PSY 1101 E4 (Ch 15)

Psychopathology

The study of psychological disorders, including their symptoms, causes & treatment

Psychological disorder

A condition characterized by abnormal thoughts, feelings, and behaviors

Wakefield (1992)

Proposed a more intellectual concept in which he defines psychological disorders as a harmful dysfunction

Dysfunction disorder classification

Dysfunction that leads to negative consequences for the individual or for others, as judged by the standards of the individual’s culture

Diagnosis

Appropriately identifying and labeling a set of defined symptoms; requires classification systems that organize psychological disorders systematically

Diagnostic features

Overview of the disorder

Diagnosis criteria

Specific symptoms required for diagnosis

Prevalence

Percent of population thought to be affected

Diagnostic & Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5)

The classification system used by most mental health professionals

Comorbidity

The co-occurrence of two disorders

Supernatural perspective

Psychological disorders attributed to a force beyond scientific understanding

Dancing Mania

Epidemic in Western Europe (11th - 17th centuries) in which groups of people would suddenly begin to dance with wild abandon

Diathesis-Stress Model (Equation)

Diathesis + Stress —> Development of a Disorder

Diathesis-Stress Model

Integrates biological and psychosocial factors to predict the likelihood of a disorder

Psychosocial Perspective

Emphasizes the importance of learning, stress, faulty, and self-defeating thinking patters, and environmental factors

Fear

An instantaneous reaction to an imminent threat

Anxiety

Apprehension, avoidance, and cautiousness regarding a potential threat, danger or other negative content