April 9, 2014Psychopathology Views of mental disorders Somatogenic hypothesis = caused by specific injury or infection to body Psychogenic hypothesis = rooted in psychological processes Most widely believed today Modern theories Diathesis-stress model Diathesis = predisposition or vulnerability for a disorder Stress = trigger turns vulnerability into disorder Both must be present Multicausal model Multiple factors give rise to diathesis & stress Biopsychosolical viewpoint Biological factors Psychological factors Social factors Normal vs. abnormal Abnormal characterized by Personal distress Level of impairment which interferes with ability to function Violation of social norms (culturally dependent) Statistical infrequency DSM model Diagnostic & Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Contains classifications & criteria Does not address causes of disorders Five dimensions for evaluation Axis I = clinical disorders Axis II = personality & developmental disorders Axis III = general medical conditions Axis IV = psychosocial stressors Axis V = global assessment of functioning (0-100 scale)Axis I Anxiety disorders Four components Physical (activation of sympathetic nervous system) Cognitive (unrealistic thoughts) Emotional Behavioral Generalized anxiety disorder Continued, persistent anxiety that is difficult to control Not caused by specific event/situation Phobia Intense & irrational fear Specific phobia = fear of particular object/situation (e.g. spiders, snakes) Social phobia = fear of being watched & judged by others Panic attacks Discrete period of intense fear or discomfort Usually around 10 minutes long Both physical (racing heart, sweating, shortness of breath) & psychological symptoms(fear of dying, fear of losing control, depersonalization) Post-traumatic stress disorder Caused by exposure to traumatic events Re-experiencing the event, hyperarousal, avoidance, sleep disturbances, emotional numbing, etc. Obsessive compulsive disorder Obsessions = persistent, intrusive thoughts, images & impulses Compulsions = repetitive behaviors or mental acts (e.g. washing hands, checking stove) Causes Different anxiety disorders have different biological bases Conditioning (disorders strengthened by learning) Depressive disorders Significant change in one’s emotional state Clinical major depression Dysthymia Mild depression Still chronic (at least 2 years) Seasonal affective disorder Generally during winter months/when not exposed to sun Treated in a more biological manner Bipolar disorder Shift between depression & mania Mania = distinct period of particularly elevated or irritable mood- Decrease sleep, talkative, racing thoughts, distractibility, etc. Depression for at least 2 weeks followed by mania for at least 1 week Causes Hereditary components important Disruption of neurotransmission (norepinephrine, dopamine & serotonin systems) Psychological factors Psychoanalytic (childhood issues) Attachment (insecure attachment/trouble with separation) Behavioral/learning (reinforcement, learned helplessness) Cognitive (distortions, misattribution of
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