Psychological Disorders

Psychological Disorders

Is this normal Online

Mental Illness or Psychopathology is any pattern of emotions, behavior, or thoughts which are inappropriate to the situation and leading to personal distress or the inability to achieve important goals. Psychopathology

At various moments, all of us feel, think or act the way disturbed people do much of the time. We, too, get anxious, depressed, withdrawn, suspicious, or deluded, just less intensely and more briefly. Some 450 million people world wide suffer psychological disorders. No culture known to man is without some form of psychological disorders. Psychological Disorders

Mental Illness Stats Mental Health and Addictions statistics celebrities Prevalence of Psychopathology

Historical Roots In the ancient world, psychopathology was thought to be caused by demons and spirits that had taken possession of the person s mind and body. Part of daily life in ancient worlds was spent doing rituals aimed at outwitting or placating these supernatural beings.

Hippocrates In 400 B.C. the Greek physician Hippocrates took the first step toward a scientific view of mental illness when he said that abnormal behavior had physical causes. He taught his disciples to interpret the symptoms of psychopathology as an imbalance among our body fluids called humors. Humors Origins Temperament Blood Heart Sanguine (cheerful) Choler (yellow bile) Liver Choleric (angry) Melancholer (black bile) Spleen Melancholy (depressed) Phlegm Brain Phlegmatic (sluggish)

Then in the Middle Ages, superstition eclipsed the Hippocratic model. Under the influence of the Medieval Church, physicians and clergy reverted to the old ways of explaining abnormal behavior as being caused by demons Regression in Thought Hippocrates

Early Treatments Music or singing was often used to chase away spirits. In some cases trephening was used: Cutting a hole in the head of the afflicted to let out the evil spirit.

Salem Witch Trials As a result of erroneous thinking, thousands of mentally disturbed people were executed. In Salem Massachusetts, was one example of the problems with this type of thinking. A modern analysis of the Salem witch trials has concluded that the girls were probably suffering from poisoning by a fungus growing on rye grain-the same fungus that produces the hallucinogenic drug LSD.

In the late 18 th century, the disease view reemerged. The result was the medical model, a view that mental disorders are diseases of the mind that, like ordinary physical diseases, have objective causes and require specific treatment. The Medical Model **

The medical model led to mental hospitals or asylums. In this supportive atmosphere, many patients actually improved, even thrived, on rest, contemplation and simple but useful work. Medical Model in Practice

Despite its success, modern psychologists find fault with relying solely on the medical model. They suggest that treating the disorder as a disease leads to a doctor-knows-best approach in which the therapist takes all the responsibility for diagnosing and correcting the problem. In this model, the patient becomes a passive recipient of medication and advice. Problems with the Medical Model

Models (or perspectives) of psychological disorders

This model emphasizes that mental illness needs to be diagnosed on the basis of its symptoms and cured through therapy based on medical intervention The perspective has gained credibility from recent discoveries that genetically influenced abnormalities in brain structure and biochemistry contribute to a wide range of disorders, including schizophrenia, depression, and anxiety disorders. A. The biopsychological model

Medications influence many of the disorders and their symptoms. Schizophrenia, depression and anxiety disorders are often successfully treated medically.

Inspired by the views of Sigmund Freud, this perspective emphasizes the role of unconscious conflicts over aggressive and sexual impulses. Psychoanalytic therapy (the "talking cure") dominated early to mid-20th century approaches to treatment, but is currently practiced to a lesser extent. The psychoanalytic model

This model emphasizes that psychological disorders have learning as their basis. People learn abnormal behaviour from the people they observe and how others react to their behaviour (rewards or punishments) Behavior therapies rely on learning principles to change maladaptive behaviors. The behavioral model

This most modern model assumes that biological, psychological, and sociocultural factors interact to produce or worsen psychological disorders. Therapists who subscribe to this view may recommend drugs as well as behavioral and cognitive therapies. The biopsychosocial model

Biological (Evolution, individual genes, brain structures and chemistry) Sociocultural (Roles, expectations, definition of normality and disorder) Psychological (Stress, trauma, learned helplessness, mood-related perceptions and memories) In short, biological, sociocultural and psychological factors can all contribute to psychological disorders

How do we discern what is normal and abnormal? Lady Gaga,Marilyn Manson? What about a soldier who risks his life in war? A grief stricken mother who cannot return to her normal routines three months after losing her son? Psychological disorders are persistently harmful thoughts, feelings and actions. When behavior is deviant, distressful and dysfunctional, psychologists label it a disorder. What is Psychological Disorder?

