Psychological Disorders An Introduction Defining Disorder Psychological Disorder

Psychological Disorders: An Introduction

Defining Disorder

Psychological Disorder • Behavior patterns or mental processes that cause serious personal suffering or interfere with a person’s ability to cope with everyday life.

It Takes 4 Things for a Behavior to be Considered a Disorder: • • Typicality Maladaptivity Emotional Discomfort Socially Unacceptable Behavior

Typicality • Is the behavior typical of most people?

Maladaptive • Impairs the person’s ability to function in everyday life. • An exaggeration of normal, acceptable behaviors • Destructive to oneself or others

Emotional Discomfort • A behavior which is troublesome to the person themselves or those around them.

Socially Unacceptable Behavior • A behavior so different from other people’s behavior that it violates a norm • Norms vary from culture to culture

Understanding Disorders

Early Views of Mental Illness • In ancient times, mental illness was usually explained through a supernatural model; the person was possessed or a sinner • During the Middle Ages treatment methods were inhumane and cruel

The Medical Model • Diseases have physical causes that can be diagnosed, treated, and in most cases, cured. • Psychological disorders can be diagnosed based on their symptoms and treated or cured through therapy. • Psychological disorders are similar to a physical illness.

Bio-Psycho-Social Model • Perspective of mental illness which assumes that biological, psychological, and sociocultural factors combine and interact to produce psychological disorders

Bio-Psycho-Social Perspective

Classifying Disorders

Diagnosis Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV-TR)—describes specific symptoms and diagnostic guidelines for psychological disorders – Provides a common language to label mental disorders – Comprehensive guidelines to help diagnose mental disorders

DSM-IV-TR • Divides mental disorders into 17 major categories • Includes the symptoms but not the causes or treatment of each disease • Lists and describes 250 specific psychological disorders

Labeling Stigmas • Studies show a clear bias against people diagnosed with mental disorders. • Rosenhan Study – “normal” people pretended to hear voices and checked into a mental health facility then acted normally. Their normal actions taken to be abnormal once they were labeled schizophrenic.

Prevalence • Approximately 48% of adults experienced symptoms at least once in their lives • Approximately 80% who experienced symptoms in the last year did NOT seek treatment – Many people who could benefit from mental health treatment do not seek it. – Most people seem to deal with symptoms without complete debilitation • Women have higher prevalence of depression and anxiety • Men have higher prevalence of substance abuse and antisocial personality disorder

Prevalence of Mental Disorders Worldwide

Gender Differences for Disorders

Are People with a Mental Illness as Violent as the Media Portrays Them? • People with mental disorders are often depicted on TV as helpless victims or evil villains who are unpredictable, dangerous, and violent. • One study indicated that, overall, former mental patients did not have a higher rate of violence than a matched comparison group. • People with severe mental disorders who are experiencing bizarre delusional ideas and hallucinated voices do have a slightly higher level of violent and illegal behavior than do “normal” people.