Psychological Disorders
Class 12 · Psychology
4 ideas in Class 12 Psychology, explained in plain words, with games and quizzes to practise.
Abnormality and Its Models
Part of: Abnormality, fear and worry
Unusual behaviour counts as disorder when it brings distress, breaks daily living, strays far from norms or risks harm. Causes join weak spots with strain: body chemistry, learned habits, thoughts and social setting all play parts. Naming disorders guides care and study, never shaming.
Why it matters. Learners often tag shy or sad friends as ill. Clear criteria stop loose labels and point real struggles toward help.
Key words
- Abnormality
- : Behaviour straying far with distress or harm.
- Distress
- : Painful strain felt inside.
- Dysfunction
- : Breakdown of daily living.
- Diathesis-stress
- : Weak spot plus strain triggering trouble.
- Classification
- : Naming disorders to guide care.
Try it in two minutes
- Ask the learner to name one odd but harmless habit.
- Ask whether it distresses or blocks daily life.
- Ask what weak spot plus strain could build it.
- Ask what kind help would suit it.
Try at home. Sort three odd habits into harmless versus help-needed with reasons.
Anxiety OCD and Trauma Disorders
Part of: Abnormality, fear and worry
Worry disorders flood the mind with fears: free-floating worry, sharp object fears and sudden panic surges. Ritual disorders pair nagging urges with repeated acts that ease them briefly. Shock-linked troubles relive past scares in safe places, with nightmares and jumpiness.
Why it matters. Learners often mock fears or hide rituals. Knowing these patterns turns mockery into support and points sufferers toward counsel.
Key words
- Generalised anxiety
- : Free-floating worry most days.
- Phobia
- : Strong irrational fear of a thing.
- Panic
- : Sudden intense fear surge.
- Obsession
- : Nagging urge or thought.
- Compulsion
- : Repeated act easing an urge.
- Post-traumatic stress
- : Reliving past shock in safety.
Try it in two minutes
- Ask the learner what vague worry they carry on test days.
- Ask what repeated check they perform before leaving.
- Ask what scare returns to mind unasked.
- Ask what steady support would ease each.
Try at home. Note one worry, one check and one scare-memory, and plan one support step.
Mood Somatic and Dissociative Disorders
Part of: Mood, body and reality
Mood disorders sink or swing feeling: long low mood with lost interest, or lows alternating with high energy and skipped sleep. Somatic troubles bring real aches with health worries beyond medical cause. Detachment troubles split awareness under shock, as if watching oneself from afar.
Why it matters. Learners often call deep sadness laziness or mock strange complaints. These patterns teach when low mood or aches need care, not scolding.
Key words
- Depression
- : Long low mood with lost interest.
- Mania
- : High energy with skipped sleep.
- Bipolar
- : Lows and highs alternating.
- Somatic symptom
- : Real aches with health worries.
- Dissociation
- : Mind detaching under shock.
Try it in two minutes
- Ask the learner how long low mood must last to worry.
- Ask what lost interest looks like in a friend.
- Ask how health worries can outrun test reports.
- Ask what support each pattern needs.
Try at home. Track mood, sleep and interest for a week and note any long dip.
Schizophrenia Developmental and Conduct Issues
Part of: Mood, body and reality
Reality breaks show fixed false beliefs, voices others miss and jumbled talk. Developmental conditions start early: restless unfocus, social-link gaps or learning blocks. Conduct issues break rules and rights of others. Misuse of addictive substances harms health, study and bonds, and early counsel with firm refusal helps.
Why it matters. Learners often brand strange peers as mad or dare each other into misuse. Knowledge replaces branding with support and refusal skills.
Key words
- Delusion
- : Fixed false belief held tight.
- Hallucination
- : Sensing what others miss.
- Disorganised speech
- : Jumbled hard-to-track talk.
- ADHD
- : Restless unfocus from early years.
- Conduct issue
- : Rule breaks harming others.
- Substance misuse
- : Harmful use of addictive matter.
Try it in two minutes
- Ask the learner what fixed false belief means.
- Ask how restless unfocus differs from naughtiness.
- Ask what rule-breaking harms others.
- Ask how to refuse a risky dare firmly.
Try at home. Practise one firm refusal line for risky dares with a friend.
What your child will practise
- Abnormality and Its Models: Candy Quick Fire (Quick Fire)
- Anxiety OCD and Trauma Disorders: Desert Quick Fire (Quick Fire)
- Anxiety OCD and Trauma Disorders: Ocean Puzzle (Clue Puzzle)
- Mood Somatic and Dissociative Disorders: Space Quick Fire (Quick Fire)
- Schizophrenia Developmental and Conduct Issues: Candy Puzzle (Clue Puzzle)
- Quiz: Abnormality and Its Models (8 questions)
- Quiz: Anxiety OCD and Trauma Disorders (8 questions)
- Quiz: Mood Somatic and Dissociative Disorders (8 questions)
- Quiz: Schizophrenia Developmental and Conduct Issues (8 questions)