AP

Notes on Psychopathology and Psychological Disorders

Psychopathology Overview

  • Psychopathology is the study of psychological disorders.
  • Focus areas include:
    • Definition of disorders and symptoms.
    • Diagnosis methods.
    • Etiology: understanding the causes of psychological disorders.

Definitions of Psychological Disorders

  • Disorders are characterized by abnormal thoughts, feelings, and behaviors.
  • Key components:
    • Atypicality: Symptoms must be unusual compared to the population.
    • Dysfunction: Disorders typically cause dysfunction in one or more areas of life (e.g., work, social interactions).
    • Distress: Symptoms must cause significant distress or impairment.

DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders)

  • Published by the American Psychiatric Association (APA).
  • Current edition: DSM-5 TR (Text Revision).
  • Purpose: To classify psychological disorders and provide diagnostic criteria.
  • Important features include:
    • Criteria needed to diagnose conditions.
    • Prevalence rates of disorders (life-time prevalence).
    • Comorbidities: Co-occurrence of multiple disorders.

Types of Psychological Disorders

  1. Anxiety Disorders: Most common class of disorders.

    • Include specific phobias, social anxiety disorder, panic disorder, generalized anxiety disorder (GAD).
    • Symptoms often involve excessive fear or anxiety that disrupts daily life.
  2. Mood Disorders: Includes depression and bipolar disorder.

    • Often linked to dysfunction in emotional regulation.
  3. Personality Disorders: Long-standing patterns of behavior that deviate from societal expectations.

  4. Psychotic Disorders: Disorders that reveal a disconnect from reality (e.g., schizophrenia).

    • Symptoms include hallucinations and delusions.

Approaches to Understanding Psychological Disorders

  • Biological Perspective: Focuses on genetic and neurochemical factors.
  • Psychological Perspective: Examines cognitive and behavioral aspects.
  • Diathesis-Stress Model: Proposes that psychological disorders arise from the interaction of genetic vulnerability and environmental stressors.

Anxiety Disorders: Key Points

  • Anxiety serves a functional role in survival by promoting vigilance and caution.
  • Specific Phobia: An irrational fear of a specific object or situation; it causes avoidance behavior.
  • Social Anxiety Disorder: Fear of social situations due to potential negative evaluation by others. Public speaking is a common example.
  • Panic Disorder: Characterized by recurrent and unexpected panic attacks; often accompanied by fear of future attacks.
  • Agoraphobia: Fear of situations where escape might be difficult; can lead to avoidance of public spaces.

Understanding Fear and Anxiety

  • Distinctions between fear (a response to immediate threats) and anxiety (anticipation of future threats).
  • Feedback mechanisms such as avoidance can reinforce and strengthen anxiety disorders.

Johnson's Classification of Disorders

  • Disorders are grouped based on the severity of their impact on one's daily function.
  • Comorbid Disorders: It is common for individuals to experience more than one disorder simultaneously, such as anxiety and depression.

Conclusion

  • Understanding psychological disorders requires a multi-faceted approach including categorization of symptoms, examination of underlying causes, and consideration of the cultural context.
  • Continued studies into the DSM changes reflect evolving understandings of mental health phenomena.
  • Importance of recognizing one's own potential biases or misconceptions regarding psychological disorders.