AP Psychology Unit 5 - Classifying Psychological Disorders

Psychological Disorder

A psychological disorder is a condition characterized by abnormal thoughts, feelings, or behaviors that cause significant distress or impairment in functioning, often requiring clinical intervention.

3 Factors to Disorders

1. Level of Dysfunction: How well or poorly a person can carry out day to day activities

2. Perception of Distress: Subjective experiences of negative emotions, pain, or stress related to an individual’s behaviors or mental processes. They see how an individual feels about their emotions.

3. Deviation from Social Norms: Behavior is judged against social and cultural standards, if an individual’s mental processes or behaviors significantly deviate from what is considered normal for society. However, this one may be tricky as it may be different for each culture

Positives to Getting Diagnosed

Receiving a diagnosis can provide clarity and understanding of one’s symptoms, facilitating access to appropriate treatment options and resources. It also helps in reducing stigma and aids individuals in connecting with support networks.

Negatives to Getting Diagnosed

Receiving a diagnosis can lead to labeling, stigma, and potential over-reliance on medication or treatment. It may also result in increased anxiety or stress about the disorder.

There is also a likelihood that cultural and social biases can end up impacting the diagnosis and treatment options

Self Fulfilling Prophecy

Some individuals may internalize negative stereotypes about their disorder, then limiting themselves or assuming that they are somehow broken

This mindset can lead to a cycle of failure and reinforce the very behaviors or symptoms they wish to overcome.

DSM

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, a comprehensive classification system used by mental health professionals to diagnose and categorize psychological disorders. It also provides statistical data on the different disorders.

DSM Sections:

1. How medical professionals should see the manual & anything involving legal action

2. Covers every condition with its details

3. Guidelines for diagnoses

4. Systemic improvements

Created by the American Psychologist Association

ICD

International Classification of Diseases, a global standard for diagnosing and classifying health conditions and diseases, including mental health disorders.

Created by the World Health Organization

Interaction models

Refers to the psychological disorders arising between an individual’s internal factors and external factors than one or the other

• Diathesis Stress Model: Vulnerable stress model suggesting a diathesis to a disorder. Combination with stress and triggers from experiences

• Biopsychosocial Models: Interactions between biological, psychological, and social/cultural factors in development of psychological disorders

• Gene Environment: A person’s genetics can influence their sensitivity to environmental factors

Interactional Therapy: Type of therapy that focuses on the interpersonal relationships and dynamics between individuals to address psychological disorders.

Improvement and Treatment of Diagnosing

1. Education and training

2. Technology and tools

3. Collaboration and communication

4. Systemic improvements

Psychotherapy

A variety of treatment options used to support people in identifying and changing unhealthy emotions, thoughts, and behaviors

• aka talk therapy

Psychotherapy Approaches

Major psychotherapy options come from psychology’s perspective such as psychodynamic, humanistic, behavioral, and cognitive perspective

These approaches can be combine with medication

Eclectic Approach

The type of psychotherapy that combines theories and many other therapies and activities made specifically for each person seeking treatment

Humanistic Therapy

A type of psychotherapy used to reduce people’s inner conflicts that interfere with personal development and growth rather than curing illnesses

Cognitive Therapy

A type of psychotherapy that teachers people adaptive ways of thinking, based on assumption that thoughts intervene betwen events and emotional reactions

Behavioral Perspective

The perspective that focuses on how mental disorders come from maladaptive learned associations between responses and stimuli

Maladaptive Learned Association

Individual creates connections between stimuli and response that are harmful, irrational, or counterproductive. They can be born from classical conditioning, operant conditioning, or observational learning

Psychodynamic Perspective

The perspective that focuses on how psychological disorders can originate from unconscious conflicts, that often come from a person’s childhood experiences

Humanistic Perspective

The perspective that focuses on how psychological disorders develop due to a person lacking social support, failing to achieve their potential, or having an incongruent self-concept

Incongruent Self Concept

When there are differences between a person’s actual self, who they believe they are, and their ideal self, who they want to be

If the discrepancy is too large, individual is more prone to experiencing psychological distress and may be harder to reach their full potential

Cognitive Perspective

The perspective that focuses on how mental disorders come from maladaptive thought patterns, including distorted beliefs and attitudes

Evolutionary Perspective

The perspective that focuses on how mental disorders that cause abnormal behaviors and tendencies often originate in an individual’s genetics

Sociocultural Perspective

The perspective that focus on how mental disorders are influenced by social and cultural facors, including group dynamics, cultural norms, and interpersonal relationships

Biological Perspective

The perspective that psychological disorders are primarily driven by physiological and genetic factors

Biopsychosocial Model

The model that proposes that the development of any psychological issue is influenced by multiple interconnected factors

• Biological factors: Genetic predispositions, brain chemistry, physical health

• Psychological factors: Thought patterns, emotional responses, coping skills, personality traits

• Sociocultural factors: Person’s relationships, cultural norms, social and economic conditions, and daly stressors

Diathesis Stress Model

The model that focuses on how psychological disorders come from the interaction between genetic or biological vulnerabilities and stressful life events

• Diathesis: How genetic dispositions or underlying biological factors impact an individual

• Genetic Predisposition: Increased likelihood of developing a particular trait, condition, or disorder due to inherited genetic factors

• Stress: How an individual’s environment can cause significant life challenges and trigger the onset of mental disorders.

Inherent vulnerability + Stressful Environment = Tipping point to developing disorder