Handbook of mental disorders

Dear interlocutor,

The construction of an exhaustive and detailed compendium that addresses all nosological entities classified as mental disorders represents a task of extensive magnitude, due to the vast heterogeneity and complexity of these conditions. In scientific literature, mental disorders are categorized based on specific diagnostic criteria, which are compiled and periodically updated in diagnostic manuals such as the DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, fifth edition) and the ICD-11 (Classification International Disease, eleventh revision).

1. Neurodevelopmental Disorders: These include conditions such as autism spectrum disorder and attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), characterized by deficits that affect personal, social, academic or occupational development (American Psychiatric Association, 2013).
2. Psychotic Disorders: Among these, schizophrenia is the most emblematic, marked by distortions in thinking, perception, emotions, language, sense of self and behavior (Van Os & Kapur, 2009).
3. Mood Disorders: This category encompasses depressive and bipolar disorders, in which the primary disturbance is an alteration in mood or affect, with episodes ranging from profound depression to intense mania (Kupfer et al., 2012).
4. Anxiety Disorders: These include disorders such as panic syndrome, generalized anxiety disorder and specific phobias, where fear or anxiety are disproportionate to the context that evokes them (Bandeira et al., 2013).
5. Obsessive-Compulsive and Related Disorders: Characterized by the presence of obsessions (recurrent and intrusive thoughts) and compulsions (repetitive behaviors) that significantly interfere with the individual’s daily functioning (Stein et al., 2010).
6. Trauma and Stressor-Related Disorders: These include post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), where exposure to a traumatic event leads to symptoms of re-experiencing, avoidance, hyperactivation, and cognitive or mood changes (Yehuda & LeDoux, 2007).
7. Dissociative Disorders: Involves disorders such as dissociative amnesia and dissociative identity, characterized by a rupture and/or discontinuity in the normal integration of consciousness, memory, identity, emotion, perception, body representation, motor control and behavior (Spiegel et al., 2011 ).
8. Eating Disorders: These involve conditions such as anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa, where there are significant disturbances in the perception of body shape and weight, with serious consequences for the patient’s health (Kaye et al., 2009).
9. Elimination Disorders: Focus on problems with continence, such as enuresis and encopresis, manifested predominantly in childhood (von Gontard & Neveus, 2006).
10. Sleep-Wake Disorders: Address problems related to sleep, which impact physical and mental health, including insomnia and narcolepsy (Scammell, 2015).
11. Sexual Dysfunctions: These include disorders characterized by a disturbance in the process of the sexual response cycle or by pain associated with sex (Binik, 2010).
12. Disruptive, Impulse Control, and Conduct Disorders: These include conditions such as intermittent explosive disorder, characterized by problems with emotional and behavioral control (Coccaro, 2012).
13. Substance-Related Disorders and Addictive Disorders: Substance-related disorders encompass nosological entities resulting from the abusive use of psychoactive substances, such as alcohol, caffeine, cannabis, hallucinogens, inhalants, opioids, sedatives, hypnotics, anxiolytics, stimulants (including tobacco), and other unknown substances that cause clinically significant impairment or discomfort (Degenhardt & Hall, 2012).
14. Neurocognitive Disorders: Include significant decline in one or more areas of cognitive function, such as attention, executive function, learning and memory, language, perceptual-motor skills, and social cognition, that mark a decrease from a previous level of performance. This group encompasses conditions such as dementia and mild cognitive impairment (Petersen, 2011).
15. Personality Disorders: These disorders involve enduring patterns of internal experience and behavior that deviate markedly from the expectations of the individual’s culture. They are permeable and inflexible, appear in early adulthood or earlier, and cause suffering or functional impairment. Examples include borderline, antisocial, obsessive-compulsive, and avoidant personality disorder (American Psychiatric Association, 2013).
16. Paraphilic Disorders: Refers to sexually exciting or rewarding impulses or behaviors that involve atypical objects, situations, fantasies, behaviors or individuals (Seto, 2008).

These disorders are studied and classified in order to facilitate in-depth understanding and appropriate clinical intervention, allowing mental health professionals to identify and effectively treat the diverse manifestations of psychiatric illnesses. It is important to highlight that knowledge about mental disorders is constantly evolving, with new research and approaches continually being developed to better understand and treat these complex conditions.

For effective treatment, it is essential to make accurate diagnoses and apply evidence-based therapies, adjusted to the individual needs of patients. This process requires an integrated understanding of the biological, psychological and social mechanisms involved in each disorder, as well as the availability and access to appropriate treatments.

The ability to diagnose and treat mental disorders is strengthened by continuous research that seeks to elucidate their etiologies and mechanisms, in addition to developing more effective intervention methods. Epidemiological and clinical studies contribute to the database, which guides clinical practices and mental health policies, providing a framework for developing more accurate and personalized prevention and intervention strategies (Kessler & Wang, 2008).

In conclusion, the diversity and complexity of mental disorders require a multidimensional approach and constant collaboration between researchers, clinicians and policy makers. Thus, the goal of psychiatry and behavioral sciences remains not only the understanding and effective treatment, but also the prevention of these conditions, improving the quality of life of affected individuals and contributing to global public health.

References:

• American Psychiatric Association. (2013). Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5). American Psychiatric Publishing.
• Degenhardt, L., & Hall, W. (2012). Extent of illicit drug use and dependence, and their contribution to the global burden of disease. Lancet, 379(9810), 55-70.
• Kessler, R. C., & Wang, P. S. (2008). The descriptive epidemiology of commonly occurring mental disorders in the United States. Annual Review of Public Health, 29, 115-129.
• Petersen, R. C. (2011). Clinical practice. Mild cognitive impairment. New England Journal of Medicine, 364(23), 2227-2234.
• Seto, M. C. (2008). Pedophilia and sexual offending against children: Theory, assessment, and intervention. American Psychological Association.
• Van Os, J., & Kapur, S. (2009). Schizophrenia. Lancet, 374(9690), 635-645.

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