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AP Psychology · Unit 5: Mental & Physical Health

5.3 Categories of Psychological Disorders

The DSM organizes disorders into categories

The DSM-5-TR (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual) groups psychological disorders by shared symptoms. Major categories include anxiety disorders, depressive/bipolar disorders, obsessive-compulsive disorders, trauma-related disorders, dissociative disorders, schizophrenia spectrum disorders, eating disorders, somatic symptom disorders, and personality disorders. Clinicians use these categories to diagnose and communicate consistently.

Anxiety, depressive, and OCD-related disorders

Anxiety disorders (e.g., generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, phobias) involve excessive fear/worry. Depressive disorders (e.g., major depressive disorder) involve persistent sadness and loss of interest; bipolar disorders add episodes of mania (elevated mood, high energy). OCD involves intrusive obsessions paired with repetitive compulsions meant to reduce anxiety.

Schizophrenia, dissociative, and other disorders

Schizophrenia spectrum disorders feature psychosis: hallucinations, delusions, disorganized speech/behavior, and negative symptoms (flat affect, social withdrawal). Dissociative disorders involve disruptions in memory/identity (e.g., dissociative identity disorder). Somatic symptom disorders involve physical symptoms linked to psychological distress. Personality disorders are enduring, inflexible patterns of thought/behavior that impair functioning (e.g., antisocial, borderline).

Key terms

DSM-5-TR
The manual clinicians use to classify and diagnose psychological disorders based on shared symptom criteria.
Psychosis
A break from reality involving hallucinations, delusions, and disorganized thinking/behavior, seen in schizophrenia spectrum disorders.
Mania
An episode of abnormally elevated mood and energy, distinguishing bipolar disorders from depressive disorders.
OCD
A disorder involving intrusive obsessions and repetitive compulsions aimed at reducing anxiety.
Personality disorder
An enduring, inflexible pattern of thoughts and behaviors that impairs functioning (e.g., antisocial, borderline).

Try an AP-style question

Scenario

For two weeks, Alex has felt worthless, lost interest in hobbies, and slept poorly.

Which diagnosis fits best?

  1. Generalized anxiety disorder
  2. Schizophrenia
  3. Bipolar I disorder
  4. Major depressive disorder
Show the answer

D. Two+ weeks.

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