In-Depth Notes on Psychological Disorders and Perspectives

Deviance and Psychological Disorders

• Deviance: Behaviors, thoughts, and feelings that significantly diverge from societal norms.
• DSM-5:
  • Published by the American Psychiatric Association in 2013.
  • Classifies psychological disorders into categories such as anxiety, depressive, and dissociative disorders.
  • Provides detailed descriptions, diagnostic criteria, prevalence, and risk factors for each disorder.

Key Concepts in Psychopathology

• Psychopathology: Study of psychological disorders, their symptoms, causes (etiology), and treatment.
• Comorbidity: Co-occurrence of two or more disorders in an individual.
• Psychological Disorder Criteria:
  • Distress: Significant personal suffering or emotional pain.
  • Dysfunction: Inability to function effectively in daily life due to psychological disturbances.
  • Danger: Behaviors that threaten harm to oneself or others.
  • Atypicality: Behaviors that deviate from the societal norm but may not suffice for diagnosis.

Historical Perspectives

• Supernatural Perspective:
  • Historically, psychological disorders were attributed to supernatural forces, such as black magic or possession.

Biological and Psychological Factors

• Insanity: Colloquial/legal term; not a medical diagnosis.
• Biological Perspective:
  • Links disorders to biological factors like genetics and chemical imbalances.
  • Example: Schizophrenia has a high genetic heritability.
• Psychosocial Perspective: Emphasizes the role of psychological processes and environmental factors in the development of disorders.

Diathesis-Stress Model

• Diathesis-Stress Model: Integrates biological and psychosocial factors to predict the onset of a disorder.
  • A predisposition (diathesis) combined with stressors may trigger a disorder.
• Example with Phobias:
  • Conditioning experiences can lead to social anxiety disorders, activated by negative early interactions (e.g., bullying).

Cognitive Factors and Disorders

• Cognitive Factors in Panic Disorder:
  • Individuals may catastrophically interpret bodily sensations, leading to panic attacks.
• OCD: The disorder may arise from classical and operant conditioning, where neutral stimuli trigger anxiety and compulsive behaviors provide temporary relief via negative reinforcement.

PTSD and Mood Disorders

• PTSD: Symptoms arise from traumatic events, including intrusive memories, flashbacks, and emotional disturbances.
  • Learning Models in PTSD: Memory disturbances and negative appraisals contribute to symptoms.
• Mood Disorders:
  • Major Depressive Disorder: Symptoms include persistent sadness and loss of interest in daily activities.
  • Bipolar Disorder: Characterized by periods of extreme elation (mania) and depression.

Personality Disorders

• Common Disorders:
  • Antisocial Personality Disorder: Engages in behaviors violating others' rights; often linked to childhood trauma.
  • Borderline Personality Disorder: Associated with unstable relationships and self-image, often stemming from adverse childhood experiences.