Chapter 15 pt. 2: Mood Disorders,
Dissociation, Schizophrenia, and
Personality Disorders
Mood Disorders Illustrate
Emotional Extremes
 Mood Disorders are characterized
by emotional extremes and come in
variety of forms:
–1. Major Depressive Disorder
–2. Dysthymic Disorder
–3. Seasonal Affective Disorder
–4. Bipolar Disorder
Depression Is Pervasive
 Nearly
everyone will experience at least
some type of mild depression in their life
often due to some external sad event.
 Major Depressive Disorder:
differentiates itself from mild depression
since a person has depressed mood,
feelings of worthlessness, and diminished
interest FOR NO EXTERNAL REASON for 2
or more weeks. .
– Dysthymic Disorder: less severe down
swing in mood but lasts for 2 or more years.
Depression
 Seasonal
Affective
Disorder: also known
as “winter depression.”
Nearly unknown in the
tropics, but measurably
prevalent in higher
latitudes especially in
polar areas where
daylight becomes rare
in winter.
Gender and Depression
25
Percentage
of population
aged 18-84
experiencing
major
depression
at some
point In life
Around the world
women are more
susceptible to
depression
20
20
15
15
10
10
5
5
0
0
USA Edmonton Puerto
Rico
Males
Females
Paris
West
Florence Beirut
Germany
Taiwan
Korea
New
Zealand
Gender and Depression
10%
Percentage 8
depressed
Females
6
4
2
0
Males
12-17 18-24 25-34 35-44 45-54 55-64 65-74 75+
Age in Years
Effects on Depression
 Neurotransmitter,
Brain
chemistry
Cognition
Mood
serotonin is scarce
during depression.
 Cognitively, people
tend to have a
negative
explanatory outlook
which helps feed
depression and
lower mood.
Vicious Cycle of Depression
1
Stressful
 Breaking
experiences
4
Cognitive and
2
Negative
behavioral changes
explanatory style
3
Depressed
mood
any of the
links can
often help
eliminate
depression.
Bipolar Disorder
Bipolar Disorder:
mood disorder in which
person alternates
between hopelessness
and lethargy of
depression and the
overexcited, hyperactive,
optimistic state of mania.
 Used to be known as
Manic Depressive
Disorder.
– 1%

VS.
Mood Disorders and Suicide
Suicides per 70
100,000 people 60
50
40
The higher suicide rate
among men greatly
increases in late
adulthood
30
20
10
0
15-24 25-34 35-44 45-44 55-64 65-74 75-84 85+
Males
Females
Explaining Mood Disorders
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Many behavioral and cognitive changes
accompany depression
 Unmotivated, grades decreases, no
sleep…….
Depression is widespread
Women at greater risk
 Women more passive
 Men more active
Depression usually goes away
Stressful events usually precede depression
Depression is striking more and earlier
Explaining Mood Disorders
 Genetic
–Mood disorders are genetic
–Have not found a single
“depression” gene
 The
Brain
–Decrease in serotonin
–Lack of activity in frontal lobe
 In
Dissociative Disorders
general Dissociative
Disorders are disorders in which
a person’s conscious awareness
becomes separated (dissociated)
from previous memories and
feelings.
 Dissociative Identity
Disorder: used to be known as
multiple personality disorder. Rare
disorder where person exhibits 2
or more distinct and alternating
personalities.
Dissociative Disorders Include
Amnesia (NOT IN BOOK)
Unlike other forms of memory loss dissociative
memory loss is NOT caused by brain trauma.
 Anterograde Amnesia: loss of memory after
a traumatic event. Cant learn new facts that
occur after incident.
 Retrograde Amnesia: loss of memories from
before a traumatic event. Cant remember
anything prior to the incident.
 Dissociative (Psychogenic) Amnesia: is
the loss of a person’s identity. According to
Freud, caused by intense anxiety. Serves as an
escape.

