#AP Psychology Study Guide: Trauma, Somatic, and Dissociative Disorders 🧠

Hey there! Let's get you prepped for the AP Psych exam with a deep dive into trauma, somatic, and dissociative disorders. We'll break it down, make it memorable, and get you feeling confident. Let's go!

#Trauma and Stress-Related Disorders

#Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

PTSD is a big one on the AP exam, so pay close attention!

• Definition: A trauma-rooted anxiety disorder triggered by past traumatic events.
• Symptoms:
  • Triggers that provoke anxiety or flashbacks.
  • Intrusive thoughts and emotions.
  • Disruption in daily functioning.
• Common Causes: Accidents, assaults, war.
• Risk Factor: The greater the trauma, the higher the risk.
• Controversy: Some critics argue it's overdiagnosed and the definition of "trauma" is too vague.
• Key Concept: Traumatic events affect everyone differently.

Image Courtesy of The Blackberry Center.

#Posttraumatic Growth

• Definition: Positive changes experienced after a hard time or life crisis.
• Concept: "What doesn't kill you makes you stronger" 💪
• Resilience: The ability to bounce back from trauma and emerge stronger.

#Somatic Symptom and Related Disorders

#Somatic Symptom Disorder

• Definition: Fixation on physical symptoms to the point where emotional health is affected.
• Etiology: Derived from somatogenic etiology (physical causes).
• Symptoms: Exaggerated reactions to physical pain, disruptive to daily functioning.
• Examples: Vomiting, dizziness, blurred vision leading to severe pain.

#Conversion Disorder

• Definition: Experiencing physical symptoms with no physiological cause.
• Also Known As: Functional neurological symptom disorder.
• Symptoms: Loss of function that makes no physiological sense.
• Examples: Unexplained paralysis and blindness.

#Illness Anxiety Disorder

• Definition: Interpreting regular physical symptoms as signs of disease.
• Also Known As: Hypochondriasis (where the term "hypochondriac" comes from).

Image Courtesy of Nahyun Kim.

#Dissociative Disorders

#General Definition

• Definition: Disruption causing inconsistencies in consciousness.
• Symptoms: Memory loss or complete change in identity.

#Psychogenic Amnesia

• Definition: Memory loss with no physiological cause.
• Cause: Usually occurs after a traumatic or stressful event.
• Impact: Erases information related to a time, place, or person.

#Dissociative Fugue

• Definition: Similar to psychogenic amnesia, but with the addition of being in an unfamiliar environment.
• Cause: Attributed to psychological stress.
• Example: A veteran disappearing and then appearing somewhere new with no memory.

#Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID)

• Formerly Known As: Multiple Personality Disorder (MPD).
• Definition: Presence of two or more distinct personalities.
• Root Cause: Most commonly rooted in trauma.
• Mechanism: Alternate personalities are used to cope with intense stress and/or pain.
• Controversy: Highly debated and not fully understood.
• Research: Studies show differences in vision and brain activity between personalities.
• General Agreement: A way to deal with anxiety, but many unknowns.

Image Courtesy of did-research.

#Final Exam Focus

These are the topics that are most likely to appear on the exam:

• PTSD: Understand its symptoms, causes, and the controversy surrounding its diagnosis.
• Somatic Symptom Disorders: Know the differences between somatic symptom disorder, conversion disorder, and illness anxiety disorder.
• Dissociative Disorders: Focus on the differences between psychogenic amnesia, dissociative fugue, and DID.
• Trauma and Stress: Understand how trauma impacts mental health and the concept of posttraumatic growth.

#Practice Questions

Practice Question

Multiple Choice Questions:

1. A person who experiences blindness with no physical cause is most likely suffering from: a) Somatic Symptom Disorder b) Illness Anxiety Disorder c) Conversion Disorder d) Dissociative Amnesia e) PTSD

2. Which of the following is a key feature of Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID)? a) Amnesia related to a specific event b) Intrusive thoughts and flashbacks c) The presence of two or more distinct personalities d) Exaggerated reactions to physical pain e) Intense fear of physical symptoms

3. A veteran who suddenly disappears and is found in another state with no memory of how they got there is most likely experiencing: a) Psychogenic Amnesia b) Dissociative Fugue c) Dissociative Identity Disorder d) Conversion Disorder e) Somatic Symptom Disorder

Free Response Question:

A 35-year-old woman, Sarah, has been experiencing severe anxiety and flashbacks following a car accident she was in six months ago. She also reports having frequent headaches and stomach pains, which doctors can find no physical cause for. Sarah is also concerned about developing a serious illness, and often researches her symptoms online.

A. Identify and describe three psychological disorders that Sarah might be experiencing, based on the symptoms described. B. Explain how a cognitive perspective might explain the development of one of the disorders mentioned in part A. C. Describe one effective treatment approach for one of the disorders mentioned in part A.

Scoring Guide:

A. (3 points) - 1 point for correctly identifying and describing PTSD (e.g., flashbacks, anxiety after a traumatic event). - 1 point for correctly identifying and describing Conversion Disorder (e.g., physical symptoms with no physical cause). - 1 point for correctly identifying and describing Illness Anxiety Disorder (e.g., preoccupation with having a serious illness).

B. (1 point) - 1 point for explaining how cognitive factors might contribute to PTSD (e.g., negative thought patterns, catastrophic interpretations of the event).

C. (1 point) - 1 point for describing an effective treatment approach for one of the disorders (e.g., cognitive behavioral therapy for PTSD, exposure therapy for anxiety disorders).

You've got this! Keep reviewing, stay calm, and remember the key concepts. You're going to do great on the AP Psychology exam! 🎉