Psychological Disorder Paper This month you are to write a 750 word research paper on any psychological disorder. This paper is worth 20% of your grade. You will need to preview chapter 14 for some ideas on a disorder that interests you. I also listed some websites below. Please use the APA format and cite at least three (3) sources. I have guidelines on using the APA format and citing sources in Student Resources for you. To submit your paper click on the Psychological Disorder Paper link under Week 3. Then click on the View/Complete link at the bottom of the page. Then attach your paper. Follow the directions below for a step-by-step process. Here are some websites that may be helpful to you: NAMI: https://www.nami.org/learn-more/mental-health-conditions Psychology Information Online: http://www.psychologyinfo.com/problems/ AllPsych Online, Virtual Psychology: http://allpsych.com/disorders/index.html Psych Crawler Search Engine: http://www.fidnet.com/~weid/disorders.htm Psych Central: http://www.psychcentral.com/ Assignment Requirements (Use as a checklist): Topic is a psychological disorder Use a 10 or 12 pt Arial or Times New Roman Font Double-space paper Minimum of 750 words. No more than 1,000 words Minimum of three (3) cited sources Use APA format and parenthetical citations right after cited material (See below) Make sure your name is on your paper Paper should contain an introduction, a body, and a conclusion

 

Mental Disorder

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Introduction

A psychological disorder which is also recognized as a mental disorder is considered an outline of behavioral or psychological signs that have an impact on several living areas and creates distress to the individual experiencing these symptoms. As documented by the American Psychiatric Association, a psychological sickness is a syndrome associated with a clinically significant disturbance in a person’s cognitive, emotional control, and development process underlying mental operation. In many occasions, mental disorders are linked with intense distress in social, occupational and other significant activities. Still, as part of the discussion, suffering in some diseases are likely to emerge from emotional dysfunction as the case in generalized anxiety disorder. Several illnesses such as eating, mood, and personality disorders are associated with emotional suffering with their symptoms. It is considered that the culture of a person plays a significant role in kind of therapy, analysis, and integration with several psychological disorders without the knowledge of the other members of the given cultural setup. Therefore, the paper will look into seasonal affective disorder, its signs and symptoms, its causes and treatment.

Seasonal Affective Disorder

A seasonal affective disorder known as SAD is a form of depression in which the human being experience depressive conditions during a specified period of the year. The most frequent seasonal pattern is for depressive states to being in the plunge or wintry weather and retreating in the spring. A less regular type of this order referred to as summer depression, typically starts in the late springs or early summer (Wiklund, Patzelt & Dimov, 2016). The seasonal affective disorder may be linked to the constant changes that happen in the level of sunshine that a person acquires or gets daily. This kind of disease is not considered as a different ailment from other ailments, but instead is a kind of depression condition that has a persistent seasonal sample.  For a person to be diagnosed with a seasonal affective disorder, he or she must comply and meet the sequences for significant depression reflecting the specific seasons for close to two years. The person ought to experience seasonal depression symptoms much often that any non-seasonal depression. This kind of ailment is calculated to have affected over 10 million Americans with close to twenty percent having a mild seasonal affective disorder. The illness is five times more popular in women as compared to men with an onset age being estimated to be between seventeen and thirty. Various individuals may experience intense symptoms that may likely to affect the quality of life and close to seven percent needs immediate hospitalization. A majority of people affected by this kind of ailment reports nearly one close family member with a psychiatric disorder, most regularly severe depression disorder or alcohol consumption.

Symptoms

Not every person with the seasonal affective disorder has similar symptoms; however, symptoms regularly connected with the “winter blues” include the feeling of hopelessness and sadness, oversleeping, gaining more weight, change in the level of appetite, and reduction in the degree energy within the body. Also, some of the signs and symptoms associated with summer seasonal affective disorder include poor taste, loss of body weight, and lack of quality sleep, agitation and anxiety. Either type of this ailment may incorporate some of the signs that are available in significant depression including the feelings of remorse, lack of interest or pleasure in previously enjoyed activities, feelings of hopelessness, and other physical issues such as stomach problems and headaches (Melrose, 2015). Typically, a majority of these symptoms happens to reoccur at about the same period every year and for a person to be diagnosed with this disorder, the alterations in mood ought to be a precise result of popular seasonal stressors. It is also essential to acknowledge that seasonal affective disorder can at times be misdiagnosed as hypothyroidism or as a viral infection such as mononucleosis.  

Causes

Typically, the purposes of these mental diseases are not yet known to scientists and researchers; however, there is a theory that states it is related to the level of melatonin in the human body that is charged with regulating the sleep. As the winter periods get fewer and darker, melatonin production within the human body rises and people happens to feel sleepier and more exhausted.  Also, there is a theory that states; people with this kind of disorder may have difficulties in controlling their levels of serotonin that is considered as a significant neurotransmitter engaged in the mood (Oginska & Oginska-Bruchal, 2014). Other research conducted suggests that individuals with this disorder are producing inferior vitamin D that is responsible for any serotonin activity. Vitamin D shortage may be as a result of clinically significant depression signs.

Conclusion

In summary, some of the treatment approaches used to reduce the symptoms of seasonal affective disorder strategically comprise combinations of anti-depressant tablets, light rehabilitation, Vitamin D, and proper counseling procedures. Since lack of sunlight can cause winter depression, the broadband light treatment is typically applied as the active option. This treatment needs a light box or a light visor worn on the head, and the person either sits facing the source of the light or the light-box for a given period every day. Consequently, light treatment takes close to 40 minutes every day throughout the fall and the winter periods; however, the amount of time needed depends on every individual affected by the disorder. When the light therapy approves of being enough that can lower the symptoms and boosts energy level, the person continues to apply it until enough daylight is available probably in the springtime.

 

References

Melrose, S. (2015). Seasonal affective disorder: an overview of assessment and treatment approaches. Depression research and treatment, 2015.

Oginska, H., & Oginska-Bruchal, K. (2014). Chronotype and personality factors of predisposition to seasonal affective disorder. Chronobiology international, 31(4), 523-531.

Wiklund, J., Patzelt, H., & Dimov, D. (2016). Entrepreneurship and psychological disorders: How ADHD can be productively harnessed. Journal of Business Venturing Insights, 6, 14-20.