Unit 3Abnormal Abnormal

PsychologyPsychology

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A. Possible Indications A. Possible Indications of Abnormal Behaviorof Abnormal Behavior

1. Maladaptiveness– Does behavior interferes with

regular life activities?

2. Irrationality– Does the person think logically?

3. Observer discomfort– Does the person’s behavior make

others feel uncomfortable?

4. Unpredictability– Is their behavior consistent or “out

of the blue”?

5. Distress– Does the person have distress such

as extreme anxiety or prolonged depression?

6. Unconventionability– Is their behavior bizarre?

B. 5 differentB. 5 different perspectives on perspectives on the causes of the causes of mental illnessmental illness

1. 1. Biological PerspectiveBiological Perspective•Biological factors affect

mental health–Genetics–Chemical imbalances–Brain structure– Injuries to the brain– Infections

2. Psychodynamic Perspective2. Psychodynamic Perspective

•Look to an individuals unconscious for the cause of the disorder–Do this through conversations with patient to explore events and relationships throughout their life that have shaped their attitude

3. Behavioral Perspective3. Behavioral Perspective•Believe disorders are the

result of faulty learning•Life experiences have

conditioned us to respond to events or situations in a particular way

•To remedy the situation we must “unlearn” these behaviors (like phobia’s)

4. Cognitive Perspective4. Cognitive Perspective• Disorders arise from faulty

thoughts– Ex. If a person always thinks , “I’m

not very interesting, nobody likes me.”•This person may then mis-interpret how

others respond to her and begin believing these things

• To remedy the situation we must change the thoughts– Many popular self help books are

based on cognitive psychology

5. Humanistic Perspective5. Humanistic Perspective•Disorders develop due to

people adopting standards and values that conflict with their true inner feelings

•To remedy this therapists work to help them identify and embrace their genuine goals and desires

C. Classifying Mental IllnessC. Classifying Mental Illness

• Mental illnesses today are classified based on their symptoms– American Psychiatric Association

defines them in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders IV-TR (DSM-IV)

D. 7 types of D. 7 types of mental illness mental illness

(disorders)(disorders)

1. Anxiety Disorders1. Anxiety Disorders• Among the most common psych.

disorder…10-15% of US pop./ year• Anxiety is a feeling of apprehension

that danger or misfortune is looming• Physical symptoms: rapid heart rate,

perspiration, nausea, dizziness• Types of anxiety disorders:

– Phobic disorder– Generalized Anxiety Disorder– Panic Disorder– Post-traumatic Stress Disorder– Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

2. Somatoform Disorders2. Somatoform Disorders• Physical symptoms arise from

psychological causes– A person may suffer physical

symptoms even though there is nothing physically wrong or no physical explanation

• Types of somatoform disorders:– Conversion disorder– Hypochondriasis

3. Dissociative Disorders3. Dissociative Disorders• Escape from painful problems or

situations by dissociating (cutting themselves off) from certain parts of themselves– May happen gradually or suddenly– May be temporary or permanent

• Can disturb normal life function and cause extreme distress

• Types of Dissociative disorders:– Amnesia– Dissociative fugue– Dissociative Identity Disorder

4. Affective Disorders (Mood disorders)4. Affective Disorders (Mood disorders)

•Experiences moods so extreme that they interfere with their daily life

•Types of affective disorders:–Dysthymic disorder (moderate depression)

–Major depression–Bipolar disorder

5. Psychotic Disorders5. Psychotic Disorders• People lose contact with reality so very

difficult to carry on normal life activity• During a psychotic episode may

experience hallucinations or delusions– Hallucinations :Person senses something

that isn’t there• Auditory most common

– Delusions: unshakable beliefs that are obviously not true (believing they are Santa)

• Person may have coherent periods in between psychotic episodes

• Types of psychotic disorders:– Schizophrenia

• Disorganized• Catatonic• Paranoid• Undifferentiated

– Delusional Disorder

6. Personality Disorders6. Personality Disorders• Maladaptive personality traits usually

more disturbing to other people than the individual

• Types of personality disorders:– Antisocial Personality Disorder– Borderline Personality Disorder

7. Childhood Disorders7. Childhood Disorders• Categorized separately from disorders

that occur in adulthood due to the differences in children and adults

• Abnormal behavior difficult to assess in children because they each develop at different rates

• Types of childhood disorders:– Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity

Disorder– Autistic Disorder

Etiology

Genetics• Investigated through family studies, mainly of

monozygotic (identical) and dizygotic (fraternal) twins, often in the context of adoption.

• These studies allow calculation of a heritability coefficient.

Biological factors• Investigates effects of hormones, neurotransmitters and

neuron damage in mental illness, for example Alzheimer's Disease (neuronal degeneration), Seasonal Affective Disorder (hormonal imbalance) and depression/anxiety.

• Different theories focus on structural, biochemical and genetic theories.

Etiology

Psychological factors• Psychoanalysis (Freud) • Behavioural therapy (Wolpe) based on behaviourism, and

involving classical and operant conditioning. • Humanistic therapy aiming to achieve self-actualisation

(Carl Rogers, 1961) • Cognitive Behavioural Therapy aims to influence thought

and cognition (Beck, 1977). Socio-cultural factors• Effects of urban/rural dwelling, gender and minority

status on state of mind. • Conducted by Jenkins (1998)

Etiology

Systemic factors• Family systems • Negatively Expressed Emotion playing a

part in schizophrenic relapse and anorexia nervosa.

Biopsychosocial factors• Holistic causal model • Illness dependent on stress 'triggers'.