ABPSYCHOLOGY

ABNORMAL PSYCHOLOGY

  • Definition: Study of mental disorders and unusual or maladaptive behaviors.

  • Importance: Understanding the genesis of mental disorders is critical for mental health professionals such as psychiatrists, psychologists, and social workers.

CHALLENGES TO THE STUDY OF PSYCHOPATHOLOGY

  1. Maintaining Objectivity:

    • Psychologists must remain objective at all times.

  2. Avoiding Preconceived Notions:

    • Psychology students should not experience stress associated with biases or assumptions.

  3. Reducing Stigma:

    • Addressing destructive beliefs and attitudes ascribed to groups.

    • Understanding diverse behaviors that deviate from societal norms.

REPUBLIC ACT 11036 (MENTAL HEALTH ACT)

  • Enhances the delivery of integrated mental health services.

  • Promotes and protects the rights of individuals utilizing psychosocial health services.

  • Appropriates funds for related purposes.

CHARACTERISTICS OF MENTAL DISORDER

  • Occurs within the individual.

  • Causes personal distress or disability.

  • Not a culturally specific reaction to an event.

  • Not primarily a result of social deviance or conflict with society.

4 D’S OF MENTAL DISORDER

  1. Distress:

    • Feeling extremely upset.

    • Eustress: Positive stress.

    • Distress: Negative stress.

  2. Disability:

    • Impairment in various life areas.

  3. Deviance:

    • Violation of social norms.

  4. Dysfunction:

    • Abnormality within oneself including emotional, cognitive, and behavioral dysfunctions.

MENTAL DISORDER (DSM-5)

  • Defined as a syndrome characterized by clinically significant disturbances in an individual’s cognition, emotion regulation, or behavior that reflects dysfunction in the psychological, biological, or developmental processes underlying mental functioning.

HISTORY OF PSYCHOPATHOLOGY

  • Early Demonology:

    • Physical and mental disorders believed to be caused by the devil.

    • Odd behaviors attributed to possession by evil spirits.

    • Exorcism: Ritualistic casting out of evil spirits, often involving elaborate prayer and physical measures.

    • Trephination: Drilling holes in the skull to alleviate disorders.

    • Hydrotherapy: Using ice-cold water to shock patients back to senses.

Early Biological Explanations

  • Hippocrates (5th Century B.C.):

    • Father of modern medicine.

    • Believed in an imbalance of bodily fluids (four humors):

      • Blood

      • Black Bile

      • Yellow Bile

      • Phlegm

  • Galen: Associated humors with personality traits, although proven incorrect:

    • Blood: Sanguine (Cheerful)

    • Black Bile: Melancholic (Depressive)

    • Phlegm: Phlegmatic (Calm)

    • Yellow Bile: Choleric (Hot-tempered).

  • Dark Ages:

    • Monasteries took over as healers.

    • Care for individuals involved prayers and potions.

  • Persecution of Witches:

    • Mentally ill individuals often labeled as witches.

    • Emphasized feminine aspects, often subjected to dunking tests.

  • Lunacy Trials:

    • Attributed odd behavior to misalignment of celestial bodies.

  • Development of Asylums (15th Century):

    • Converted leprosy hospitals into asylums.

    • Priory of St. Mary of Bethlehem (1243): Noted for poor treatment of individuals.

KEY FIGURES IN ABNORMAL PSYCHOLOGY

  • Benjamin Rush:

    • Father of American psychiatry.

    • Believed psychological disorders stemmed from excess blood in the brain.

    • Recommended bloodletting and frightening patients as treatment.

  • Philippe Pinel (Pinel’s Reform):

    • Advocated for humane treatment in asylums.

    • Removed chains from patients, emphasizing compassion and dignity.

  • Jean-Baptiste Pussin:

    • Former patient who assisted in reform efforts.

  • Dorothea Dix:

    • Crusader for improved treatments and conditions in mental health institutions.

    • Instrumental in establishing 32 hospitals staffed by physicians.

EVOLUTION OF CONTEMPORARY THOUGHT (1800 TO 1900)

Biological Approaches

  • General Paresis:

    • Syndrome with mental and physical decline, linked to syphilis.

    • Characterized by delusions and bizarre behaviors.

    • In 1905, microorganism causing syphilis was discovered.

    • Delusions: False beliefs.

    • Hallucinations: False perceptions.

  • Francis Galton:

    • Pioneer in genetics relating to psychological disorders.

    • Initiated twin studies linking behavior to heredity.

    • Coined terms nature and nurture.

  • Eugenics Movement:

    • Aimed to eliminate undesirable traits through reproductive restrictions.

BIOLOGICAL TREATMENTS

  • Insulin Coma Therapy:

    • Developed by Manfred Sakel in the 1930s.

    • Induced comas in schizophrenia patients with insulin; claimed