Abnormal Psych Exam 1 - Dr. Herman Rutgers

hippocrates

- Greek physician
- "father of modern medicine"
- emphasized natural causes of diseases and brain pathology

Philippe Pinel

- in charge of "La Bicetre" asylum
- changed treatment and living conditions from harsh to humane
- drastic improvements
- caused mentalities to change around the world

William Tuke

- quaker in charge of Yorke retreat, known for its peaceful environment
- humanitarian approach

asylum

- sanctuaries or places of refuge meant solely for the care of the mentally ill

Benjamin Rush

- founder of American psychiatry
- signed the declaration of independence
- promoted study of mental illness and psychiatric disorders once developed by Hippocrates

moral management

method of treatment that focused on the patients' social, individual, and occupational needs (aka treat them with kindness)

mental hygiene movement

- treatment method that focused on the physical comfort of the patient with no help for their mental problems
- condemned them to helplessness and dependency

biomedical science

- mental disorders eventually yield to biological explanations and biologically based treatments
- believed psychological and social environment were irrelevant
- focused on comfort (sedation) until cures were discovered

components of mental disorders

- suffering
- maladaptiveness
- statistical deviancy
- violations of the standards of society
- social discomfort
- irrationality and unpredictability
- dangerousness

historical views of abnormal behavior

- spiritual (behavior disturbance caused by demons)
- humanitarian (people deserved to be helped because they're ill)
- scientific (realized there are biological causes)

biological causes of abnormal behavior **

genetic and environmental influences on physical functioning
- inherited factors
- exposure to harmful environmental stimuli
- toxic substances or allergens in the environment

psychological causes of abnormal behavior

disturbances in thoughts and feelings: past learning experiences, maladaptive thought patterns, difficulties coping with stress

sociocultural causes of abnormal behavior

circles of influence from family or close friends, institutions, and policies of a country or the world
- discrimination
- abuse
- poverty

biopsychosocial perspective

interaction in which biological, psychological and sociocultural factors play a role in the development of an individual's viewpoint.

mental disorder

behavioral or psychological syndrome (pattern) that is present in an individual and that reflects some kind of underlying psychobiological dysfunction and result in clinically significant distress, disability, or impairment in key areas of functioning

DSM-5

newest version of the Diagnostic Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
- standard terms & definitions of psychological disorders

stigmas

- with this comes stereotyping & labels

label

when a person is classified instead of the disorder

epidemiology

the study of distribution of diseases, disorders, or health-related behaviors in any given population

prevalence

refers to the number of active cases in a population during any given period of time

principle diagnosis

the primary reason for seeking help

comorbid

individual has two or more simultaneous disorders

differential diagnosis

ruling out an alternative diagnosis
e.g. you can't actually tell someone has Alzheimer's unless you do an autopsy, so by process of elimination you come to the conclusion that the person has Alzheimer's

a formal diagnosis is necessary to

- provide an appropriate course of treatment
- decide if a particular facility is needed
- process insurance claims

treatment

involves a modality or form in which the clinician offers psychotherapy

modality

method of treatment
- individual, family, group, etc.

psychological assessment

procedure by which clinicians provide a formal evaluation using psychological tests, observation, & interviews which provide scorable information of the client's psychological functioning
assessment is an ongoing process

clinical diagnosis

a general "summary classification" of the patient's symptoms following a clearly defined system such as the DSM V.

clinical interview

a series of questions that clinicians administer in face-to-face interaction with the client, like age, sex, education, work history, etc.

reliability

assessment yield same result every time

validity

measures what it is supposed to measure

standardization

process by which an instrument is administered, scored, & interpreted is consistent and clearly specifies a test's instructions & scoring methods

two categories of psychological tests

intelligence tests and personality tests

projective personality tests

unstructured, ambiguous stimuli
- e.g. inkblots (Rorschach) & Thematic Appreciation Tests (TAT)

theoretical perspective

an orientation to understanding the causes of human behavior & the treatment of abnormality

3 theoretical perspectives

biological, psychological, and sociocultural

biological perspective

belief that abnormalities in the body's functioning are responsible for symptoms of psychological disorders

behavior genetics

field that focuses on studying the heritability of mental disorders

3 primary methods of study for behavior genetics

- family history
- twin method
- adoption method

psychosurgery

possible genetic treatment. only used in extreme situations when other treatments didn't work

psychological perspective

first systematic approach to showing how human psychological processes can result in mental disorders (emphasizes unconscious motives)

behavioral perspective

mental disorders are the result of maladaptive behaviors
- study direct, observable behavior & treating maladaptive behavior
(do not care about unconscious or why/how you have your disorder)

cognitive perspective

assumes abnormality is caused by maladaptive thought processes that result in dysfunctional behavior

cognitive behavioral perspective

focuses on how thoughts & information processing can become distorted & lead to maladaptive behavior

humanistic perspective

people are motivated to strive for self fulfillment

sociocultural perspective

emphasizes the ways that individuals are influenced by people, social institutions, and social forces in the world around us

anxiety

general feeling of apprehension about possible future danger

fear

an alarm reaction that occurs in response to immediate danger

anxiety disorder

unrealistic, irrational fear or anxiety of what could happen. often includes maladaptive methods of response

separation anxiety

childhood disorder characterized by intense and inappropriate anxiety, lasting for at least 4 weeks, concerning separation from home or caregivers

selective mutism

disorder originating in childhood in which the individual consciously refuses to talk

phobia

irrational fear associated with a particular object or situation

specific phobias

persistent, irrational & intense fear that is triggered by the presence of a specific object, activity, or situation. must be present for at least 6 months

social anxiety disorder

disabling, intense fear & anxiety of social situations. ultimately fears exposure to scrutiny & potential negative evaluation of others

panic disorder

occurrence of panic attacks on a recurrent basis or has constant apprehension & worry about the possibility of recurring attacks
symptoms must last at least a month

panic attack

period of intense fear, dread and physical discomfort accompanied by the overwhelming feeling of "going crazy" and "loss of control" with frightening physical sensations

prepared learning

rapidly acquired fears of certain objects or situations that posed real threats to our early ancestors

exposure therapy

involves controlled exposure to the stimuli or situations that elicit phobic fear

agoraphobia

intense anxiety triggered by the real or anticipated exposure to situations in which they may be unable to get help should they become incapacitated

generalized anxiety disorder

anxiety disorder characterized by anxiety and worry that is not associated with a particular object, situation or event but seems to be a constant feature of a persons day to day existence

obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)

recurrent obsessions or compulsions that are severe enough to be time-consuming or to cause significant distress or impairment

obsessions

persistent & recurrent intrusive thoughts, images, or impulses that are experienced as disturbing, inappropriate, or uncontrollable

compulsions

overt repetitive behaviors that are performed as lengthy rituals or covert mental rituals

hoarding disorder

a compulsion in which people have persistent difficulties discarding things, even if they little value

trichotillomania disorder

the compulsive, persistent urge to pull out one's own hair in response to an increasing sense of tension or urge

excoriation disorder

recurrent skin picking

reactive attachment disorder

severe disturbance in the ability to relate to others in which the individual is unresponsive to people, is apathetic and prefers to be alone rather than to interact with friends or family

disinhibited social engagement disorder

children who engage in culturally inappropriate, overly familiar behavior with people who are relative strangers

acute stress disorder

anxiety disorder that develops after a traumatic event & symptoms last up to one month

PTSD

anxiety with generalized feelings of fear & apprehension as a result of an exposure to an extreme traumatic event that included actual or life threatening events & involved fear, helplessness, or horror
- durations must be more than one month & causes clinically significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning