CUET UG Psychology: Mental Health - Psychological Disorders, Classification, Anxiety, Mood, Psychotic Disorders

Must-Know

• The DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th edition) is the primary classification system used for psychological disorders; it is published by the American Psychiatric Association (APA).
• According to DSM-5, psychological disorders are characterized by significant disturbances in thoughts, emotions, or behavior that cause distress or impairment in functioning.
• Anxiety disorders are the most common category of psychological disorders in India and globally.
• Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is diagnosed when a person experiences excessive anxiety and worry for at least six months about various domains of life.
• Panic Disorder involves recurrent, unexpected panic attacks—sudden surges of intense fear or discomfort peaking within minutes.
• A panic attack typically includes at least four of the following symptoms: palpitations, sweating, trembling, shortness of breath, chest pain, nausea, dizziness, chills or heat sensations, numbness, fear of dying, fear of losing control.
• Specific Phobia involves marked fear or anxiety about a specific object or situation (e.g., snakes, flying, heights), which almost always provokes immediate anxiety.
• Social Anxiety Disorder (Social Phobia) involves intense fear of social situations due to fear of negative evaluation; common example: fear of public speaking.
• Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) involves obsessions (recurring intrusive thoughts) and compulsions (repetitive behaviors); e.g., repeated handwashing due to fear of contamination.
• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) develops after exposure to a traumatic event; symptoms include flashbacks, nightmares, hypervigilance, and emotional numbing lasting more than one month.
• Major Depressive Disorder requires at least five symptoms over a two-week period, including depressed mood or loss of interest (anhedonia), with significant distress or impairment.
• Dysthymia (Persistent Depressive Disorder) involves chronic depression lasting at least two years in adults (one year in children), with less severe but long-lasting symptoms.
• Bipolar I Disorder is defined by at least one manic episode, which may be preceded or followed by hypomanic or major depressive episodes.
• A manic episode lasts at least one week and includes symptoms like inflated self-esteem, decreased need for sleep, pressured speech, flight of ideas, distractibility, increased goal-directed activity, or risky behavior.
• Bipolar II Disorder involves at least one major depressive episode and at least one hypomanic episode, but no full manic episodes.
• Hypomanic episodes last at least four consecutive days and are less severe than manic episodes; they do not cause marked impairment in social or occupational functioning.
• Schizophrenia is a psychotic disorder characterized by delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech, grossly disorganized or catatonic behavior, and negative symptoms (e.g., flat affect, avolition).
• For a diagnosis of schizophrenia, symptoms must persist for at least six months, with active-phase symptoms (e.g., hallucinations, delusions) present for at least one month.
• Delusions are fixed false beliefs not shared by others in the individual’s culture; example: delusion of persecution (believing one is being followed).
• Hallucinations are sensory perceptions without external stimuli; auditory hallucinations (e.g., hearing voices) are most common in schizophrenia.
• Disorganized thinking (incoherence) in schizophrenia manifests as derailment or loose associations in speech.
• Catatonia involves marked psychomotor disturbances, such as stupor, rigidity, or excessive purposeless movement; it can occur in schizophrenia or mood disorders.
• Negative symptoms of schizophrenia include affective flattening (reduced emotional expression), alogia (poverty of speech), and avolition (lack of motivation).
• The lifetime prevalence of schizophrenia is approximately 1% worldwide—verify from NCERT.
• Mood disorders involve disturbances in emotional state, primarily depression or mania; major categories include Major Depressive Disorder and Bipolar Disorders.
• Anxiety disorders include GAD, Panic Disorder, Phobias, OCD, and PTSD—verify from NCERT classification emphasis.
• Psychotic disorders involve loss of contact with reality; schizophrenia is the most studied example.
• The ICD-11 (International Classification of Diseases, 11th revision) by WHO is also used in India for diagnosing mental disorders alongside DSM-5.
• Cultural factors influence the expression of symptoms; e.g., somatic complaints are more common in depression among Indian patients.
• Comorbidity is common; e.g., individuals with OCD often have comorbid depression—verify from NCERT.

Difficulty Level

Intermediate — requires understanding of diagnostic criteria, symptom clusters, and differentiation between disorders, but does not involve complex theories or neurochemical pathways.

