have symptoms of GAD to be diagnosed? - ANS ✔✔More days
than not for the last 6 months
How many anxiety symptoms does someone need to have to be diagnosed with GAD? - ANS
✔✔3 or more of the following 6 symptoms
1) restlessness or feeling "keyed up" or on edge 2) being easily fatigued 3) difficulty
concentrating or mind going blank 4) irritability 5) muscle tension 6) sleep disturbances
Do the anxiety, worry, or physical symptoms need to cause clinically significant distress or
impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning to be diagnosed
with GAD? - ANS ✔✔YES
Biological components to GAD - ANS ✔✔-1/3 risk of developing GAD is genetic (tendency to
develop anxiety, rather than GAD specifically)
-GAD and MDD have common underlying genetic predisposition
-may be a result of personality trait neuroticism that is inherited
-genes related to activation of corticotrophin-releasing factor (CRF) system which activated the
HPA axis
-deficiency in GABA (GABA inhibits anxiety)
