Abnormal Psychology

Psychopathology

The scientific study of mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders. Refers both to the mental disorders themselves (e.g., schizophrenia, depression) and the patterns of behavior that impair personal growth or cause unhappiness.

Maladaptive behavior

Behavior that interferes with daily functioning, deviates from social norms, and may prevent a person from meeting demands of life effectively.

Social nonconformity

Failure to conform to societal norms, which can sometimes result in behaviors labeled as abnormal. Can involve either extreme deviation or rigid conformity.

Situational context

The social situation, behavioral setting, and culture in which behavior occurs. Important to consider before defining something as abnormal.

Insanity

A legal—not psychological—term indicating an individual’s inability to manage personal affairs or foresee consequences, often used in court settings.

Abnormal behavior

Behavior that is maladaptive, causes personal distress, deviates from social norms, and may involve loss of control over thoughts or actions.

Extreme nonconformity

May result in destructive or self-destructive behavior. Not all deviation from norms is harmful, but persistent and distressing deviation often indicates disorder.

Trephining

An ancient technique of drilling a hole in the skull to "release" evil spirits; an early and primitive form of treating mental illness.

Cultural relativism in abnormality

The idea that behavior considered abnormal in one culture may be normal in another. Emphasizes the need to consider cultural context when assessing psychological disorders.

Core features of disordered behavior

Include maladaptiveness, loss of control, unpredictability, and irrationality. Essential in identifying mental illness beyond just social deviance.

DSM-5-TR

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition, Text Revision; the standard classification system for diagnosing psychological disorders.

Purpose of DSM-5-TR

Provides symptom checklists and descriptions for diagnosing mental disorders; promotes consistency across clinicians.

Classification

Organizes disorders into categories such as anxiety disorders, depressive disorders, trauma- and stressor-related disorders, schizophrenia spectrum, and personality disorders.

Criteria

A disorder is diagnosed based on specific symptoms that cause significant distress or impair functioning and are not due to another condition or substance.

Diagnosis

Based on clinical interviews, symptom checklists, and DSM-5-TR criteria. Requires consideration of duration, severity, and context.

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)

Characterized by excessive anxiety and worry occurring most days for at least 6 months, about multiple events or activities.

GAD Symptoms

Includes restlessness, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, irritability, muscle tension, and sleep disturbances.

GAD vs Normal Worry

GAD is distinguished by the intensity, duration, and degree of impairment caused by the worry.

Separation Anxiety Disorder

Excessive fear or anxiety concerning separation from attachment figures, including nightmares, physical symptoms, and reluctance to be alone or go out.

Panic Disorder

Characterized by recurrent, unexpected panic attacks with intense fear and physical symptoms like heart palpitations, shortness of breath, dizziness.

Panic Attack Symptoms

Includes chest pain, sweating, trembling, derealization, fear of dying or losing control.

Phobia

Marked fear or anxiety about a specific object or situation, leading to avoidance. Fear is disproportionate to actual danger.

Specific Phobia

Intense, irrational fear of specific objects (e.g., spiders, heights, blood). Leads to distress or avoidance behavior.

Social Phobia

Also known as social anxiety disorder; fear of being judged, humiliated, or embarrassed in social settings.

Avoidance Reinforcement

Phobic avoidance is reinforced because avoiding the feared object or situation reduces anxiety, which strengthens the behavior.

Disruptive Mood Dysregulation Disorder (DMDD)

Characterized by severe temper outbursts and persistent irritability. Must occur for at least 12 months in 2 or more settings.

DMDD vs MDD

DMDD shows chronic irritability and outbursts in children; MDD involves persistent sadness and loss of interest, often with later onset.

Major Depressive Disorder (MDD)

Involves a depressed mood nearly every day, diminished interest, changes in appetite, sleep disturbances, fatigue, feelings of worthlessness, and suicidal ideation.

MDD Biological Cause

Often linked to cortisol over-secretion and neurotransmitter imbalance. Explained under biological or biopsychosocial models.

Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Results from exposure to actual/threatened death or violence. Symptoms include flashbacks, nightmares, hypervigilance, emotional numbing, and avoidance.