Dissociation Disorders (NOT IN
BOOK)
 Dissociative
(Psychogenic)
Fugue State: when person
with amnesia physically moves
away from home and takes on
a new identity somewhere
else.
 Usually temporary and
according to some researchers
is caused by
traumatic/stressful episode.
Warm Up
Identify the following disorders:
1. Seasonal Affective Disorder
2. Bipolar Disorder
3. Major Depressive Disorder
4. Dysthymic
5. Dissociative Identity
6. Dissociative Fugue
7. Dissociative Amnesia
Schizophrenia Is Not One Disorder
 Schizophrenia
is a group
of disorders characterized
by disorganized and
delusional thinking,
disturbed perceptions, and
inappropriate emotions.
 Schizophrenics often
experience hallucinations
(false perceptions) and
delusions (false beliefs of
grandeur or persecution).
Background
1
in 100 ppl get it
 Typically appears
in teens and
twenties
– Men before 25
– Women 25-45
 Men
and women
affected equally
http://www.youtube.c
om/watch?v=Qzd1KE
siQVI
 http://www.youtube.c
om/results?search_qu
ery=+schizophrenia
 http://www.youtube.c
om/watch?v=7s_gFm-7Ao

Positive vs. Negative
Symptoms
 Positive
symptoms involve the presence
of inappropriate perceptions behavior.
–Ex: Hallucinations, Delusions, “Word
Salad,” Inappropriate laughter, etc.
 Negative symptoms involves the
absence of appropriate behavior.
–Ex: toneless voices, expressionless,
rigid, mute, etc.
Explaining Schizophrenia:
Brain Chemistry
 Most
psychologists believe disorganized
thinking and hallucinations is caused by a
breakdown in selective attention.
 Selective attention breakdown is most
likely caused by an overabundance of the
neurotransmitter dopamine.
 Abnormal brain chemistry
What Causes it?
 Don’t
really know…. Maybe…..
 Low birth weight
 Oxygen deprivation
 Viral infections while in the womb
 Genetics definitely play a role
 Environment or parenting is not
thought to cause it
 Environmental events may trigger it
Warning Signs……
A
mother who whose schizophrenia
was severe and long lasting
 Birth complications
 Separation from parents
 Short attention span and poor muscle
coordination
 Disruptive or withdrawn behavior
 Emotional unpredictability
 Poor peer relations and solo play
Schizophrenia and Genetics
Lifetime risk 40
of developing
schizophrenia 30
for relatives of
a schizophrenic
20
10
0
General
population
Siblings
Children
Fraternal Children
Identical
twin
of two
twin
schizophrenia
victims
Personality Disorders
 Personality
Disorders refer to
inflexible and enduring behavior patterns
that impair social functioning.
 Variety of Types:
–1. Avoidant Personality: avoids
personal interaction because they fear
they are inadequate or socially inept.
–2. Paranoid Personality: constant
distrust of others; believe others are
out to get you.
Personality Disorder Types
Continued
3.
Borderline Personality: characterized
by mood instability and poor self-image.
Trouble maintaining relationships.
4.
Histrionic Personality: must be
center of attention; constantly interrupts
others.
5. Narcissistic Personality: very self
centered personality. Will exaggerate
achievements.
Antisocial Personality Does Not Mean
Shyness/Not Good With People
 Anti-Social Personality
Disorder: characterized by
a lack of conscience for
wrong-doing toward
anyone.
 Often aggressive or con
artists and fearless.
 Murderers like Charles
Manson.
Explaining Antisocial
Personality
 PET
scans illustrate reduced activation in a
murderer’s frontal cortex
Normal
Murderer
Influences on Criminals
35
30
Percentage
of criminal
offenders
25
20
15
10
5
0
Total crime
Childhood
poverty
Thievery
Obstetrical
complications
Violence
Both poverty
and obstetrical
complications
Percentage of Americans Who Have Ever Experienced Psychological Disorders
Ethnicity
Gender
Disorder
White
Black
Hispanic
Men
Women
Totals
Alcohol abuse
or dependence
13.6%
13.8%
16.7%
23.8%
4.6%
13.8%
Generalized anxiety
3.4
6.1
3.7
2.4
5.0
3.8
Phobia
9.7
23.4
12.2
10.4
17.7
14.3
Obsessive-compulsive
disorder
2.6
2.3
1.8
2.0
3.0
2.6
Mood disorder
8.0
6.3
7.8
5.2
10.2
7.8
Schizophrenic
disorder
1.4
2.1
0.8
1.2
1.7
1.5
Antisocial personality
disorder
2.6
2.3
3.4
4.5
0.8
2.6