Defining Psychological Disorders

What Makes Behavior “Abnormal”?

learning objective : define psychological disorder

• the types of behavior considered “normal” or “abnormal” fall on a spectrum

  
  

psychological disorder : an ongoing dysfunctional pattern of thought, emotion, and behavior that causes significant distress, impairs a person’s normal functioning, and is considered deviant in that person’s culture or society

Psychological disorders have much in common with medical disorders:

• out of the patient’s control

• could be treated by drugs

• treatment is often covered by medical insurance

• both biological and environmental influences

abnormal psychology : applying psychological science to our understanding and treatment of psychological disorders

• about 1 in every 4 Americans are affected by a psychological disorder during any one year

• half a billion people are affected by psychological disorders worldwide

• the impact of mental illness is particularly strong on people who are poorer, of lower socioeconomic class, and from disadvantaged ethnic groups

People with psychological disorders are also stigmatized by the people around them, resulting in :

• shame

• embarrassment

• prejudice

• discrimination

prevalence : the frequency of occurrence of a given condition in a population at a given time

One-Year Prevalence Rates for Psychological Disorders in the United States :

Defining Disorder

learning objective :

• define psychological disorder

• describe the biopsychosocial model of psychological disorder

• define important terms related to psychological disorders (prevalence and comorbidity)

• describe the stigma of psychological disorders and their impact on those who suffer from them

bio-psycho-social model of illness : a way of understanding disorder that assumes that disorders are caused by biological, psychological, and social factors

biological component : the influences on a disorder that come from the functioning of the individuals body, particularly important are genetic characteristics that make some people more vulnerable to a disorder than others and the influence of neurotransmitters

psychological component : the influences that come from the individual, such as patterns of negative thinking and stress responses

social component : the influences on a disorder due to social and cultural factors such as socioeconomic status, homelessness, abuse, and discrimination

• schizophrenia has a biological cause because it is known that there are patterns of genes that make a person vulnerable to the disorder

• whether or not the person with a biological vulnerability experiences the disorder depends in large part on psychological factors such as how they respond to stress, whether or not they are exposed to stressful environments, and whether or not they have support from the people who care about the

• mood and anxiety disorders are caused by genetic factors such as hormones and neurotransmitters

How Psychological disorders are different from Medical disorders:

• diagnosis of psychological disorders can be more difficult

• there is no corresponding test for psychological disorder

• the brains of people with severe mental disturbances often look identical to those of people without such disturbances

• psychological disorders are diagnosed on the basis of clinical observations of the behaviors that the individual engages in

• psychological disorders are not only determined by how unusual the behavior is, it is also determined by whether or not the behavior is maladaptive (the extent to which it causes distress) and dysfunction (impairment in one or more important areas of functioning)

• the focus on distress and dysfunction means that behaviors that are simply unusual are not classified as disorders

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In short summary : a psychological disorder encompasses impairment of a person’s normal functioning, behaviors that is considered deviant in that person’s culture or society, and a dysfunctional pattern of thought, emotion, and behavior that causes significant distress.

• another difficulty in diagnosing psychological disorders is that they frequently occur together (comorbid)

comorbidity : occurs when people who suffer from one disorder also suffer at the same time from other disorders

Psychology in Everyday Life : Combating the Stigma of Abnormal Behavior

• until the 18th century the most common treatment for the mentally ill was incarceration in asylums

• some reformers began to oppose the treatment of those who were mentally ill arguing that mental illness was a medical problem that had nothing to do with evil spirits or demons

• Philippe Pinel : was a famous reformer in France who believed that mental illness was caused by a combination of physical and psychological stressors, exacerbated by inhumane conditions

• he advocated for the introduction of exercise, fresh air, and daylight, as well as treating and talking gently to the inmates

• Reformers Benjamin Rush and Dorothea Dix from America created mental hospitals that treated patients humanely and attempted to cure them if possible

• they saw mental illness as an underlying psychological disorder, which was diagnosed according to its symptoms and which could be cured through treatment

• all of the reformers fought the brutal treatment of the mentally ill and were instrumental in changing perceptions and treatment of them

• public attitudes about those who suffer from psychological disorders including police, coworkers, and even friends and family

stigma : a disgrace or defect that indicates that person belongs to a culturally devalued social group

• in some cases the stigma of mental illness is accompanied by harsh, disrespectful, and dehumanizing words such as : crazy, nuts, schizo, and retard

• the stigma of mental disorder affect people when they are ill, healing, and even afterwards

• stigma can affect the kinds of services social service agencies give to people with mental illness, and the treatment provided to them and their families by schools, workplaces, places of worship, and health-care providers

• it also leads to employment discrimination, despite the fact that with appropriate support, even people with severe psychological disorders are able to hold a job

• social media may portray mental illness in a sympathetic way but it also displays it as a negative thing

• the stigmatization of those with psychological disorders slows their recovery

• people with mental problems internalize social attitudes about mental illness and fail to seek treatment because they see it as shameful or embarrassing

• stigma leads to lower self esteem, increased isolation, and hopelessness

• many people overcome psychological disorders and live a productive life

Diagnosing Disorder : The DSM

learning objective : understand what the DSM is and how it defines a psychological disorder

diagnosis : appropriately identifying and labeling a set of defined symptoms

• arriving at a diagnosis enables professionals to use a common language with others in the field and aids in communication about the disorder with the patient, colleagues, and the public

• a proper diagnosis is an essential element to guide proper and successful treatment

• classification systems that organize psychological disorders systematically are necessary

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) :

diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (DSM) : the classification system that is used by most mental health professionals in the United States

• the DSM was published by the American Psychiatric Association

• the first edition was published in 1952, and it classified psychological disorders according to a format developed by the U.S Army during WW2

• the DSM has undergone several revisions and editions

• the most recent edition was published in 2013 and is the DSM-5

• it includes many categories of disorders, specific symptoms required for diagnosis, prevalence information, and risk factors associated with the disorder

• the first two editions of the DSM listed homosexuality as a disorder but in 1973 the APA removed it from the manual

• beginning in 1980 (DSM3) the mental disorders have been described in much greater detail, and the number of diagnosable conditions has grown steadily

• DSM 1 included 106 diagnoses and was 130 pages long

• DSM 3 included 265 diagnoses and 886 total pages

• DSM 5 includes 237 disorders and 947 pages in total

• nearly half of all Americans will meet the criteria for a DSM disorder at some point in their life

• the DSM-5 is criticized on the grounds that its criteria have been loosened

The International Classification of Diseases

international classification of diseases (ICD) : published by the World Health Organization, the ICD was developed in Europe shortly after WW, and has been revised several times

• the categories of the DSM and ICD are similar

• the differences in the ICD and DSM is that the ICD, is used for clinical purposes and is use to examine the general health of populations and to monitor the prevalence of diseases and other health problems and other health problems internationally

• the worldwide ICD is used more frequently for clinical diagnoses whereas the DSM is used for research

• the DSM is more explicitly disorder criteria and an explanatory text about it

  
  

  Identify Reasons for Using A Classification System for Disorders:

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