Psychological Disorders

Defining and Explaining Abnormal Behavior

  • Abnormal Behavior: Behavior that is deviant, maladaptive, or personally distressful over a relatively long period.

Three Criteria of Abnormal Behavior

  • Deviant Behavior: Differs from societal norms.
  • Maladaptive Behavior: Disrupts personal satisfaction and functioning.
  • Personally Distressful Behavior: Troubling to the individual.

Culture and Abnormal Behavior

  • Culture sets norms that shape perceptions of normality.
  • Definitions of normal evolve over time, influenced by cultural and societal changes.
  • Norms can be oppressive, shaping the experience of psychological disorders.

Theoretical Approaches to Psychological Disorders

  1. Biological Approach: Attributes disorders to internal organic causes (e.g. medical model).
  2. Psychological Approach: Emphasizes personal experiences and emotions.
  3. Sociological Approach: Considers social factors (gender, ethnicity, socioeconomics).
  4. Biopsychosocial Model: Integrates biological, psychological, and sociocultural factors.
    • Introduces Vulnerability-Stress Hypothesis: preexisting conditions increase risk for disorders.

Classifying Abnormal Behavior

  • Classification aims to standardize communication about disorders, help predict occurrence, and aid clinicians.
  • DSM-5: Diagnostic manual for psychological disorders in the U.S. Criticized for being too biologically focused and for increasing categories with loose standards.

Neurodevelopmental Disorders

  • Diagnosed in childhood, may arise from genetic differences, atypical brain development, or prenatal substance exposure.
Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD)
  • Characteristics: Deficits in communication, restrictive behavior patterns.
  • Etiology: Genetic factors contribute, but are not singular causes.
  • Treatment: No cure; focused on behavioral approach (e.g., Applied Behavior Analysis) and possibly medication.
Attention-Deficit/Hyperactivity Disorder (ADHD)
  • Symptoms: Inattention, hyperactivity, impulsivity.
  • Diagnosed before age 12, impacting social and academic life.
  • Risk Factors: Premature birth, substance exposure.
  • Treatment: Medications (e.g., stimulants) and nonmedical interventions like therapy.

Anxiety and Anxiety-Related Disorders

  • Anxiety Disorders: Involve excessive apprehension, including Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), panic disorder, specific phobias, and social anxiety disorder.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)
  • Persistent, unmanageable anxiety lasting for at least six months. Treatment typically includes medication and psychotherapy.
Panic Disorder
  • Characterized by sudden, intense panic attacks. Treatments include psychotherapy and medications.
Specific Phobia
  • Intense, irrational fear of specific situations or objects. Treatment often employs exposure therapy methods (extinction).
Social Anxiety Disorder
  • Intense fear of embarrassment in social situations. Treatment options include psychotherapy and medications.
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
  • Characteristics: Obsessions (persistent thoughts) and compulsions (repetitive behaviors).
  • Treatments target reducing anxiety-driven behaviors and thoughts with therapies and medications.

Trauma and Stress-Related Disorders

  • Include PTSD, characterized by symptoms following traumatic exposures.
  • Symptoms may manifest immediately or later, encompassing flashbacks and emotional detachment.

Dissociative Disorders

  • Involve disruptions in consciousness or identity, including dissociative amnesia and dissociative identity disorder (DID).

Mood Disorders

  • Encompass depressive disorders (persistent sadness) and bipolar disorder (extreme mood swings).
Major Depressive Disorder (MDD)
  • Symptoms include lack of joy and hopelessness.
  • Treatments focus on psychotherapy and medications.
Bipolar Disorder
  • Involves episodes of mania and depression; typically treated with mood-stabilizers like lithium.

Eating Disorders

  • Involve extreme behaviors related to food and body image, including anorexia nervosa and bulimia nervosa.
  • Treatments include therapy and medications.

Schizophrenia

  • Characterized by distorted thinking and perceptions (psychosis).
  • Symptoms categorized as positive (hallucinations) or negative (loss of functions). Treatment often requires powerful medication.

Personality Disorders

  • Chronic maladaptive patterns, including antisocial personality disorder and borderline personality disorder.

Suicide

  • High correlation between psychological disorders and suicide risk; treatment barriers often associated with stigma.
  • Overcome stigma by fostering understanding and support for treatment-seeking behavior.

Combatting Stigma

  • Importance of recognizing that psychological disorders affect many individuals and communities. Engage positively to bolster support for those impacted.