Why We Made This:
Differentiating disorders can be overwhelming. Individuals often confuse similar diagnoses like ODD vs. CD, OCD vs. OCPD, or PTSD vs. Acute Stress Disorder. We created this PDF to make those differences clear and easy to retain. Our notes emphasize comparisons, breaking down overlapping and distinct symptoms in a clean, visual format that supports rapid understanding. Other EPPP study materials focus only on memorization. Ours emphasizes understanding clinical presentations to better prepare users for both exams and clinical decision-making.
  
Learning Objectives:
Identify and distinguish between trauma-related disorders, such as Panic Disorder, PTSD, Acute Stress Disorder, and Agoraphobia.
Differentiate between illness-related disorders, including Somatic Symptom Disorder, Illness Anxiety Disorder, Conversion Disorder, Factitious Disorder, and Malingering.
Understand and compare key characteristics of psychotic spectrum disorders, including Schizophrenia, Schizophreniform, and Schizoaffective Disorder.
Describe and contrast childhood developmental disorders, such as ODD, CD, DMDD, Reactive Attachment Disorder, and Disinhibited Social Engagement Disorder.
Examine and differentiate personality disorders within Clusters A, B, and C, with special attention to overlapping features and key distinctions (e.g., BPD vs. Histrionic, Schizoid vs. Schizotypal, OCD vs. OCPD).