Chapter 11: Psychological Disorders

Chapter Outline How should we define and explain psychological disorders? The major classes of disorders identified by the DSM

Learning Objectives Understand how psychological disorders involve atypical behavior that causes personal or social impairment. Understand how the use of labels has both risks and benefits. Understand what are the major classes of disorders.

Medical Model The medical model proposes that psychological disorders have a biological basis and can be classified into categories like physical diseases. Symptom: a sign of a disorder Diagnosis: process of distinguishing one disorder from another Etiology: the initial cause that led to the development of the disorder Prognosis: prediction about the likely course of the disorder

Psychological Disorder Psychological disorder: a pattern of atypical behavior that results in personal distress or significant impairment in a person’s social or occupational functioning Comorbidity: the occurrence of two or more disorders at the same time

Theories to Explain Mental Illness (Slide 1 of 3) Psychodynamic perspective: Disordered behavior is controlled by unconscious forces shaped by childhood experiences—founded by Sigmund Freud (e.g., Little Hans). Behavioral perspective is disordered behavior caused by readily identifiable factors in the person’s environment and a byproduct of learning (e.g., conditioning).

Theories to Explain Mental Illness (Slide 2 of 3) Cognitive perspective: Ineffective or inaccurate thinking is the root cause of mental illness. Sociocultural perspective: Disordered behavior is caused by readily identifiable factors in the person’s environment and a byproduct of learning (e.g., conditioning). Culture-bound syndromes: psychological disorders found only in a few cultural groups

Theories to Explain Mental Illness (Slide 3 of 3) Biological perspective: Psychological disorders are caused by biological conditions, such as genetics, hormone levels, or neurotransmitter activity in the brain. Multiperspective approach: Current explanations of of psychological disorders combine the different perspectives into one overall approach. Diathesis-stress model: a predisposition to a given disorder that combines with environmental stressors to trigger a psychological disorder

How Should We Classify Psychological Disorders? Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM): classification based on the medical model Risks of labels Dehumanize Discrimination Misperceive normal behaviors Stigma Benefits of labels Summarizes symptoms Possible causes of disorder Prognosis

Anxiety Disorders (Slide 1 of 2) Anxiety disorders are characterized by distressing, persistent anxiety or maladaptive behavior. Most common psychological disorder Causes: biological, behavioral, and cognitive Types Panic disorder: characterized by episodes of intense fear that usually occurs suddenly Agoraphobia: acute anxiety in situations where it is perceived to be difficult or embarrassing to escape Specific phobias: characterized by strong fears of specific objects or situations

Anxiety Disorders (Slide 2 of 2) Social anxiety disorder is characterized by intense fear of being humiliated in front of others Generalized anxiety disorder: constant state of moderate anxiety Obsessive-compulsive disorder is characterized by persistent, distressing actions and/or thoughts Post-traumatic stress disorder is characterized by flashbacks and recurrent thoughts of traumatic events

Mood Disorders Mood Disorders are characterized by emotional extremes that cause disruption in daily functioning. Causes: biological Depression Major depressive disorder is characterized by extreme and persistent negative moods. Dysthymia is characterized by chronic low-level depression for more then 2 years. Bipolar Disorder is characterized by swings between mania and depression.

Dissociative Disorders Dissociative disorders are characterized by disruptions in consciousness, memory, sense of identity, or perception. Causes: biological; cognitive Dissociative amnesia is characterized by the inability to recall important personal information. Dissociative identity disorder is characterized by the presence of two or more distinct identities.

Schizophrenia Schizophrenia is characterized by impairments in thinking, such hallucinations, delusions, or loose associations. Causes Biological Social Dopamine Abnormal brain structure Brain sculpting in fetal development Hallucinations (e.g., hearing voices) Delusions: irrational belief system

Personality Disorders Personality disorders are characterized by general styles of living that are ineffective and lead to problems. Causes: Biological and environmental Antisocial personality disorder is characterized by a persistent pattern of disregard for others. Borderline personality disorder is characterized by instability of interpersonal relationships, self-concept, and emotion. Narcissistic personality disorder is characterized by a self-centered and arrogant self-concept.