Unit 8: Clinical Psychology
AP Psychology: 59 practice questions with detailed explanations.
Unit Study Guide
Executive Summary
Unit 8 covers how psychologists define, explain, and treat psychological disorders — the DSM-5's categories, the major theories, and the therapies.
Defining disorder
The DSM-5 classifies disorders by symptoms that cause distress or dysfunction. The medical model treats disorders as diagnosable conditions; the biopsychosocial model blends biological, psychological, and social causes; the diathesis–stress model pairs vulnerability with triggers.
Major disorders
Anxiety: generalized anxiety, panic, phobias, OCD. Mood: major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder. Schizophrenia: delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech. Dissociative: amnesia, identity. Somatic: symptoms without medical cause. Personality disorders: inflexible, maladaptive patterns.
Explanations
Biological (genetics, neurotransmitters, brain structure), psychological (learning, cognition), and sociocultural (poverty, culture) perspectives each contribute; no single cause explains any disorder.
Treatment
Biomedical: antidepressants (SSRIs), antianxiety drugs, antipsychotics, mood stabilizers. Psychotherapy: psychoanalytic (insight), humanistic (client-centered, Rogers), behavioral (counterconditioning, exposure), cognitive (Beck's thought patterns), cognitive-behavioral (CBT — the best-supported for depression and anxiety). Eclectic therapists combine approaches.
Exam traps
SSRIs raise serotonin availability by blocking reuptake — they do not add serotonin instantly. CBT changes thoughts AND behaviors. Schizophrenia is not multiple personalities — that is dissociative identity disorder.