Learning Target:

Discuss the major diagnostic categories, including dissociative disorders, somatic disorders, and trauma- and stressor-related disorders and their corresponding symptoms.

AP psychology course and exam description, effective fall 2020. (n.d.). https://apcentral.collegeboard.org/media/pdf/ap-psychology-course-and-exam-description.pdf

Trauma- and Stressor-Related Disorders

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) is a disorder characterized by haunting memories, nightmares, social withdrawal, anxiety, and/or insomnia that lingers for four weeks or more after a traumatic experience. It may include irritable or aggressive behavior, self-destructive behavior, re-experiencing, avoidance/numbing, and arousal. Children who experience trauma may be impacted. The category in the DSM-5 is Trauma and Stressor Related Disorders. This category includes acute stress disorder, adjustment disorders, and reactive attachment disorder.

Review what you have learned about Anxiety and Related Disorders in the activity below.

Dissociative Disorders, Feeding & Eating Disorders, and Somatic Symptoms & Related Disorders

Awareness and recognition are gone, memories obstructed, and one's identity is lost.

Dissociative Disorders

Dissociative disorders are those in which conscious awareness becomes separated (dissociated) from one's previous memories, thoughts, and feelings. The common denomination for all dissociative disorders is "fragmentation" of personality. The individual has a sense that the parts of their personality have detached from one another. We all experience dissociation, but those suffering from a dissociative disorder experience them more frequently, they are far more extreme, and severely disrupt everyday functioning. Awareness and recognition are gone, memories are obstructed, and one's identity is lost.

See the categories of dissociative disorders that have been identified in the activity below.

Learn more about dissociative identity disorder in the video below.

Somatic Symptoms and Related Disorders

Somatic symptoms (formerly called somatoform disorders) are characterized by complaints of physical symptoms that have no physiological explanation; symptoms are not under the person's conscious control; maladaptive thoughts, feelings, and behavior are present. Pain disorder involves chronic pain. Hypochondriasis has been eliminated from the DSM-5.

Learn about illness, anxiety disorder, and conversion disorder in the image below.

Take a few minutes to watch this video on the somatic symptoms.

Review what you've learned in the activity below.

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