Unit I - Psych

• one's ability to cope with/adjust to recurrent stresses of everydy life
• accureate assessment of reality
• healthy self-concept
• ability to relate to others
• sense of meaning/purpose
• creativity/productivity
• control over one's behavior
• ability to adapt to change and conflict

• responsible for transfer of impules from one neuron to next
• mental disoreders have high or decreased neurotransmission function

• culture
• family
• language
• eye contact
• religion

• reason for admission
• current medical problem
• substance use
• support systems
• self-concept
• social skills

• appearance
• orientation
• mood/afect
• speech
• thought disorder
• hallucinations
• behavior
• memory
• judgement

• delusions
• hallucinations
• depersonalization
• obsessions
• compulsions
• overuse of defense mechanisms

• DSM-IV-TR
• 5 axes -
• I Clinical disorders
• II Personality disorders
• III General medical conditions
• IV Psychosocial/environmental problems
• V Global assessment of functioning

• planning: individualized care plans w/ short and long term goals
• interventions: counseling, meds
• evaluation: observations recorded and monitored

• verbal and non-verbal
• goal: replace dysfunctional behaviors
• active listening and silence
• 1.5 to 4 foot spacing
• concentrate, listen objectively
• change setting if necessary
• eye contact/body language
• do not interrupt

• liability: care providers legally responsibile for professional obligations
• must remain competent
• maintain current knowledge base
• practice within scope
• practice unimpaired

• right to consent
• right to vote
• right to buy and sell property
• right to possess driver's license

• voluntary or involuntary (dangerous)
• assessed and treated and released or transferred to long-term therapy

• mandated with:
• -suspected child abuse
• -criminal cases
• -government requests
• -when public has right to know

must warn police/others about intentions of psychiatric client

• total team approach to psych care
• therapeutic environment, behavior therapies, crisis intervention

• pleasant and safe
• structured activities
• limits and controls
• education
• adaptive skills
• team approach

• behavior modification: positive behavior -> positive rewards
• systemic desensitization: gradual exposure and relaxation w/ stressors
• aversion therapy: unpleasant responses to inappropriate behavior
• cognitive therapy: alternative to maladaptive thinking
• implosion/flooding therapy: exposure to intense anxiety producers
• limit therapy: establishes what needs to be done by the client
• group therapy
• play therapy
• hynosis
• psychoanalysis
• recreational therapy
• music therapy
• magnetic therapy
• hydrotherapy
• occupational therapy

• help the patient develop adequate coping skills to resolve immediate problem
• developmental or situational
• goal - return to pre-crisis function

• ensure safety (of patient and self)
• - talk quietly
• - open hands
• - do not leave or turn back
• diffuse situation
• - find out cause
• - do not push for reasons
• - must remain calm
• decrease anxiety
• - assure patient's safety
• - explain you are here to help - need their cooperation
• - be careful with physical contact
• therapeutic interventions
• - display acceptance
• - do not argue
• - clarify fantasies

mild psychiatric disorder characterized by anxiety, depression, or hypochondria

psychiatric disorders characterized by delusions, hallucinations, incoherence, and distorted perceptions of reality

false beliefs that are resistant to reasoning or change

false sensory input with no external stimulus (can be sight, touch, smell, sound, or taste)

thoughts that are not related to each other or the present situaton

flight of ideas / disorganized speech