 Defining abnormality is not simple, it appears to be more a matter of degree of behavioral change and distress rather than the presence or absence of a behavioral change or distress  Some criterion that is helpful in defining abnormality Behavior is outside of social norms Inability to function Personal Distress Prolonged Suffering (ex: depression that lasts months rather than days)

Psychological Disorder **** a “harmful dysfunction” in which behavior is judged to be:  Rare  Disturbing to the person or others  Maladaptive  Dangerous

Psychological Disorders  Medical Model  concept that diseases have physical causes  can be diagnosed, treated, and in most cases cured  assumes that these mental illnesses can be diagnosed on the basis of their symptoms and cured through therapy which may include treatment in a psychiatric hospital

Psychological Disorders Bio-Psycho-Social Perspective  assumes that biological, social, cultural, and psychological factors combine and interact to produce psychological disorders

Psychological Disorders

Classifying Psychological Disorders  DSM-IV  American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (Fourth Edition)  a widely used system for classifying psychological disorders  presently distributed as DSM-IV-TR (text revision)

DSM IV-TR  Five axis criteria for diagnostic classification of psychological disorders Axis 1: Clinical Syndromes Axis 2: Personality Disorders Axis 3: Medical Conditions Axis 4: Psychosocial and environmental factors Axis 5: Global Assessment of Functioning

Schizophrenia Disorder  Schizophrenia  literal translation “split mind”  a group of severe disorders characterized by:  disorganized and delusional thinking  disturbed perceptions  inappropriate emotions and actions

Schizophrenia Disorder  Delusions  false beliefs, often of persecution or grandeur, that may accompany psychotic disorders  Hallucinations  sensory experiences without sensory stimulation

 Group of disorders marked by disturbances in thought patterns. These disorders can be accompanied by distortions in perception and abnormal emotional responses.  1% of population in every culture  30% resistant to drugs  Gradual vs Sudden onset

 Paranoid: marked by delusion of persecution and/or grandeur, and frequent auditory hallucinations  Disorganized: marked by inappropriate affect, disorganized speech  Catatonic: marked by motor disturbances ranging from immobility to excessive, purposeless activity  Undifferentiated: mixtures of symptoms from other subtypes

 Physiological Explanations neurochemicals-excess dopamine enlargement of the ventricles of the brain genetics-there is a 48% likelihood - identical twins  Environmental Explanations Stress can precede the onset of schizophrenia and precede subsequent relapses Unhealthy family dynamics-high expression of emotion and communication difficulties in a family have been associated with the development of schizophrenia

 Anxiety Disorders: distressing, persistent anxiety or maladaptive behaviors that reduce anxiety  Generalized Anxiety Disorder: chronic anxiety that is not caused by a specific stimulus  Panic Attacks: recurrent attacks of anxiety not due to a specific event  Phobias: chronic, irrational fear of a specific object or situation  Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder: persistent obtrusive thoughts (obsessions) & need to engage in unnecessary rituals (compulsions)  Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) is a severe anxiety disorder that can develop after exposure to any event that results in psychological trauma. PTSD include re- experiencing the original trauma(s) through flashbacks or nightmares avoidance of stimuli associated with the trauma, and increased arousal – such as difficulty falling or staying asleep, anger.

 Behavioral explanations: Classically conditioned phobic responses  Neuro-chemical: decreases in GABA activity and serotonin activity are associated with anxiety disorders  Cognitive: people who suffer from anxiety disorders may chronically overestimate the severity of a perceived threat

 Mood Disorders  characterized by emotional extremes  Major Depressive Disorder: persistent feelings of sadness and a loss of interest in finding pleasure  Bipolar Disorder: marked by chronic experience of manic and depressive episodes  formerly called manic-depressive disorder  Manic Episode  a mood disorder marked by a hyperactive, wildly optimistic state

 Cognitive and Behavioral Mechanisms Behavioral: ”learned helplessness” believe outcomes in their life are out of their control (external locus of control) Cognitive: negative self-talk is associated with depressive episodes  Physiological Mechanisms Neurotransmitters: decreased norepinephrine and serotonin is associated with depression Genetics: there is a 65% concordance rate between identical twins

Personality Disorders  Personality Disorders  disorders characterized by inflexible and enduring behavior patterns that impair social functioning  usually without anxiety, depression, or delusions

Personality Disorders  PET scans illustrate reduced activation in a murderer’s frontal cortex Normal Murderer

Types of Personality Disorders  The “Odd” personality disorders: Paranoid: deep distrust, persecution fears Paranoid: deep distrust, persecution fears Schizoid: avoidance of people Schizoid: avoidance of people Schizotypal: discomfort in relationships, odd thinking and behavior patterns Schizotypal: discomfort in relationships, odd thinking and behavior patterns

Types of Personality Disorders  “Dramatic” Personality Disorders  Antisocial Personality Disorder (sociopath): marked by impulsive, callous, manipulative, aggressive, and irresponsible behavior that reflects a failure to accept social norms (often charming)  Borderline Personality Disorder: moody, impulsive, manipulative, empty, worthlessness, self-destructive, and fear of abandonment  Histrionic: OVERLY emotional/seductive, attention seeking

 Histrionic Personality Disorder: drama kings and queens, lies, exaggerations  Narcissistic Personality Disorder: exaggerated feelings of self-worth and constant need for affirmation Types of Personality Disorders cont…

Types of Personality Disorders  “Anxious” Personality Disorders Avoidant Personality Disorder: restrained social relationships, inadequacy, sensitive Avoidant Personality Disorder: restrained social relationships, inadequacy, sensitive Dependent Personality Disorder: excessive need to be taken care of, clinging, fearing abandonment Dependent Personality Disorder: excessive need to be taken care of, clinging, fearing abandonment Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder: focus on order, high standards, rigid, stubborn, lack of affection Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder: focus on order, high standards, rigid, stubborn, lack of affection

 Dissociative Amnesia: sudden loss of memory for personal information that is not due to normal forgetfulness  Dissociative Fugue: a loss of memory for their entire lives and sense of identity  Multiple-Personality Disorder (DID): the coexistence of more than one personality in an individual  Depersonalization: Feelings of unreality concerning the self and environment. Anxiety producing. Many young adults have felt this.

Physiological issues without cause  Hypochondriasis: excessive preoccupation with becoming ill  Conversion Disorder: significant loss of function in one single organ system without a physiological cause

 Personality Factors: people with histrionic and neurotic personality traits seem to be more susceptible to the somatoform disorders  Behavioral Factors: people who have previously received a lot of attention because of illness may begin to find reward in the somatoform disorders

Rates of Psychological Disorders

 Does not know right from wrong  A disorder alone does not absolve responsibility

 Thomas Sasz- no such thing as mental ill  Labeling theory  Not easy to classify- crossover  Infers more understanding than actual