AP Fall2011 DefiningAbnormality

8/3/2019 AP Fall2011 DefiningAbnormality

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Lecture 1: Defininq Abnormality 9/6/11

Defining Abnormality: Overview What isabnormal psychology? How do we know when behavior is abnormal? What might explain abnormal behavior? History of abnormal psychology Scientific study of psychopathology

Overview of Abnormal Psychology Psychopathology: Pathology of the mind; the

symptoms and signs of mental disorders Abnormal psychology: An area of psychologythat studies mental disorders, abnormalbehavior patterns, and ways to help thoseaffected by these behaviors.

Mental disorders= Psychological Disorders Psychologist versus Psychiatrist

How do we know when behavior isabnormal?

Caseexample Tom is uncomfortable riding in elevators.As a result , Tom avoids using any elevator.

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Caseexample: Is it abnormal? Consider:

-Age-Symptoms-Extent of avoidance-Normal vs. abnormal fear

What is a Psychological Disorder? Psychological dysfunction Distress or impairment in functioning Not a typical or culturally expectedresponse

What is a Psychological Disorder? Psychological dysfunction

- Breakdownin function / Inability of aninternal mechanismto perform its naturalfunction

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What is a Psychological Disorder? Distress or impairment-Individual versus others

Ex:-Appropriateness to situation

Ex:-Degree of impairment

What is a Psychological Disorder? Response is not typical or

culturally expected- Frequency- Deviations from "average"- Eccentricity

What is a Psychological Disorder? Violation of social norms

- Cultural and historical contexts

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What is a Psychological Disorder? "Harmful dysfunction" (Wakefield)

DSM-IV-TRCriteriaS um ma o f th e D SM -IV -T R Ilefinitien o f Men ta l D i so r de r sABLE 1-1

Def in ing Char ac te r i st i c sA b eh av io ra l o r p sy ch ol og ic al s yn dr om e ( gr ou ps 0 1 a ss oc ia te d f ea tu re s) t ha t i s a ss oc ia te d w it h:

t. P r ese nt d i st re s s { p am f u ! s ympt oms) , or2. D is a bi li ty ( im p ai rm e nt i n o n e o r m o re i mp or ta nt a re as o f l u nc li on in gl , o r w i th3. A s ig ni fi ca nt ly i nc re as ed f is k o f s ut te rl nq d ea th , p ai n, disability , o r a n jm pc na nt l os s o f f r ee do m

C o nd it io ns E xc l\ ld ed f ro m C o ns id er at io nF lu s s yn dr om e o r p at te rn m us t n ot b e m er ely ;

1. A n e xpe cta ble an d c ultu ra lly s an ctio ne d r esp on se to a p arn cu te r e ve nt (s uch a s t he d ea th o f al ov ed o ne )

2. D ev ia nt b eb av ro r ( su ch a s t h e a CM Il S o f o o li uc ef . r el ig io us , o r s ex ua l m mc ri ue sl3. C o nf li ct s t ha t a re b et we en t he i nd iv id u al a nd s oc ie ty [ su ch a s v ol un ta ry e ff or ts t o e xp re ss . i nd iv id ua li ty )

Things to Remember when DefiningAbnormal Behavior ...

Importance of context Continuum between normal and abnormal

behavior Cultural and historical relativism Principle of multiple causality vs. reductionism Connection between mind and body

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E xp lanatio ns for th e E tio lo gy o fA bnormal B eh av io r

Supernatural Forces Somatogenes is Psychogenesis

Supernatural/M ystical Forces Abnormality is the result

of evil spirits Therapy involves

exorcism A healer makes contactwith the evil spirits toremove them or spirit isremoved surgically

Psychogenesis Abnormality isthe result of

how one feels, thinks and/orperceivesthe world

Psychotherapy involvesexamining behavior andthoughts in order to modifyit

Sigmund Freud and thePsychodynamicView

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Somatogenesis Abnormality is the result ofa problem with a specificbody organ

Cure lies in treating orremoving diseased organ

B rie f H is to ry o f A bn orm a lPsychology

From Prehistoric to Modern Times

An cie nt G re ec e Knowledge evolved overcourse of several centuries

Disturbed behavior seenaspunishment for crimesagainst gods

With time, mentaldisorders came to beviewed as naturalphenomena.

