Abnormal Psychology Abnormal psychology the scientific study of
Abnormal Psychology
Abnormal psychology • the scientific study of abnormal behavior in order to describe, predict, explain, and change abnormal patterns of functioning
Mental Disorders • "a clinically significant behavioral or psychological syndrome or pattern that occurs in an individual and that is associated with present distress (e. g. , a painful symptom) or disability (i. e. , impairment in one or more important areas of functioning) or with a significantly increased risk of suffering death, pain, disability, or an important loss of freedom. "--Diagnostic & Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 4 th Ed.
National Institute of Mental Health Statistics • An estimated 26. 2 percent of Americans ages 18 and older — about one in four adults — suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder in a given year. Or 57. 7 million people. • About 6 percent, or 1 in 17 —suffer from a serious mental illness. • In addition, mental disorders are the leading cause of disability in the U. S. and Canada for ages 15 -44. • Nearly half (45 percent) of those with any mental disorder meet criteria for 2 or more disorders, with severity strongly related to comorbidity. • Most common disorders were anxiety, phobias, and mood disorders
What makes a Behavior a Psychological Disorder? • Many definitions have been proposed, yet none are universally accepted • ¨ Most definitions, however, share some common features… • “The Four Ds” – Deviance – Different, extreme, unusual – Distress – Unpleasant & upsetting – Dysfunction – Causes interference with life – Danger – Poses risk of harm
Understanding Psychological Disorders Ancient Treatments of psychological disorders include trephination, exorcism, being caged like animals, being beaten, burned, castrated, mutilated, or transfused with animal’s blood. John W. Verano Trephination (boring holes in the skull to remove evil forces)
Early Theories • Abnormal behavior was evil spirits trying to get out. • Trephining was often used.
Perspectives and Disorders Psychological School/Perspective Psychoanalytic/Psychodynamic Cause of the Disorder Internal, unconscious drives Humanistic Failure to strive to one’s potential or being out of touch with one’s feelings. Behavioral Reinforcement history, the environment. Cognitive Irrational, dysfunctional thoughts or ways of thinking. Sociocultural Biomedical/Neuroscience Dysfunctional Society Organic problems, biochemical imbalances, genetic predispositions.
Systems theory Biopsychosocial Model Assumes that biological, socio-cultural, and psychological factors combine and interact to produce psychological disorders.
Medical Approach When physicians discovered that syphilis led to mental disorders, they started using medical models to review the physical causes of these disorders. 1. 2. 3. 4. Etiology: Cause and development of the disorder. Diagnosis: Identifying (symptoms) and distinguishing one disease from another. Treatment: Treating a disorder in a psychiatric hospital. Prognosis: Forecast about the disorder.
Classifying Psychological Disorders The American Psychiatric Association rendered a Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) to describe psychological disorders. The most recent edition, DSM-IV-TR (Text Revision, 2000), describes 400 psychological disorders compared to 60 in the 1950 s.
The DSM spells out the specific diagnostic criteria • An example of this can be seen in the diagnosis of a major depressive episode. • A person must exhibit at least five or more of the listed nine characteristics and the symptoms must be evident for at least the last two weeks for that person to be diagnosed with this disorder. • When diagnosing a client the American Psychological Association recommends that the clinician use a multiaxial Assessment System.
Goals of DSM 1. 2. Describe (400) disorders. Determine how prevalent the disorder is. Disorders outlined by DSM-IV are reliable. Therefore, diagnoses by different professionals are similar. Others criticize DSM-IV for “putting any kind of behavior within the compass of psychiatry. ”
Labeling Psychological Disorders 1. Critics of the DSM-IV argue that labels may stigmatize individuals. Elizabeth Eckert, Middletown, NY. From L. Gamwell and N. Tomes, Madness in America, 1995. Cornell University Press. Asylum baseball team (labeling)
Labeling Psychological Disorders 2. Labels may be helpful for healthcare professionals when communicating with one another and establishing therapy.
Labeling Psychological Disorders Elaine Thompson/ AP Photo 3. “Insanity” labels raise moral and ethical questions about how society should treat people who have disorders and have committed crimes. Theodore Kaczynski (Unabomber)
The Rosenhan Study • Rosenhan’s associates were malingering symptoms of hearing voices. • They were ALL admitted for schizophrenia. • None were exposed as imposters. • They all left diagnosed with schizophrenia in remission. • What are some of the questions raised by this study?
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