Psychopathology
I.Important Concepts
II.Categories
III.Incidence
IV.Models to Explain
Important Concepts
Psychopathology Defined
Medical Student’s Syndrome
Abnormality
Normality
Classification
Psychopathology Defined
Means sickness of the mind.
There are many synonyms:
Emotional DisorderCraziness
LunacyMental Illness
Mental DeviationNervous Disease
Mental AbnormalityPsychiatric Illness
PsychopathologyEtc.
Medical Student’s Syndrome
Medical student’s studying the heart became sensitive to the sounds of their own hearts.
We are studying the mind.
Lets not get carried away analyzing ourselves.
If you feel you have a serious problem, there is a counseling center on campus.
Abnormality
There is no agreed upon definition, but most consider:
Deviation from statistical norms.
Deviation from social norms.
Maladaptiveness of behavior.
Adversely effects individual or society.
Problem: Who is the judge?
Personal distress.
Problem: In many cases of abnormality there is no distress.
Social Norms
Behavior“Normal”“Abnormal”
Ropejumpinggymclass
Cryingfuneralgrocery store
Laughingjokefuneral
Nervousnessbefore surgerybefore brushing teeth
Problem – Social norms differ from society to society & can change over time.
The Homework on Problems Encountered by Irregular Students
Introduction to the Study Students encounters many and different problems during their school years. These problems vary differently during their study years. It could be as simple as missing a homework or getting late in class. Or it could be as severe as getting dropped in a certain subject or worse failed the subject. Several of these problems occurs which results for a student to have an ...
Normality
Is even more difficult to define, but most would agree on:
Efficient perception of reality
Self-knowledge
Voluntary control of behavior
Self-esteem & acceptance
Ability to form affectionate relationships
Productivity
Classification
Considering the difficulty in distinguishing normal from abnormal, categorizing & diagnosing the different types of abnormalities can be difficult.
The APA currently uses the DSM-IV (Diagnostic & Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders 4-th Ed).
Mental Disorder Catagories 1
A Sampling:
Disorders Evident in Infancy or Childhood – Exs. mental retardation, ADHD, eating disorders.
1. Delirium, Dementia, Amnestic, & Other Cognitive Disorders
Functioning of brain is impaired.
Exs. brain damage, Alzheimer’s disease.
Psychoactive Substance Use Disorders
Dissociative Disorders
Involve a identity problem.
Exs. amnesia, MPD.
Mental Disorder Catagories 2
Anxiety Disorders
Schizophrenia
Mood Disorders
Personality Disorders
Anxiety Disorders
Characterized by excessive rumination, worrying, uneasiness, apprehension &
fear about future uncertainties either based on real or imagined events, which may affect both physical & psychological health.
Types
GAD
Panic disorder
OCD
Phobias
PTSD
Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Characterized by long-lasting anxiety that is not focused on any one object or situation. Those suffering from generalized anxiety disorder experience non-specific persistent fear and worry, & become overly concerned with everyday matters.
Diagnosis of GAD is made when a person has been excessively worried about an everyday problem for >6 months.
Anxiety here is free floating.
Most common anxiety disorder to affect older adults.
Panic Disorder
Person suffers from panic attacks (brief attacks of intense terror & apprehension, often marked by trembling, shaking, confusion, dizziness, nausea, and/or difficulty breathing).
The Research paper on Panic Disorder Attacks Attack Fear
... Panic attacks experienced by those with panic disorder last approximately 10 minutes. Panic attacks are a result of anxiety or fear and subsequent attacks may be induced by the fear ... don't drive. I worry about having another attack while driving. If I had a panic situation driving somewhere-if there was a detour ...
In addition to panic attacks, a diagnosis of panic disorder requires that the attacks have chronic consequences: either worry over the attacks’ potential implications, persistent fear of future attacks, or significant changes in behavior related to the attacks.
33-50% develop agoraphobia.
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder – PTSD
Results from a traumatic experience. Post-traumatic stress can result from an extreme situation, such as combat, natural disaster, rape, hostage situations, child abuse, bullying or even a serious accident. It can also result from chronic exposure to a severe stressor.
Symptoms
Became widely excepted as a diagnostic category because of difficulties experienced by Vietnam war veterans.
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder
Obsession – an idea you cannot get out of your head.
Compulsion – a behavior you cannot stop performing.
Washing, cleaning, & checking are the most common.
Phobias
Frequently accompany other disorders.
Anxiety here is specific.
Are 3 broad categories:
Agoraphobia
Fear anyplace where might be trapped or unable to receive help in an emergency.
Often accompanies panic disorder.
Are usually very dependent people.
Is the most common & the hardest to treat.
Social Phobias
Are insecure in social situations
Have a fear of embarrassing themselves.
Simple Phobias
Is a fear of an animal, object or situation.
Over 300 have been named. Exs.
Schizophrenia
Examples
Facts
Major Symptoms
Major Types
Genetics
Schizophrenia Facts
Have difficulty sorting out the real from unreal, in keeping track of their thoughts, & responding to the everyday events in life.
Involves personality disintegration & a loss of contact with reality.
This group occupies about half the beds in mental hospitals.
Occurs equally in men & women, but tends to occur at an earlier age in men than women.
Typical age of onset is 15 – 35.