The more extreme a disorder is, the more easily it is detected. When trying to diagnose a patient, doctors look for three classic symptoms of severe psychopathology: Hallucinations-false sensory experiences. Delusions-extreme disorders that involve persistent false beliefs. Affect (emotion)-characteristically depressed, anxious, manic, or no emotional response. 3 Classical Symptoms of Severe Mental Illness

Indicators of Abnormality While psychologists look for the three classical symptoms, not all disorders have such severe symptoms. A few others are: Distress: Does the individual show unusual or prolonged levels of anxiety? Maladaptiveness: Does the person act in ways that make others fearful? Irrationality: Does the person act or talk in ways that are irrational or incomprehensible to others? Unpredictability: Does the individual behave erratically and inconsistently at different times? Unconventional/undesirable behavior: Does the person act in ways that are statistically rare and violate social norms?

The More the Better Clinicians are more confident in labeling behavior as abnormal when two or more of the indicators are present. Extremes and prevalence = greater confidence in diagnosis

Psychological Disorders as a Continuum No Disorder Mild Disorder Moderate Disorder Severe Disorder Absence of signs of psychological disorder Few signs of distress or other indicators of psychological disorder Indicators of disorders are more pronounced and occur more frequently Clear signs of psychological disorder, which dominate the person s life Absence of behavioral problems Few behavior problems; responses usually appropriate to the situation More distinct behavior is often inappropriate to the situation Severe and frequent behavior problems; behavior is usually inappropriate to the situation No problems with interpersonal relationships Few difficulties with relationships More frequent difficulties with relationships Many poor relationships or lack of relationships Disorders are exaggerations of normal behavior and responses.

The American Psychological Association developed the most widely used classification system for psychological disorders. The book is called the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. The first edition was published in 1952 Categories The current version, published on May 18, 2013, is the DSM-5/V (fifth edition). DSM-5

DSM Controversy Article 1 Article 2 Article 3

The impact of psychological disorders

The World Health Organization estimates that 400 million people worldwide suffer from psychological disorders. Though not all disorders are seen in all cultures, no known culture anywhere in the world is free of depression or schizophrenia. The Canadian Association of Mental Health estimates that 20% of Canadians face mental health issues sometime in their lives Frequency of psychological disorders

1. Misconceptions about people with psychological disorders often lead to misunderstandings and discrimination. Examples of misconceptions Stigma associated with mental illness

The current success rate for treating schizophrenia is 60 percent; for bipolar disorder it is 65 percent; and for major depression it is 80 percent. Mental illnesses can now be diagnosed and treated as precisely and as effectively as other medical disorders. "People with mental illnesses will never recover." The reality is:

People with mental illness pose no more of a crime threat than do other members of the general population. They are often victims of crime. "All people with mental illnesses are dangerous to society." The reality is:

People who have been treated for these disorders have been shown to be about equal to their coworkers in the areas of motivation, quality of work and length of time on the job. Many employers report them to be more punctual and to have better attendance records than their coworkers. "Individuals treated for psychological disorders will make poor employees." The reality is:

DEPRESSION CYCLE Fred decides to be more sociable, but when he asks Teresa for a date she already has plans. Fred concludes that he is not very interesting or attractive and that people don t like him. Negative Event Low Self-Esteem and Negative Interpretations Because of Fred s negative behaviors, people avoid himreinforcing his symptoms. Fred feels completely alone and unhappy Social Rejection and Loneliness Depression Negative Behaviors Fred avoids people, skips school and neglects personal hygiene

Increasing Rates of Depression Rates of depression have increased 10-20 times what they were 50 years ago. The average age of people experiencing depression has gone down. Martin Seligman identifies 3 causes of this trend: 1.Out-of-control individualism/selfcenteredness-focuses on individual successes and failures rather than group accomplishments.

2. The self-esteem movement- teaching a generation of children they should feel good about themselves, irrespective of their efforts and achievements. 3. A culture of victimology- reflexively pointing the finger of blame at someone or something else. Increasing Rates of Depression