Chapter 16 – Psychological Disorder

Mental Disorders are Common

• Fact: 1 out of every 5 Canadians suffers from a mental disorder (Clifford et al., 1996).

• Fact: 1 in 5 are hospitalized due to psychiatric disorders (Public Health Agency, 2002).

• Fact: Possibly underreported – up to 46.4% (Kessler et al., 2005).

• Conclusion: Mental disorders are common, but many cases may go unreported.

What is Common or Abnormal?

• A student drinking until she passes out

• A man kissing another man on the lips

• A parent slapping a child

• Believing to be Jesus Christ

• A woman refusing to eat for several days

• A man barking like a dog

• Feeling really sad

• An elderly woman kicking others and screaming in the hospital

• Note: These behaviors can be considered abnormal in certain contexts, but depend on cultural norms and individual situations.

What is Abnormal?

• Distress or Disability/Dysfunction: Impairs social, cognitive, or occupational functioning.

• Maladaptiveness: Hinders behavior or thoughts.

• Irrationality: Example: Hearing voices.

• Unpredictability: Behavior is erratic or inconsistent.

• Unconventionality/Statistical Rarity: Example: High IQ.

• Observer Discomfort: Behavior causes discomfort to others.

• Violation of Moral and Ideal Standards: Deviates from cultural or moral norms.

Psychological Disorders

• Psychopathological Functioning: Disruptions in emotional, behavioral, or thought processes that lead to personal distress or hinder goal achievement.

• Abnormal/Clinical Psychology: The study of individual pathologies in mind, mood, and behavior.

Etiology of Disorders - Vulnerability Stress Mode

• Model: Diathesis (vulnerability) + Stress (environmental stimulus) = Disorder.

• Stressors: Loss of a job, divorce, death in the family, etc.

• Note: Neither diathesis nor stress alone is sufficient to cause a disorder.

Historical Views

• Psychological Theories: Psychological factors like stress caused problems (Freud’s unconscious conflicts).

• Supernatural Theories: Early views linked disorders with evil forces, leading to harmful treatments like exorcism and witch hunts.

• Biological Theories: The Four Humors (e.g., excess black bile leads to depression).

What is DSM-V?

• Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th edition).

• classidies over 200 disorders

• Recent Changes:

  • Removal of the multi-axial system.

  • Dimensional assessments added to measure symptom severity.

  • New diagnoses (e.g., Hoarding Disorder, Skin Picking Disorder).

Types of Anxiety Disorders

• Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD): Chronic, excessive worry without specific threats.

• Panic Disorder: Unexpected, severe panic attacks with physical and psychological symptoms.

• Phobias: Persistent, irrational fears of specific objects or situations.

• Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD): Obsessive thoughts and compulsive behaviors.

• Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): Re-experiencing traumatic events through flashbacks or nightmares.

Causes of Anxiety Disorders

• Biological: Evolutionary preparedness, neurotransmitter imbalances (e.g., GABA).

• Psychodynamic: Anxiety stems from unconscious conflicts.

• Behavioral: Anxiety linked to reinforcement or conditioning.

• Cognitive: Distorted perceptions of danger or fear.

Mood Disorders

• Major Depressive Disorder: Persistent sadness, low energy, and lack of interest in daily activities.

• Bipolar Disorder: Extreme mood swings, including manic episodes (euphoria, high energy) and depressive episodes (low mood, lack of interest).

Causes of Mood Disorders

• Biological: Neurotransmitter imbalances (serotonin, norepinephrine).

• Psychodynamic: Unresolved early conflicts transferred to adult symptoms.

• Cognitive: Negative thought patterns (Beck’s Cognitive Triad) contribute to depression.

Somatic Disorders

• Anxiety Illness Disorder (Hypochondriasis): Preoccupation with being ill despite medical reassurance.

• Somatic Symptom Disorder: Long history of unexplained physical symptoms.

• Conversion Disorder: Loss of motor or sensory function with no physical cause

Dissociative Disorders

• Dissociative Amnesia: Memory loss for important personal experiences due to psychological factors.

• Dissociative Fugue: A person experiences amnesia and engages in wandering behavior, sometimes with a change in identity.

• Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID): Two or more distinct personalities within the same individual (formerly known as Multiple Personality Disorder).

Schizophrenia

• Definition: Severe disorder characterized by disintegration of personality, distorted thoughts, perceptions, and emotions.

• Symptoms:

  • Positive: Hallucinations, delusions, disorganized thinking.

  • Negative: Flat affect, reduced social engagement.

• Onset: Can be gradual or sudden. Affects men more often and typically appears earlier than in women.

Causes of Schizophrenia

• Biological Factors: Genetic predisposition (e.g., 46% risk for identical twins).

• Environmental Stressors: Lack of support, emotional over-investment from parents (expressed emotion).

• Diathesis-Stress Hypothesis: Genetic vulnerability combined with environmental triggers.

optimal mental health and minimal mental health

the five axes of DSM-IV-TR - classes of inromatio and description

charateristics of major depressive disorder with examples

types of schizopenoc disorders and major symptoms