The Term Paper on Psychological Disorders and Therapy
... schizophrenia is through the concept of stress. A stress hypothesis holds that individuals are genetically vulnerable to the disorder. III. Treatment Behavioral Therapy Voluntary behaviors ... Researchers have asked: Can stress trigger schizophrenia? Can difficulties in family communications be ... disorder? It is true that stressful experiences, biochemical and abnormalities, and schizophrenia’s symptoms ...
Schizophrenia: Major Symptoms
Disordered Thinking
Disturbances of Perception
Disturbances of Emotion
Communication Difficulties
Bizarre Motor Behavior
Disordered Thinking
Autistic Thinking – Absorption in fantasy.
Prelogical Thinking – Thought processes are primitive & incomplete.
Delusions – False beliefs. Several types: Persecution, Grandeur, Reference, Control, & Identity.
Disturbances of Perception
Attention & Filtering – Seem to have trouble focusing attention & filtering out irrelevant stimuli.
Louis Wain (1860-1939) – A famous animal artist. His drawings of a cat show his progressive deterioration & some disturbing distortions of perception.
Hallucinations – False perceptions. Are usually auditory (hear voices), but may also be visual or olfactory.
Disturbances of Emotion
Flattened emotions (blunted affect).
Inappropriate emotions.
Communication Difficulties
Echolalia – Repeating the last word or phrase spoken by another.
Neologisms – Made up words.
Word Salad – Words haphazardly thrown together.
Verbal Exhibitionism – A grandiose manner of speech.
Bizarre Motor Behavior
Unusual Motions – May grimace or gesture in peculiar ways.
Catalepsy – Holding a particular posture for a long time.
Waxy Flexibility – Posture can be molded.
Cataplexy – Loss of muscle tone.
Schizophrenia: Major Types
Paranoid (≈ 30-50%) – Symptoms: delusions of persecution often with hallucinations.
Disorganized (Silly) – Symptoms: grossly disordered thinking, emotions, & communication.
Catatonic (rare) – Symptoms: withdrawal & catalepsy.
Undifferentiated (or Simple) – Symptoms: nothing major, are seclusive, withdrawn, “peculiar” people.
Residual – Symptoms: have abated, but hallucinations & flat affect may remain.
Genetics
The more closely related a person is to a patient with schizophrenia, the more likely that person is to develop schizophrenia (Gottesman, 1991).
Adopted children with schizophrenia are the most likely to have symptomatic biological relatives.
The Essay on Depression, symptoms of depression
Depression is a psychological condition that changes how you think, feel, and it also affects your social behavior and sense of physical wellness. I can make you feel low self esteem and can cause self-depreciation. Depression is not feeling sad occasionally, it is a constant feeling of sadness that stays with you. If not treated it can affect the way you act, feel, and the way you think. It can ...
Mood Disorders
Depression
Symptoms
Facts
Bipolar Disorders
Mania – Is very rare by itself.
Depression Symptoms
Emotional – A mood of sadness & anhedonia.
Cognitive – A negative self image, poor concentration, hopelessness.
Motivational – Tends to be passive & has difficulty initiating activities.
Physical – Fatigue, anorexia, sleep disturbances. Aches & pains.
Depression Facts
Can be a normal response.
If it’s experienced constantly for 2 weeks it’s usually considered abnormal.
More prevalent in females.
Most are of short duration (≈ ¼ last < a month & ½ last < 3).
Tends to recur (≈ ½ of the folks that experience it will experience it again).
Bipolar Disorders
Also called Manic-Depression
Moods tend to fluctuate on a cycle with the extremes being mania & depression.
Accounts for ≈ 5-10% of mood disorders.
Less than 1% of the population has it (& equally common in men & women).
Compared to a depressive disorder, it tends to occur at an earlier age & has a stronger genetic component.
Personality Disorders
Common Characteristics
Antisocial Personality
Personality Disorders: Common Characteristics
Are immature & inappropriate ways of dealing with stress & solving problems.
Defined by longstanding patterns of maladaptive behavior.
Typically begin in adolescence & may continue throughout the lifespan.
Society (rather than the individual) views the behaviors involved as maladaptive.
Develop slowly (i.e., chronic onset).
Are difficult to treat.
Antisocial Personality
Also called Sociopath or Psychopath.
Is the most studied & reliably diagnosed.
Occurs 3x more often in men.
Have little sense of responsibility, morality, or concern for others.
Are good con-artists.
They show less empathy.
Studies suggest they may have an under-reactive NS (e.g., Lippert & Senta, 1966).
Incidence of Mental Illness
SAMHSA (08) – disorders by gender, age, & race.
Tressler (94) – disorder categories by gender.
Disorders by Category – 2005
The Essay on Bipolar Disorder and Depression Paper
Unipolar depression and bipolar disorder are two common mood disorders. The emotions that make these two disorders classify as mood disorders are depression and mania. Depression is a mood that makes a person feel sad and low and makes life seem overwhelming and challenging. Mania, however, is the opposite. Mania is a state of emotion where a person feels an abnormally elevated mood. Both can last ...
Models to Explain Mental Illness
Medical – Stress biochemical & hereditary factors.
Psychodynamic – Stress conflict, defense mechanisms.
Social Learning – Stress environmental contingencies, vicarious learning.
Humanistic – Stress lack of unconditional positive regard.
Sociocultural – Stress the role of the family, SES, ethnic background.
Diathesis-Stress (or Vulnerability-Stress) – Stress the idea of a genetic predisposition combined with certain environmental stressors.
