Abnormal Psychology Exam 1 Study Guide Topic I Ch 1 parts of 2 3 4 Topic II Ch 2 Topic III Part of chapter 4 Topic I What are abnormal Behaviors and Mental Disorders What is abnormal psychology o Abnormal Psychology of mental disorders The application of psychological science to the study What are mental disorders o DSM definition of Mental Disorders A behavioral or psychological syndrome group of The official definition recognizes the concept of associated features symptoms dysfunction and spells out ways in which the harmful consequences of the disorder might be identified Clusters of persistent maladaptive behaviors associated with personal distress anxiety depression Impairment in social functioning job performance or personal relationships certain behavioral syndromes Primary emphasis based on consequences of o Defining characteristics of mental disorders Table 1 1 1 A syndrome that is characterized by a person s cognition emotion regulation or behavior 2 The consequences of which are clinically significant distress or disability in social occupational or other important activities 3 The syndrome reflects a dysfunction in the psychological biological or developmental processes that are associated with mental functioning 4 Must not be merely an expectable response to common stressors and losses or a culturally sanctioned response to a particular event conflicts with society 5 This is not primarily a result of social deviance or o Mental disorders according to Wakefield harmful dysfunction Fits the following 2 criteria 1 Results from the inability of some internal mechanism mental or physical to perform its natural function 2 Causes some harm to the person as judged by the standards of the person s culture These consequences are measured in terms of the person s own subjective distress or difficulty performing expected social or occupational roles How do we know if a behavior is abnormal o Culturally and contextually defined as deviant different o One or more of the following than most people o Some behaviors may be considered normal depending upon Distress Dysfunctional Dangerous context Different approaches 1 Emphasis on individual s experience of personal distress subjective discomfort Problem Some people are unwilling or unable to appreciate the extent of their problem or the impact of their behavior on others lack of insight 2 Statistical norms approach How common or how rare it is in the general population Deviates from expected norm Problems Doesn t specify how unusual the behavior must be to be considered abnormal Doesn t distinguish between harmful and non harmful deviants How does culture relate to mental disorders abnormal behavior o The process by which the DSM is constructed and revised o The value and belief systems of a culture have a profound is necessarily influenced by cultural considerations influence on opinions regarding the difference between normal and abnormal behavior disorders Wakefield o Only dysfunctions that are socially disvalued are o Culture will continue to evolve over time What is a diagnosis o General definition Determine the nature and cause of a problem causal analysis o Psychopathology definition Classifying syndromes into categories each of which we call a mental disorder Provides a LABEL category based on descriptions of the symptoms NOT explanations of what causes it descriptions of personal experience There are no lab tests for confirmation Diagnoses will be based on observation and Classification systems symptoms o List of various types of problems and their associated o Used to subdivide or organize a set of objects o Can be based on various principles and their value will depend primarily on the purpose for which they were developed o No single correct way to classify a mental disorder Categorical approach to classification o Distinctions among members of different categories are qualitative not quantitative Yes No o Many medical conditions are categorical Dimensional approach to classification dimensions judgments o Describes objects of classification in terms of continuous o Quantitative measurements rather than qualitative o How much of that characteristic is exhibited o Allows scientists to record subtle distinctions that would be lost in all or none decisions Pros and Cons of psychiatric classification saying someone has a mental disorder o Pros Useful to clinicians who must match their client s problems with the form of intervention that is most likely to be effective Used in the search for new knowledge Organize and simplify complex phenomena and experiences Indicate a person s problems are similar to those experienced by others facilitates communication research and clinical treatment o Cons Diagnostic labels may cause person to experience discrimination and find it more difficult to establish and maintain relationships Obscuring individual differences People with the same disorder are different may respond differently to different treatments Stigma and stereotyping Self fulfilling prophecies Treating based on stereotypes Begin to act other symptoms of disorder What are current systems used for diagnosing mental disorders o DSM 5 o ICD 10 Diagnostic and statistical manual International Classification of Diseases DSM 5 in more detail o 200 specific diagnostic categories o Arranged under 22 primary headlines o Disorders with similar symptoms grouped together o Lists specific criteria for each diagnostic category o For various disorders duration is also considered o Many disorders defined in terms of inclusion exclusion o Clinical disorders defined largely in terms of symptomatic criteria behaviors DSM Culture Issues o Addressed in 2 primary ways 1 Clinicians encouraged to consider the influence of cultural factors in both expression and recognition of symptoms of mental disorders 2 Attempts to sensitize clinicians to cultural issues by including a discussion of cultural concepts of distress o Cultural concepts of distress Patterns of erratic or unusual thinking and behavior that have been identified in diverse societies around the world and don t fit easily into other diagnostic categories listed in the main body of DSM 5 Unique to particular societies Culture bound or idioms of distress cannot be easily translated or understood in terms of it s individual parts Significant advance toward integrating cultural considerations into classification system Has been criticized for it s ambiguity difficult conceptual issue involves
View Full Document
Unlocking...