Hypervigilance

A state of increased alertness to potential threats, often seen in PTSD. Individuals are constantly on edge.

Prolonged Grief Disorder (PGD)

Persistent grief symptoms lasting 12+ months: intense yearning, identity disruption, avoidance, emotional numbness.

Prolonged Grief vs MDD

PGD is grief-focused and time-dependent; MDD includes pervasive mood changes not necessarily linked to loss.

Acute Stress Disorder

Occurs within 3 days to 1 month of trauma; shares symptoms with PTSD but is shorter in duration.

Schizophrenia

A severe mental disorder marked by delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech/behavior, and negative symptoms. Persistent disturbance ≥ 6 months.

Positive Symptoms

Hallucinations, delusions, disorganized speech, and behavior—symptoms added to normal function.

Negative Symptoms

Flattened affect, alogia, anhedonia, avolition, and asociality—deficits or reductions in normal emotional/behavioral functions.

Delusions of Persecution

False belief that others are plotting to harm, harass, or spy on the person.

Delusions of Reference

False belief that irrelevant events (e.g., song lyrics, newspaper headlines) have personal meaning.

Delusions of Influence

Belief that external forces control one's thoughts or actions.

Delusions of Grandeur

Belief in exaggerated self-importance or having special powers/roles.

Disorganized Speech

Includes derailment, clanging, word salad, neologisms, and word approximations.

Hallucination Types

Auditory (most common), visual, tactile, olfactory, gustatory—perceiving sensations without stimuli.

Schizophrenia Subtypes

Includes disorganized, catatonic, paranoid, and undifferentiated types (note: not diagnostic subtypes in DSM-5-TR, but still used descriptively).

Causes of Schizophrenia

Includes genetics (twin studies), dopamine hypothesis, brain structural abnormalities, and early trauma.

Personality Disorder

Chronic patterns of maladaptive thinking, feeling, and behavior that deviate from cultural expectations and impair functioning.

Paranoid Personality Disorder

Distrust and suspicion of others, interpreting their motives as malevolent.

Schizoid Personality Disorder

Detachment from social relationships, limited emotional expression, prefers solitude.

Schizotypal Personality Disorder

Eccentric behavior, odd beliefs (e.g., magical thinking), social anxiety, and cognitive distortions.

Antisocial Personality Disorder

Disregard for others' rights, deceitfulness, impulsivity, aggressiveness, lack of remorse.

Borderline Personality Disorder

Instability in relationships, self-image, and affect; impulsivity; fear of abandonment; self-harm.

Histrionic Personality Disorder

Excessive emotionality and attention-seeking behavior, often dramatic or sexually provocative.

Narcissistic Personality Disorder

Grandiosity, need for admiration, and lack of empathy. Exploits others for self-gain.

Avoidant Personality Disorder

Social inhibition, feelings of inadequacy, and hypersensitivity to negative evaluation.

Dependent Personality Disorder

Excessive need to be cared for, fear of separation, submissive and clingy behavior.

Obsessive-Compulsive Personality Disorder

Preoccupation with order, perfectionism, and control. Not the same as OCD.

Psychotherapy

A structured, therapeutic dialogue designed to improve mental health through various techniques and therapeutic relationships.

Interpersonal Therapy (IPT)

Focuses on current relationships and four areas: grief, role disputes, role transitions, and interpersonal deficits.

Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT)

Aims to change negative thought patterns and behaviors using cognitive restructuring, skill training, goal setting, and self-monitoring.

Psychodynamic Therapy

Focuses on unconscious conflicts rooted in childhood; uses insight, interpretation, and the therapist-client relationship.

Insight vs Action Therapy

Insight therapy helps people gain deeper self-understanding; action therapy focuses on changing specific behaviors quickly.

Supportive Therapy

Provides emotional support and reinforcement without deep insight work; often used alongside other forms.

Common Myths about Therapy

Therapy is not a magical cure or instant fix; it works best when expectations are realistic and the client is committed.

Trepanning

Ancient practice of drilling holes in the skull to treat mental illness by “releasing evil spirits.”

Exorcism

Medieval treatment based on supernatural explanations; used to drive out demons from those believed to be possessed.