Common CUET Traps

• Trap: Confusing hypomania with mania by assuming both cause equal impairment. Avoid: Hypomania does not cause significant social/occupational impairment, unlike mania.
• Trap: Believing hallucinations occur only in schizophrenia. Avoid: Hallucinations also occur in mood disorders with psychotic features, substance use, and PTSD.
• Trap: Assuming OCD is an anxiety disorder due to compulsions alone. Avoid: OCD is classified under obsessive-compulsive and related disorders in DSM-5, though historically grouped with anxiety disorders.

Practice MCQs

1. Which of the following is required for a diagnosis of Generalized Anxiety Disorder according to DSM-5?
   A. Sudden episodes of intense fear lasting minutes
   B. Excessive worry occurring more days than not for at least six months
   C. Presence of a manic episode
   D. Persistent delusions for one month

Answer: B
Explanation: GAD requires excessive anxiety and worry occurring more days than not for at least six months.
Why others fail: A describes panic attacks, which are characteristic of Panic Disorder.

1. A person experiences a depressive episode followed by a period of abnormally elevated mood, increased energy, and reduced need for sleep lasting five days. This episode is best diagnosed as:
   A. Major Depressive Disorder
   B. Bipolar I Disorder
   C. Bipolar II Disorder
   D. Cyclothymic Disorder

Answer: C
Explanation: The elevated mood episode lasts five days—more than four required for hypomania—but not seven days required for mania, indicating hypomanic episode, hence Bipolar II.
Why others fail: B requires at least one full manic episode (?7 days), which is not met here.

1. Which symptom is considered a negative symptom of schizophrenia?
   A. Hallucinations
   B. Delusions
   C. Avolition
   D. Disorganized speech

Answer: C
Explanation: Avolition (lack of motivation) is a negative symptom reflecting loss of normal function.
Why others fail: A, B, and D are positive symptoms (added abnormalities) of schizophrenia.

1. In PTSD, the duration of symptoms must exceed which of the following to meet diagnostic criteria?
   A. One week
   B. Two weeks
   C. One month
   D. Six months

Answer: C
Explanation: PTSD requires symptoms (e.g., flashbacks, avoidance) to last more than one month.
Why others fail: Two weeks is the duration required for Major Depressive Disorder, not PTSD.

1. Which disorder involves recurrent, intrusive thoughts that cause distress and repetitive behaviors aimed at reducing anxiety?
   A. Panic Disorder
   B. Social Anxiety Disorder
   C. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
   D. Specific Phobia

Answer: C
Explanation: OCD is defined by obsessions (intrusive thoughts) and compulsions (repetitive behaviors).
Why others fail: A involves sudden panic attacks without compulsive behaviors; C is specific to fear of social evaluation.

Last-Minute Revision

• DSM-5 published by American Psychiatric Association—used for classifying mental disorders.
• GAD: excessive worry >6 months.
• Panic attack: ?4 symptoms, peaks in minutes.
• Specific Phobia: fear of specific object/situation (e.g., snakes).
• Social Anxiety Disorder: fear of negative evaluation in social settings.
• OCD: obsessions + compulsions (e.g., handwashing).
• PTSD: symptoms >1 month after trauma; includes flashbacks.
• Major Depressive Disorder: ?5 symptoms, including depressed mood/anhedonia, for ?2 weeks.
• Dysthymia = Persistent Depressive Disorder: chronic depression ?2 years.
• Bipolar I: ?1 manic episode (?7 days).
• Bipolar II: ?1 hypomanic + ?1 major depressive episode; no mania.
• Hypomania: ?4 days, no marked impairment.
• Schizophrenia: ?6 months duration, active symptoms ?1 month.
• Delusions: fixed false beliefs (e.g., persecution).
• Hallucinations: sensory experiences without stimulus; auditory most common in schizophrenia.
• Disorganized speech: derailment or loose associations.
• Negative symptoms: flat affect, alogia, avolition.
• ICD-11 by WHO used in India for diagnosis.
• Lifetime prevalence of schizophrenia ?1%—verify from NCERT.
• OCD moved to its own category in DSM-5: Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders.