Abnormality

what is psychopathology ?

what is psychopathology ?

This is the study of of psychological disorder or disease

How do we determine whether a person’s behaviour and/or psychological state are sufficiently unusual i.e. abnormal to justify diagnosing and treating them for psychological disorder?

There are two ways of making this decision by using statistical infrequency and deviation from social norms

What is statistical infrequency ?

Occurs when an individual has a less common characteristic, for example being more depressed or less intelligent than the average population

What is deviation from social norms ?

concerns behaviour that is different from the accepted standards of behaviour in a community of society?

How are statistics used to define abnormalities ?

according to the statistical definition any relatively usual behaviour or characteristics can be thought of as “normal”, and any behaviour that is unusual is “abnormal” i.e. statistical infrequency.

why are social norms culture specific

social norm can usually differ with generations and different in every culture, so there are relatively few behaviours that are considered universally abnormal on the basis that they breach social norms

What the DM-5

this is a manual used by psychiatrist to diagnose mental disorder

How are psychopaths considered abnormal in a wide rand of cultures using deviation from social norms ?

someone with antisocial personality disorder (psychopathy) is impulsive aggressive and irresponsible

according to DM-5, one important symptom of antisocial personality disorder is an absence of prosocial internal standards associated with failure to conform to lawful and culturally normative ethical behaviour

making a social judgement that psychopaths are abnormal because they don’t conform to our moral standards.

this is considered abnormal in a wide range of cultures

What is one strength of using statistical infrequency. With real world application ?

statistical infrequency is used in clinical practice, both as part of formal diagnosis and as a way to asses the social the severity of an individuals symptoms

the value of the statistical infrequency criterion is useful in diagnostic + assessment process

give an xample of statistical infrequency being used in the real world

a diagnosis of intellectual disability disorder requires an IQ of below 70 (bottom 2%)

An example of statistical infrequency used in an assessment tool is the Beck depression inventory(BDI). A score of 30+(top5% of respondents) is widely interpreted as indicating severe depression

what is a limitation of using statistical infrequency when unusual characteristics can be positive with an example ?

infrequency can be positive as well as negative

for every person with an IQ below 70 there is another with an IQ above 130.

yet we would not consider someone as abnormal for having a high IQ

because we don’t think of someone with a very low depression score on the BDI as abnormal

why should statistical infrequency not be the sole basis of defining an abnormality - evaluation

being unusual at one end of a psychological spectrum does not necessarily make someone abnormal

what are the benefits of being classified as abnormal with an example

it can help them to access support services if they have a low IQ

or someone with a very high BDI score is likely to benefit from therapy

What is an disadvantage of labelling people abnormal

someone with a low IQ who can cope with their chosen lifestyle would not need a label like intellectual disability disorder

there is a social stigma attached to such labels giving someone a label unnecessarily may be a bad thing

this means labelling someone abnormal because they are statistical unusual could be more of a bad thing than a good thing

what is a strength of the usefulness of deviation from social norms - with an example

normally used in clinical practice

a key defining characteristic of personality disorder is the failure to conform to culturally acceptable behaviours i.e. recklessness, aggression, violating the rights of others and deceitfulness

these signs of the disorder are all deviation from social norms.

such norms also play a part in the diagnosis of schizotypal personality disorder where the term “strange” is used to characterize thinking, behaviour and appearance of people with the disorder.

shows deviation from social norms criterion has value in psychiatry

what is a limitation of deviation from social norms in its relativism in different cultures i.e. hearing voices

social norms vary between cultures and even different situation

someone from one cultural group may label someone from another group as abnormal using their standards rather than the persons standards

e.g. hearing voices (message from ancestors) may be seen as normal but in most parts of the UK it is classified as abnormal

even within the same cultural context social norms differ from one situation to another

aggressive & deceitful behaviour in the context of family life is more socially unacceptable than in the context of corporate deal makings

difficult to judge deviation from social norms across different situations + cultures

why was deviation of social norms used in past to define someone as abnormal as a bad thing

history of using social deviation to define someone as abnormal has been an unpleasant one

carries the risk of unfair labelling and leaving people open to human rights abuses.

what is nymphomania and why is it an example of how deviation from social norms has been regarded as unfair

women’s uncontrollable or excessive sexual desire

it has been used to control women

what is drapetomania and why is it an example of how deviation from social norms has been regarded as unfair

irrational desire for slaves to be free

been used to control slaves and avoid debate

what are the 4 ways to define an abnormality ?

failure to function adequately

deviation from social norms

deviation from ideal mental health

statistical infrequency

failure to function adequately ?

occurs when someone is unable to cope with ordinary demands of day-to day living

what is deviation from ideal mental health

occurs when someone dies not meet a set of criteria for good mental health

how would we define someone with a failure to function adequately ?

we might decided that someone is not functioning adequately when they are unable to maintain basic standards of nutrition and hygiene

or if they cannot hold down a job or maintain relationships with people around them

what other additional behaviour did David Rosehan and Martin Seligman propose was a sign of someone not coping

• when a person no longer conforms to standard interpersonal rules - maintain eye contact+ respecting personal space

• when a person experiences sever distress

• when a person’s behaviour becomes irrational or dangerous to themselves/ others

What are the basis for intellectual disability disorder

have very low IQ (statistical infrequency)

must be failing to function adequately before a diagnosis would be given

what did Marie Jahoda suggest ideal metal health looked like ?

• no symptoms of distress

• Rational + perceive ourselves accurately

• self-actualise

• cope with stress

• realistic view of the world

• good self- esteem + lack of guilt

• independent of other people

• successfully work, low and enjoy leisure

why is the failure to function criterion helpful in providing a threshold for help (evaluation/0

it represents a sensible threshold for when people need professional help.

especially because most people have symptoms of mental disorder to some degree at some time. however many people press on in the face of severe symptoms

tends to be at the point where ppl cease to function adequately that ppl seek professional help or are noticed and referred by others

what does the threshold created by a failure to function mean for these mental health services (evaluation )

It means that these treatments and services can be target to those that need them most

how many people in the UK will experience mental health problems in a given year (evaluation

mental health charity mind - 25% ppl in the UK

why can it be bad to label someone as a failure to function (evaluation

because it is easy to label a non standard lifestyle choice as abnormal

it is hard to distinguish when someone is really failing to function and when they have simply chosen to deviate from social norms

why could not having a job or permanent address be a failure to function for some and not for others (evluation)

because for those who are actively trying to work or seek work that fact that they are unable to hold a job is a failure to function

however for others they may just prefer to live off the grid

why would it be bad to classify all unusual lifestyles as a failure to function (evaluation)

because it could unreasonably classify them as irrational and perhaps a danger to self when they may just have unusual lifestyle

this means that people who make unusual choices are at risk of being labelled abnormal and their freedom of choice may be restricted

why may some feel that a failure to function is not abnormal (evaluation limitation )

because their are some circumstances where a failure to cope at least for a time is normal

one could be bereavement

why would it be unfair to label someone going through something like bereavement as falling to function - so abnormal (limitation evaluation)

the label of abnormality may cause them future problems just because they react to difficult circumstances in the way most of us would

however why may it be sometimes necessary to call someone out even during these special circumstances (bereavement) by saying they are abnormal due to a failure to function (evaluation)

if someone’s distressed, acting irrational or acting as a danger to self or others this should still be known as a failure to function even if it is due to special circumstances.

also some people will require professional help to be able to function adequately following circumstances like bereavement

what can we conclude from declaring people as abnormal due to a failure to function

it may sometimes be necessary to define people as abnormal when they fail to function adequately but it can be difficult to know when this is the case

how is Jahoda’s ideal metal health highly comprehensive ? (eval)

it is because it includes a range of criteria for distinguishing mental health from mental disorders.

in fact it covers most of the reasons why we may seek to be referred or have help with mental health

why is it a strength that the criterion for ideal mental health is comprehensive (eval)

It means that an individuals mental health can be discussed meaningfully with a range of professionals who might take different theoretical views e.g. a medically trained psychiatrist might focus on symptoms whereas a humanistic counsellor might be more interested in self-actualisation

this means ideal mental health provides a checklist against which we can asses ourselves and others and discuss psychological issues with a range of professionals

what does having an ideal metal health mean for assessing mental health ? (eval)

this means ideal mental health provides a checklist against which we can asses ourselves and others and discuss psychological issues with a range of professionals

how is jahoda’s ideal mental health culturally bound (eval)

some of his criteria for ideal mental health are firmly located in the context of the US and Europe generally.

also what defines suvvess in our working, socialand love-lives is very different for different cultures

what is an example of a concept that is particularly culture-bound *eval)

self actualisation would probably be dismissed as self-indulgent in much of the world

even within Europe there is variation in the value placed on personal independence e.g high in Germany low in Italy

what does this mean for the applicability of ideal mental health (eval)

this means it is difficult to apply the concept of ideal mental health from one culture to another

what is a disadvantage of the ideal mental health criteria with it being high standards (eval)

according to the criteria most of us are abnormal and possibly mentally disorder as few people meet the criteria all the time.

it could be disheartening to see an impossible set of standards to live up to

why may some think the comprehensive and the high set of standards of ideal criteria is good (eval)

it could help people understand and improve their mental health having access to such a comprehensive set of criteria for mental health to work towards might be of practical value as it provides so many ways to work on their mental health and to discuss their mental health with professionals

phobia

an excessive, irrational fear and anxiety triggered by an object, place or situation

what are the three DSM categories of phobia

specific phobia

social phobia

agoraphobia

specific phobia

phobia of an object e.g. an animal

social phobia

phobia of social situation such as public places

agoraphobia

phobia of being outside or in a public place

their are three type of classification of metal disorders

behavioural

emotional

cognitive

behavioural

we respond to things or situations we fear by acting in a particular way

emotional

related to a persons feeling or mood

cognitive

refers to the process of knowing including thinking, reasoning, remembering, believing

how is panic a behavioural characteristic of a phobia

because it is the way a person with a phobia may panic in response to the presence of the phobic stimuli

what are the rage of behaviours that could be included when a person panics

cry

scream

run away

freeze

clinging

have a tantrum

how is avoidance a behavioural characteristic

this is because the person is making a behavioural choice to avoid their fear. this could make it hard to go about daily life

e.g . someone who has a fear of public toilets may avoid spending time outside in relation to how long they can last without a toilet

what is endurance (behavioural characteristic)

this is the alternative behavioural response to avoidance. This occurs when the person chooses to remain in the same presence of the phobic stimuli

what are the two emotional characteristics of phobias

Anxiety

Fear

what is anxiety ? (emotional characteristic)

this is how phobias are classified - as an anxiety disorder

this involves an a emotional response of anxiety, an unpleasant state of high arousal.

This prevents a person from relaxing and makes it very difficult to experience any positive emotion.

this can be long term

what is fear ?

this is the immediate and extreme unpleasant response we experience when we encounter or think about phobic stimulus.

It is usually more intense but experienced for shorter periods

what is different about an emotional response when the reaction is stemmed from an phobia ?

the anxiety or fear is more greater than normal and disproportionate to any threat posed..

what does cognitive characteristics of phobias

this is concerned with the ways in which people process information

people with phobias processes information for phobic stimuli differently from other objects or situations

what is selective attention to the phobic stimulus

If a person can see the phobic stimulus it is hard to look away from it.

they may struggle to concentrate on things because all their attention would be fixated on their phobia.

how did selective attention occur

this occurs because keeping our attention on something really dangerous is a good things as it gives us the best chance of reacting quickly to a threat however this isn’t useful when the fear is irrational

why is selective attention a problem in everyday life

they may struggle to concentrate on things because all their attention would be fixated on their phobia.

what are irrational beliefs ?

this is when a person with a phobia holds unfounded thoughts in relation to phobic stimuli that cant’t be easily explained and don’t have any basis in reality

what are cognitive distortions

perceptions of a person with a phobia may be inaccurate and unrealistic

what are the main three type of cognitive characteristics of phobias

selective attention to phobic stimuli

irrational beliefs

cognitive distortions