The study of psychological disorders that impair individual functioning.
Areas of focus include:
Depression
Substance abuse
Learning difficulties
Various mental disorders
Maladaptive Behavior: Distressing or harmful to the individual.
Disturbance to Others: Behavior that causes discomfort or distress in others.
Cultural Deviance: Actions that are uncommon or not accepted by the majority of society.
Irrationality: Behavior that does not make sense to an average person.
Legal Insanity Definition: A person found insane cannot be held fully responsible for their actions due to a psychological disorder impairing judgement.
DSM V: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, utilized for diagnosing psychological disorders.
Goes through revisions, currently in its 5th edition.
Historical reclassification of disorders, including the past depiction of homosexuality.
Sexual Deviations: A categorized diagnosis encompassing various sexual behaviors that are considered pathological.
Psychoanalytic Perspective: Focus on unconscious drives.
Humanistic Perspective: Lack of personal fulfillment.
Behavioral Perspective: Learned behaviors and reinforcement history.
Cognitive Perspective: Dysfunctional thoughts leading to disorders.
Biomedical Perspective: Focus on organic problems and genetic influences.
Phobias: Intense, unwarranted fears (e.g., claustrophobia, agoraphobia).
Social Anxiety Disorder: Fear of public embarrassment.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD): Persistent, low-level anxiety.
Panic Disorder: Acute episodes of anxiety without obvious cause.
Psychoanalytic View: Conflicts between the ID, ego, and superego create anxiety.
Behavioral View: Phobias develop from reinforcement.
Cognitive View: Anxiety stems from unrealistic self-expectations.
Concept: Psychological problems manifesting as physical symptoms.
Conversion Disorder: Severe physical problems (e.g., paralysis) without biological causes.
Hypochondriasis: Preoccupation with fears of serious illness despite lack of evidence.
Dissociative Amnesia: Memory loss without physiological causes.
Dissociative Fugue: Identity loss and unplanned travel, sometimes creating a new identity.
Dissociative Identity Disorder (DID): Multiple personalities within a single individual.
Major Depressive Disorder: Persistent low mood, lacking a clear cause. Symptoms include loss of appetite, fatigue, and feelings of worthlessness.
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD): Depression in specific seasons, typically winter.
Psychoanalytic Explanation: Depression is rooted in internalized anger and early losses.
Cognitive Explanation: Negative thought patterns shape personal perspectives.
Attributional Style: Internal vs. external, stable vs. unstable, global vs. specific explanations for events affect susceptibility to depression.
Definition: Involves alternating episodes of mania and depression.
Manic State: High energy, confidence, and possible irritability; can lead to risky behavior.
Symptoms: Distorted thinking, delusions, hallucinations, disorganized language, abnormal motor behavior.
Types of Symptoms:
Positive Symptoms: Excesses in behavior (e.g., hallucinations).
Negative Symptoms: Absences of normal behaviors (e.g., flat affect).
Dopamine Hypothesis: High dopamine levels are associated with schizophrenia.
Genetic Factors: Family history increases risk of developing the disorder.
Double Bind Theory: Conflicting messages from caregivers could increase schizophrenia risk.
Diathesis-Stress Model: Interaction between biological predispositions and environmental stressors can trigger the disorder.
General Concept: Long-standing patterns of maladaptive behavior.
Common Types:
Antisocial Personality Disorder: Lack of regard for others.
Dependent Personality Disorder: Over-reliance on others.
Paranoid Personality Disorder: Constant feelings of persecution.
Narcissistic Personality Disorder: Oversized sense of self-importance.
Anorexia: Significantly low weight, fear of gaining weight, distorted body image.
Bulimia: Binge-purge cycles involving food.
Definition: Diagnosed when substance use (e.g., drugs, gambling) harms individual functioning.
ADHD: Developmental disorder characterized by inattention and hyperactivity, more common in boys.
Alzheimer’s Disease: Progressive cognitive decline associated with memory loss.
Importance: Critique of psychiatric diagnosis highlighting the impact of labeling on individual perception and treatment.