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Abnormal Psychology. Introduction. How should we define psychological disorders? How should we understand disorders? How should we classify psychological disorders?. No one absolute definition of psychological disorders.
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Introduction • How should we define psychological disorders? • How should we understand disorders? • How should we classify psychological disorders?
No one absolute definition of psychological disorders • A pattern of behavioral or psychological symptoms that causes significant personal distress and impairs the ability to function • Behavior that is atypical, disturbing, maladaptive, and unjustifiable • Sanity and insanity are legal terms. Insanity relates to the ability of the defendant to distinguish right from wrong
Historical perspective • Greece • Hippocrates – mental illness was the result of natural causes • Galen divided the causes of mental disorders into physical and psychological disorders • China • Organ pathologies and stressful situations cause mental disorders
Middle Ages • Europe • Abnormal behavior was viewed as demonic possession • Treatment – prayer, laying of hands, exorcism • Islamic countries • Humane mental hospitals were established
Renaissance • Return to the scientific approach 18th and 19th century • Humanitarian reforms – trained nurses, hospitals, treatment 20th century • Scientific advances – MRIs, PET scans, medication
Understanding Psychological DisordersThe Medical Model • Philippe Pinel – medical reformer • Psychological disorders are sickness • Illness needs to be diagnosed on the basis of its symptoms and cured through therapy
The Bio-psycho-social Approach • All behavior arises from the interaction of nature and nurture • Influence of culture on disorders
Classifying Psychological Disorders • Aims to describe a disorder and predict its future course • Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) • DSM-5 • International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10) • Criticisms of the DSM
Labeling Psychological Disorders • Rosenhan’s study • Power of labels • Preconception can stigmatize • Insanity label • Stereotypes of the mentally ill • Self-fulfilling prophecy
Anxiety Disorders • Troubled by persistent worry, phobis, repetitative behavios, or experience perios of terror or panic • Anxiety disorders • Generalized anxiety disorder • Panic disorder • Phobia • Obsessive-compulsive disorder • Post-traumatic stress disorder
Generalized Anxiety Disorder • 2/3 women • Free floating anxiety • Furrow brows, twitching eyelids, trembling, perspiration, • Concentration is difficult
Panic Disorder • Panic disorder • Panic attacks – minutes long episode of intense fear that something horrible is about to happen. • Heart palpitations, shortness of breath, choking sensations, trembling (often thought to be a heart attack)
Phobias • Focus anxiety on a specific object, activity, or situation • Irrational fear that disrupts behavior • Specific phobia – snakes, mice, flying • Social phobia – fear of being scrutinized by others • Agoraphobia – fear or avoidance of situations in which escape might be difficult or help unavailable when panic strikes
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder • Obsessive-compulsive disorder • An obsession versus a compulsion • Checkers • Hand washers
Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder • Post-traumatic stress disorder • PTSD • “shellshock” or “battle fatigue” • Not just due to a war situation • recurring flashbacks, avoidance or numbing of memories of the event, and hyperarousal more than a month after the traumatic event • Post-traumatic growth • positive change experienced as a result of the struggle with a major life crisis or a traumatic event
SAD ScaleCount one point for each answer that matches those below • F • T • F • F • T • F • F • T • F • T • T • F • T • T • F • T • F • T • F • T • T • F • T • T • F • T • F • F
Norms for SAD Scale The higher the score, the greater the degree of social discomfort
Understanding Anxiety DisordersThe Learning Perspective • Fear conditioning • Stimulus generalization • Reinforcement • Observational learning
The Biological Perspective • Natural selection • Snakes and spiders • Not bombs • Genes • Anxiety gene • Temperament • The Brain • Fear learning experiences rewire the brain
Somatoform Disorder • a group of psychiatric disorders that cause unexplained physical symptoms • Types of disorders • Undifferentiated Somatoform Disorder • Conversion Disorder • Hypochondriasis • Body Dysmorphic Disorder • Somatoform Disorder Not Otherwise Specified
Undifferentiated Somatoform Disorder • psychological disorder in which the symptoms take a somatic (bodily) form without apparent physical cause. • most common physical complaints are pain, fatigue , appetite loss, and various gastrointestinal problems
Conversion Disorder • a rare somatoform disorder in which a person experiences very specific genuine physical symptoms for which no psychological basis can be found. • person who loses his voice following a situation in which he was afraid to speak. • A person becomes temporarily blind due to the stress of the loss of a parent or spouse
Hypochondriasis • People that are preoccupied with concern they have a serious disease. They may believe that minor complaints are signs of very serious medical problems. • worried about getting a disease or are certain they have a disease, even after medical tests show they do not. • may believe that a common headache is a sign of a brain tumor
Body Dysmorphic Disorder • a condition where a person spends a lot of time worried and concerned about their appearance. • may focus on an apparent physical defect that other people cannot see. • or, might have a mild physical defect but the concern about it is out of proportion to the defect
Somatoform Disorder Not Otherwise Specified • Conditions that may have features of other somatoform disorders. But they do not meet the full criteria for any other diagnosis • Pseudocyesis – mistaken belief of being pregnant • expanding abdomen • feeling labor pains • nausea • fetal movement • cessation of menstrual period
Explaining Somatoform Disorders • Constitute only 5 percent of all disorders treated. • Decrease linked to our growing understanding of physiological and psychological disorders. • Behavioral perspective • avoidance behavior (becoming ill to avoid or reduce anxiety-arousing stress) is reinforced in two ways: • Anxiety is reduced. • There are interpersonal gains in terms of sympathy and support.
Eating Disorders • Problematic eating patterns • Extreme concerns about body weight • Inappropriate behaviors aimed at controlling body weight. • Types of eating disorders • Anorexia Nervosa • Bulimia Nervosa
