1. Psychology 2316: Personality
Notes from Comer (2014), 8th edn

2. Chapter 1: Abnormal Psych Past & Present
We know the problem is in the mind
Think of the terms: crazy > maladjusted; abnormal; mental illness
Known about since ancient times
Famous people
Part of culture
Chapter 1: Abnormal Psych Past & Present

3. Louis Wain

4. Abnormal Psychology Studied by clinicians
Clinical practitioners – professionals who see patients (pts)
Assess – Diagnose – Treat
Psychiatrists (MDs) or psychologists (PhDs)
Abnormal Psychology

5. What is Abnormal ? This is controversial
Comer uses the 4 Ds: deviant, distressing, dysfunctional, dangerous
Deviant – different – maybe strange
Distressing – pt is uncomfortable
Dysfunctional – prevents pt from living “normally”
Dangerous – may/may not be case - harmful
What is Abnormal ?

6. Deviance Society & norms What are the rules ? Customs ? Traditions ?
Culture & sub-cultures (Goths, punks…)
Context –time & place
Everything can change
Specific situations – especially stressful; trauma
Deviance

7. Distress Does the behavior create a problem ?
No problem > beh may continue
If distress > pt may seek help
Distress

8. Someone unable to live, work, communicate, have relationships, enjoy life…etc
Some may live differently from us, but not be mentally ill
Dysfunction

9. Danger Harm to self, others Violence, etc
This danger state is rare – but newsworthy
Danger

10. Abnormality Szasz – mental illness is a myth > coping mechanism
Issue is social control
Certain beh not abnomal, but common > binging on etoh
The right to be eccentric – cat ladies
Us ???
Abnormality

11. Treatment Treatment Tx
Focus of therapy – curb the beh, symptoms (sx) – does that help ?
J. Frank – basics of therapy
A. pt & clinician
B. clinician a professional
C. helpful contact for the pt
Treatment

12. disagreement Clinicians disagree about every aspect of psychology
Is abnormality a mental illness ?
disagreement

13. Mental distress always been common – America today, 30% get help annually
Ancient times
Demons, magic, good v evil
Trephination – open the skull – brain surgery ?
Bible refers to it
Exorcism
shamans
Views Past & Present

14. Hippocrates – Greek – illness is natural – mental illness comes from the body – natural, physical causes > others believed
> humors – 4 liquids in or out of balance
Too much black bile = melancholia (depression)
Reduce it – veg diet – give up sex – do exercises
Blood-letting
Greeks & Romans

15. Middle Ages 500-1350 Fears about the Devil, evil
Phenomena > mass madness ~ panics
Tarantism – St. Vitus’s Dance – associated w spiders
Vampires, lycanthopy
Cure > exorcism, torture
Middle Ages

16. They’re here
Old friends

17. Renaissance As govts grew, religion became less important
Education > rise of doctors
Weyer – pioneering “psychiatrist” – maybe the 1st
Weyer said mental illness is a disease (dz)
Religious organizations cared for the ill > similar to today’s community mental health programs
Renaissance

18. s – growth of larger asylums – part hospital/part prison – “madhouses” – London’s Bethlehem – aka Bedlam
1800s – Reform & Moral Treatments
Asylums were rehabilitated – better care
Paris – La Bicetre under Pinel
> less punishment, more tx
Renaissance & Later

19. UK – William Tuke created York Retreat – like a country resort
US – Founding Father Benjamin Rush – talked to pts
Moral Tx – care, respect, religious flavor – goal: restore productive people
Enlightenment s

20. End of Moral Treatment Died out 1850s why ? Not all cured
Funding & staffing
Overcrowded conditions
Prejudice > MI associated w/ immigrants, minorities
End of Moral Treatment

21. Twentieth Century 2 concepts
Somatogenic theory – physical causes for MI
Psychogenic theory – mental causes for MI
E. Kraepelin – classified symptoms (sx) & syndromes (clusters of sx) > linked MI to physical causes
Twentieth Century

22. 20th Century Medicine & bio advanced – but not enough known
SOMATIC Perspective
Biological example – syphilis can lead to paresis (psychosis & paralysis) > fever therapy
> Krafft-Ebing – German MD – studied sex
Physical or somatic tx – bio-based
Not very effective
20th Century

23. Somatic treatments Lobotomy, hydrotherapy, surgery
Sterilization & eugenics mvmt
> social biology
>
> biological control of society – prevent the mentally ill, others from reproducing
Somatic treatments

24. 20th Century PSYCHOGENIC PERSPECTIVE
Interest in hypnotism – was that the Unconscious (Unc) ?
Hyp used by early psychoanalysts
Psychoanalysis – mental disorders caused by unc mental conflict
Sigmund Freud worked w depressed, anxious pts – his techniques helped
20th Century

25. Current Interest in social issues – poverty, broken homes, etc
Positive psychology – teaching clients to be happy, less focus on sx
Multicultural psychology
> USA diverse country
> different ways to view diversity
Current

26. Current Issues Who pays for care ?
> managed care – offered by insurance co – this limits choices, but they pay
> 2011 parity laws – insurance must recognize MI
Current Issues

27. Current Theories Biological Behavioral Cognitive Psychodynamic
humanistic
Current Theories

28. Who gives therapy Psychiatrists (MDs) Psychologists (PhDs)
LPCs (Master’s-level)
MSWs
nurses
Who gives therapy