1. Chapter 14: Psychological Disorders (Abnormal Psychology)

2. Defining Abnormality
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 seem 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)

3. Normality-Abnormality Continuum

4. DSM IV Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM IV) 1952- First edition
th edition th revised
2012- Planned release for 5th edition
Five axis criteria for diagnostic classification of psych. disorders
Axis 1- Principal diagnosis - 16 categories
Axis 2- Personality or developmental disorders
Axis 3- Medical conditions
Axis 4- Recent sources of stress
Axis 5- Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF)

5. Schizophrenic Disorders
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

6. Subtypes of Schizophrenia
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

7. Potential Causes of Schizophrenia
Physiological Explanations
neurochemicals-excess dopamine
enlargement of the ventricles of the brain
genetics-there is a 46% concordance rate for identical twins with one twin suffering schizophrenia
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
Date of birth

8. Relatives of ppl with schizophrenia

9. Anxiety Disorders
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)

10. Common Phobias
Less Common (but entertaining)…

11. Some Potential Causes of Anxiety Disorders
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

12. Sleeping Disorders

13. Help me!!!

14. Mood Disorders
Depressive Disorder: persistent feelings of sadness and a loss of interest in finding pleasure (Major, dysthemic, post-partum)
Bipolar Disorder: marked by chronic experience of manic and depressive episodes
Seasonal Affective Disorder:

15. Episodic Patterns in Mood Disorders

16. Some Potential Causes of Depression
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

17. Mood Disorders chart

18. Somatoform Disorders 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

19. Dissociative Disorders
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.

20. Some Potential Causes of Somatoform Disorders
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

21. Personality Disorders- a few examples
Antisocial Personality Disorder (sociopath): marked by impulsive, callous, manipulative, aggressive, and irresponsible behavior that reflects a failure to accept social norms (often charming)
Narcissistic: exaggerated feelings of self-worth and constant need for affirmation
Histrionic: OVERLY emotional/seductive
Borderline: irrational fear of abandonment
Avoidant:
Dependent:
Obsessive-Compulsive:

22. Insanity Pleas Does not know right from wrong
A disorder alone does not absolve responsibility
John Hinkley - President Reagan
Ted Kaczynski, Jeffrey Dahmer, Andrea Yates, Kip Kinkel- all found guilty by juries

23. Problems with DSM/disease model
Thomas Szasz- no such thing as mental ill
Rosenhan- empty, hollow, thud- 19 days
Labeling theory
Not easy to classify- crossover
Infers more understanding than actual
Everyday problems
Insurance

24. Suicide
White > Black, Men > Women (China), Woman attempts > Men attempts
Spike for men after 65
Alcoholics very high rate
Few who talk about it do it, but few who do it do not give clues ahead of time
Arizona over 1000 suicides last year- Mesa 60, Chandler 30