SW 580 Lecture 1: What is psychopathology

Psychopathology

A field studying the living processes of individuals, focusing on inefficient and harmful processes that lead to strain and unhappiness.

Mental Illness Definition by Mental Health Professionals

To diagnose, evaluate, and treat clients.

Mental Illness Definition by Legal Professionals

Determining sanity or insanity.

Mental Illness Definition by Religious Professionals

Determining morality or amorality.

Mental Illness Definition by Hollywood

Used to determine potential Oscar winners and provide engaging stories.

Statistics on Mental Illness in Adults

43.8 million adults in the U.S. suffer some form of mental disorder.

Commonly Diagnosed Mental Illnesses

Anxiety, Depression, Substance-related disorders, Severe neurocognitive disorders (like dementia), Personality disorders, Schizophrenia spectrum, and other psychotic disorders.

Social Worker Concerns in Mental Illness

Over or under-diagnosing, civil restrictions from specific diagnoses, and hospitalizing at-risk individuals.

Competency-based Practice

Another phrase for strengths-based practice.

Topographical Model

Conscious, preconscious, unconscious; encompasses Id, Ego, and Superego, free association, Freudian slips, and analysis of transference.

Freudian Slips

Minor speech, memory, or action errors believed by Freud to reflect the unconscious mind.

Analysis of Transference

The phenomenon where the therapist adapts to become what the client needs.

Primary Process in Freudian Knowledge

Guided by pleasure.

Secondary Process in Freudian Knowledge

Guided by moderation.

Pleasure vs. Reality Principle

Immediate desire for gratification and avoidance of pain versus the ability to delay gratification to achieve long-term goals.

Neurotic Mind in Freudian Knowledge

A state of chronic distress due to unresolved conflicts from repressed desires and experiences.

Psychic Determinism

The belief that all mental processes are determined by the unconscious.

Difference between the Mentally Ill and Normal (Freud)

A difference of degree, not kind; behaviors exist on a continuum.

Defense Mechanisms

Unconscious strategies used by the mind to protect from overwhelming emotions.

Long Arm of the Unconscious

Refers to unresolved issues from the past that affect present behavior, such as phobias.

Role of Anthropologists

To analyze behaviors within cultural contexts.

Role of Sociologists

To examine social situations as factors influencing human behavior.

Role of Social Psychologists

To study social interactions and their effects on individuals.

Role of Biochemists

To investigate biological anomalies related to psychopathology.

Role of Behaviorists

To examine how behaviors are reinforced.

Role of Cognivists

To analyze self-talk and its effects on behavior.

DSM

A culturally determined classification system that describes mental disorders without implying causation.

Advantages of the DSM

It provides a common language for diagnosis, ensures reliability, and allows for statistical collection.

Disadvantages of the DSM

Includes inflammatory language, reimbursement issues, stigma, and potential for manufacturing mental health problems.

International Classification of Diseases (ICD-X)

A classification system parallel to the DSM, used internationally, categorized differently.

F1 Section of the ICD

Mental disorders due to psychoactive substance use.

F2 Section of the ICD

Schizophrenia, schizotypal, and delusional disorders.

F3 Section of the ICD

Mood disorders.

F4 Section of the ICD

Neurotic, stress-related, and somatoform disorders.

Layout of the DSM

Divided into three sections and an appendix with numeric codes.

Section 1 of the DSM

Covers the basics of how to use the DSM-5.

Section II of the DSM

Contains Diagnostic Criteria and Codes including categorical diagnoses.

Section III of the DSM

Emerging measures and models for potential new diagnoses.

Appendix of the DSM

Includes glossary and listings of diagnoses.

People-First Language Importance

Essential to use language that classifies disorders respectfully by focusing on the person first.

Ego-Dystonic Diagnoses

Conditions like schizophrenia and depression that the individual struggles to accept.

Ego-Syntonic Diagnoses

Conditions in alignment with the ego, such as narcissism and histrionic.

Meaningful Diagnosis Criteria

Must cause significant social, occupational, or interpersonal functioning problems.

Monothetic Diagnosis

Diagnosis requiring all symptoms to be present.

Polythetic Diagnosis

Diagnosis requiring several but not all symptoms to be present.

Descriptors in Diagnosis

Include subtypes, specifiers, and associated features.

Subtype in Diagnosis

Subgroupings within a diagnosis that indicate specific characteristics.

Example of a Diagnosis

Major depressive disorder.

Example of a Subtype

Single episode.

Example of a Specifier

Mild.

Associated Features in Diagnosis

Include issues such as sexual dysfunction or cultural/religious factors.

Prevalence

The overall percentage of a population living with a particular disorder.

Development and Course of Disorder

The timeline from onset of a disorder until its resolution.