Syndrome Psychopathology Abnormal Psychology the application of psychological science to the study of mental dis the symptoms and signs of mental disorders including such phenomena the scientific study of the frequency and distribution of disorders within a a group of symptoms that appear together and are assumed to represent a spe a general term that refers to several types of severe mental disorders in which values beliefs practices that are shared by a specific community or group of peo Learning Objectives for Topic I 7 Key Terms as depressed mood panic attacks and bizarre behavior orders Psychosis the person is considered to be out of contact with reality schizophrenia cific type of disorder Culture ple Epidemiology population cific period of time the total number of active cases both old and new that are present in a popula tion during a specific period of time lifetime total proportion of people in a given popula tion affected by the disorder in some point in their lives ders and treatment of disorders mental disturbance a condition can be considered a mental disorder if it causes harm to Harmful dysfunction the person and if the condition results from the inability of some mechanism to perform its natural function the number of new cases of a disorder that appear in a population during a spe in depth look at the symptoms and circumstances surrounding one person s the presence of more than one condition during the same period of time the branch of medicine concerned with the study and treatment of mental disor helping achieve an effective level of psychosocial functioning concerned with application of psychological science to the assessment Comorbidity Psychiatry Social work Case study Clinical Psychology Prevalence Incidence What Criteria are used to define a mental disorder group of symptoms persistent maladaptive behaviors impairment in the ability to perform social and occupational roles defined in terms of experiences most people do not have needs to meet two criteria results in the inability of some internal mechanism to perform natural function and the condition causes harm to the person as judged by the standards of the persons culture When is someones behavior abnormal What are the pros and cons of this definition Individual experience of personal distress some distress is to another person not them selves Statistical norms how common or rare is it in the general population Learning Objectives for Topic I 7 doesn t specify how unusual behavior must be does not distinguish between deviations that are harmful and those that are not DSM IV definition harmful dysfunction in actual practice it is defined in terms of an official diagnostic system What does culture have to do with these concepts the impact of particular behavior on a person s adjustment depends on the culture to the extend that our behavior is determined by cultural values and beliefs we should ex pect that it will continue to evolve over time example homosexuality orgasmic disorder How common are mental disorders which disorders are most common and what percent of cases are mild moderate or severe 46 percent of people surveyed received at least one lifetime diagnosis major depression most common 17 then alcohol abuse drug abuse ptsd panic disorder bipolar OCD schizophrenia bulimia and anorexia 40 of cases are mild 37 as moderate and only 22 severe What is disease burden How does the disease burden of mental disorders compare to that of medical conditions How do mental disorders compare to each other in disease burden combine two factors mortality and disability lost years of healthy life mental disorders make up 1 they produce 47 of all disability in economically developed top 3 cardiovascular conditions mental disorders including suicide and malignant dis countries and 28 world wide ease cancer Are there cross cultural differences some disorders like schizophrenia are consistent across cultures others are more specifically associated with cultural factors as revealed by comparisons of all mental disorders are shaped to some extent by cultural factors no mental disorders are entirely due to cultural societal factors psychotic disorders are less influenced by culture than non psychotic disorders symptoms of certain disorders are more likely to vary across cultures than are the disorders prevalence themselves Not all problems in living for which people might benefit from professional help are considered to be disorders How does the mental health profes sion conceptualize these other issues and problems How do these types of problems differ from mental disorders The DSMIV has adjustment disorders the development of a clinically significant symp toms in response to stress that are not severe enough to be a mental disorder Learning Objectives for Topic I 7 list of other conditions that may be a focus of clinical attention Life cycle transitions crisis of the healthy personality psychological pain can be a reaction to a stressor of any severity not just traumatic stress DSM IV has list of other conditions that may be a focus of clinical attention V codes Criteria for an adjustment disorder development of emotional or behavioral symptoms in response to identifiable stressor occurring within 3 months of the stressor symptoms marked distress that is in excess of what would be expected of an exposure to the stressor significant impairment in social or occupational functioning disturbance does not meet criteria for another specific axis one disorder and is not merely an exacerbation of a preexisting axis one or two disorder the symptoms do not represent bereavement once the stressor has terminator the symptoms do not persist for more than an addi tional 6 months What are the major mental health professions Compare them in terms of their education and primary activities Psychiatry medicine medical school for four years specialized residency four years fo cused on abnormal behavior can prescribe medication Clinical psychology assessment and treatment five years of graduate school and a one year internship PhD doctor of philosophy research emphasis PsyD doctor of psychology practical skills of assessment Social work psychosocial functioning masters degree in social work wide range of set tings social and cultural factors poverty for example Professional counselors schools and government agencies to mental health centers and pri vate practice masters degree education direct service Psychosocial rehabilitation severe