Psychological Disorders Chapter 16 Psychology Fall Winter Psychological

Psychological Disorders Chapter 16 Psychology Fall – Winter

Psychological Disorders • Where should we draw the line between normality and abnormality? • How should we define psychological disorders? • How should we understand disorders – as sicknesses that need to be diagnosed and cured or as natural responses to troubling environments?

Introducing Psychological Disorders • Con. Air: • • The English Patient: • • Major depressive disorder Primal Fear: • • Acute stress disorder As Good As It Gets: • • Antisocial personality disorder Dissociative identity disorder Copy Cat: • Panic disorder with agoraphobia

Disordered Behaviour • When is behaviour disordered? • According to many mental health workers psychological disorders are persistently harmful thoughts, feelings, and actions

Disordered Behaviour: 3 Components

Disordered Behaviour Deviant Disordered Behaviour: 3 Components (Abnormal) Distressful (disabling) Dysfunctional (Impairing)

Deviant Behaviour • Varies by culture and context: – • Examples: • Nude beaches • Paranormal psychologists (speaking with spirits) Standards continue to change – Homosexuality • – 1952 – 1973 homosexuality was considered an illness ADHD?

Understanding Psychological Disorders • A progression of understanding: – Throughout history there have been distinct approaches in dealing with psychological disorders

The Middle Ages • • Puzzling behaviour explained by: – Stars – Godlike powers – Evil spirits Remedy? – Caged – Given therapies appropriate to a demon: Beatings Burnings Castration Pulling teeth Removing intestines Blood transfusions

The Medical Model • • Philippe Pinel (1745 – 1826) – Opposed brutal treatment – Insisted behaviours were explained by sickness of the mind Pinel’s remedy – ‘moral treatment’: – Talking to patient – Replacing brutality with gentleness – Isolation with activity – Clean air and sunshine

The Medical Model (Cont’d) • The medical model assumption provided impetus for further reform • Hospitals replaced asylums • Medical perspective continues to hold water – Diagnosis, illness, symptoms, therapy, treatments, prescriptions

The Biopsychosocial Approach • • Contemporary Psychology: – All behaviour (disordered or not) comes from the interaction of nature and nurture – Not necessarily solely an internal problem Cultural-dependent issues: – Anorexia nervosa (Western cultures) – Susto (Latin America) – • The cause is a sudden frightening experience such as an accident, a fall, witnessing a relative's sudden death, or any other potentially dangerous event • Severe anxiety andrestlessness Taijin-kyofusho (Japan) • taijin kyofusho literally means the disorder (sho) of fear (kyofu) of interpersonal relations (taijin) • Avoids social contact

Classifying Psychological Disorders • • Intention of classifying disorder(s): – Describe – Predict American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (fourth edition) – DSM - IV

DSM-IV • – Defines a diagnostic process and 16 clinical syndromes – Describes disorders – Lists prevalence – Seemingly very reliable Some believe it is too broad

Psychological Disorders: An Activity

Labeling Psychological Disorders • Major criticism – labeling is arbitrary “labels create preconceptions that guide our perceptions and our interpretations” – labels affect how we perceive people – Stereotypes linger – *Erroneous diagnosis may be self-confirming – clinicians may search for evidence in a client’s life history and hospital behaviour that is consistent with the diagnosis (activity)

Labeling Psychological Disorders • However, a ‘necessary evil’: – Allow for the communication of diagnosis – Comprehend underlying causes – Discern effective treatment programs – Allow for medical coverage

Portrayal of Disorders and the Media • Media’s role: – Sometimes offer reasonably accurate accounts (A Beautiful Mind ~ schizophrenia) – Often stereotype mental health patients as homicidal or freakish

The End