Psychological Disorders An Introduction

Psychological Disorder A “harmful dysfunction” in which behavior is judged to be atypical, disturbing, maladaptive and unjustifiable. What is abnormal, disturbing maladaptive and unjustifiable depends on: Culture Environmental Conditions Individual Person Time Period

Early Theories Afflicted people were possessed by evil spirits.

Early Theories Music or singing was often used to chase away spirits. In some cases trephening was used: Cutting a hole in the head of the afflicted to let out the evil spirit.

Trephening

Early Theories Another theory was to make the body extremely uncomfortable.

History of Mental Disorders In the 1800’s, disturbed people were no longer thought of as madmen, but as mentally ill. Did this mean better treatment? They were first put in hospitals.

Early Mental Hospitals They were nothing more than barbaric prisons. The patients were chained and locked away. Some hospitals even charged admission for the public to see the “crazies”, just like a zoo.

Philippe Pinel French doctor who was the first to take the chains off and declare that these people are sick and “a cure must be found!!!”

Somatogenic At this time- it was believed that mental illness had a bodily cause- Somatogenic. General Paresis and Syphilis Example. But Somatogenic could not explain disorders such as hysteria (now called conversion disorder). Many disorders are psychogenic: the origin is psychological, not physical.

Current Perspectives Medical Perspective: psychological disorders are sicknesses and can be diagnosed, treated and cured.

Current Perspectives Bio-Psycho-Social Perspective: assumes biological, psychological and sociocultural factors combine to interact causing psychological disorders. Used to be called Diathesis-Stress Model: diathesis meaning predisposition and stress meaning environment.

Classifying Psychological Disorders DSM-IV: Diagnostic Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders: the big book of disorders. Two Major Classifications :

Neurotic Disorders Distressing but one can still function in society and act rationally

Psychotic Disorders Person loses contact with reality, experiences distorted perceptions