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Hippocrates (460-377 BCE) Father of modern Western

medicine Etiology = physical disease

- "Diseased brain"-Imbalance of bodilyhumours

- Psychosocial factors Stress, family

Other Greek Contributors Plato

- Behavior = product of_____ processes- Disturbed behavior causedby conflicts between____ and _- Mind is t he only truereality

Other Greek Contributors Aristotle-

-Analysis of humanemotions (fear, pity,courage, envy)-Need balance for_____ to prevail

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Claudius Galen ("'129-201 CE) Foremost authority onanatomy and medicine

until Renaissance. Author of primary

medical text used forcenturies

Identified and studied thenerves and spinal cord

Galenic-Hippocratic Tradition-Hippocratic foundation-Humoral theory of mental illness-Etiology = brain chemical imbalances-Treatments = Environmental regulation

-Heat, dryness, moisture, cold-Bloodletting, induced vomiting

Medieval Era: Religion and Magic Fall of the Roman Empire led to fewer scientific

advancements. Influence of Christianity and the Church

strengthens Superstitions predominate St. Augustine -wrote about feelings, mental

anguish, introspection, laid groundwork forpsychodynamic thinking

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The Medieval Church Church and governmentmerged Rigidity & dogmatism high Return to supernaturalexplanations for abnormalbehavior

Mental Status of Witches Social outcasts Behaviorallydisturbed?

Exorcism = tx,usually fatal

16th - 18th Centuries 16th c. Renaissance:

- Major advances inscience- Mentally disturbedgenerally punished untillate 17th century

17th-18th centuries:-Scientific method- Need to supportassertions withevidence (observations)

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Franz Anton Mesmer(early 1800s) Believed in treating

people with

Influenced latertheories: Charcot

Physiognomy & Phrenology Franz Joseph Gall (1758-1828) Surface of skull reveals the

"organs" of the brain. Brain is center of character and

emotion. Popular theory throughout

19th centu ry Argued for humane treatment

of mentally il l

The Creation of Asylums Began appearing in Europe - 12th century

- St . Mary's of Bethlehem ("Bedlam") founded 1247CE 16005 and 17005

- Insane asylums began as"human warehouses"- Punishment and oppression of mentally il l Late 17005 to 18005

- Industrialization- Lunatic asylums in heavily populated cit ies- Humanist ic care may help rel ieve mental il lness

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The Rise of Asylums (1800s) Institutions with a focus on moral treatment

(1800s)- Dorothea Dix - humane and economical benefi ts

of treatment- Large increase in facil it ies- Development of psychiatry profession

A S tep B ac kw ard(late 1800s-1960s)

Actual conditions in mental hospitals weregenerally poor

Overcrowding Most patients did not actually receive 'moraltreatment'

Deinstitutionalization movement

1960s- social policy of discharging largenumbers of hospitalized psychiatric patientsinto the community Improved condit ions for remaininghospitalized mental patients

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Clinical Description of Abnormality

Presenting Problem Clinical Description Dysfunction vs. common experience Statistics

-Prevalence-Incidence

Clinical Description of Abnormality Course

-Episodic- Time-limited-Chronic

Onset-Acute vs. insidious

Prognosis-Good vs. guarded

Epidemiology of Mental Illness Epidemiology: study of frequency anddistribution of disorders in a population Example questions

- Has the number of people withpsychological disorders increased inPittsburgh in 2011 ascompared to 2007?

-Are males in the USmore likely to haveborderline personality disorder ascompared to females?

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AP Fall2011 DefiningAbnormality

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