Ch. 1
\ Mental Disorder:
A group of emotional (feelings), cognitive (thinking), or behavioral symptoms that cause distress or significant problems.
Three criteria for mental disorder:
1. Deviance from the norm
2. Difficulty functioning with life’s demands
3. Experience of personal distress
Abnormal Psychology:
The scientific study of problematic feelings, thoughts, and behaviors associated with mental disorders.
Designed to evaluate, understand, predict, and prevent mental disorders and help those who are in distress.
Asylums:
Mental institutions created during the Renaissance to treat those with mental disorders.
Mass Madness:
Group of individuals afflicted at the same time with the same disorder or abnormal behavior.
Ex. Tarantism, Lycanthropy, St. Vitus’ Dance
Exorcism:
An attempt to cast out a spirit possessing an individual.
Trephination:
An ancient technique that involved cutting a hole in a person’s skull to help release a harmful spirit.
Mental Hygiene Movement:
The science promoting mental health and thwarting mental disorder through education, early treatment, and public health measures.
Somatogenic:
A perspective emphasizing physical, bodily causes of behavior.
Psychogenic:
A perspective emphasizing psychological or mind-related causes of behavior.
Stigma:
A characterization by others of disgrace or reproach based on an individual characteristic.
Public Stigma:
General disgrace the community confers on people that can result in prejudice, stereotyping, and discrimination.
Self Stigma:
A disgrace people assign themselves.
Maladaptive Behavior:
Actions that interfere with a person’s life, relationship, or daily functioning.
Psychopathologist:
A scientist who studies the development and prevention of mental problems
Public Health Model:
Theory that focuses on promoting wellness and helpful practices to avert disease.
Multicultural Psychology:
Scientific study on the effect of society on the way people think, act, and feel.
\ 3 types of prevention:
- Primary Prevention:
1. Intervention targeting large groups of people to avoid the development of an illness
- Secondary Prevention:
1. Intervention that addresses emerging problems while they are still manageable
- Tertiary Prevention:
1. Intervention to reduce the severity and duration of an illness after it has occurred.
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