Abnormal Psychology Overview

Psychological Disorders

• Psychological disorders involve abnormal patterns of emotions, thoughts, and actions
• These patterns are considered pathological due to:
  • Statistical infrequency (rare occurrences)
  • Disability or dysfunction
  • Personal distress
  • Violation of norms (societal expectations)

Studying Psychological Disorders

• Topics covered include anxiety, mood, schizophrenia, other disorders, and how gender and culture impact abnormal behaviors.

Defining Abnormal Behavior

• Abnormal behavior involves patterns of emotion, thought, and action deemed pathological for at least one reason.
  • Statistical infrequency: Occurrences outside of normal ranges
  • Disability or dysfunction: Impairment in functioning
  • Personal distress: Feelings associated with unhappiness or personal discomfort
  • Violation of norms: Deviations from accepted standards or behaviors

The 4 Criteria for Abnormal Behavior

• Statistical Infrequency (example: believing others are plotting against you)
• Disability or Dysfunction (example: inability to work due to alcohol use)
• Personal Distress (example: suicidal thoughts)
• Violation of Norms (example: shouting at strangers)

Historical Perspective

• In ancient times, demons were thought to be the cause of abnormal behavior.
• The medical model, emerging in the 1790s emphasized illness and disease.
• Seven major perspectives explain abnormal behavior today.

Perspectives on Abnormal Behavior

• Biological: Problems with brain function, genetics, and biochemistry
• Sociocultural: Problems stemming from cultural values and beliefs
• Behavioral: Inappropriate conditioning or modelling
• Cognitive: Faulty thinking patterns
• Psychoanalytic/Psychodynamic: Unconscious conflicts and unresolved issues
• Humanistic: Underlying potential for personal growth

Classifying Abnormal Behaviors

• The DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) is a standardized tool used to diagnose disorders.
• Developed by the APA (American Psychiatric Association), the DSM provides clear diagnostic criteria for consistency.
• Offers a common language across researchers and clinicians and guidelines for diagnosing disorders based on symptoms, duration, and impact.

Historical Context of the DSM

• DSM-I (1952): Focused on psychoanalytic concepts
• DSM-II (1968): Emphasized categorizing symptoms
• DSM-III (1980): Introduced a multi-axial system
• DSM-IV-TR (2000): Refined categories, cultural considerations, and revised terminology.
• DSM-5 (2013): Replaced the multi-axial system with a single axis and incorporated cultural, and developmental perspectives, and a shift towards dimensional models.

Structure of the DSM-5

• Organizes mental disorders into categories based on shared characteristics.
• Key updates include removing the multi-axial system, consolidating Autism Spectrum Disorders, and introducing new disorders like Hoarding and Premenstrual Dysphoric Disorder

Pros & Cons of Labeling

• Discusses pros and cons of diagnosing individuals using the DSM.

Anxiety Disorders

• Anxiety disorders are characterized by excessive and disproportionate fear or anxiety interfering with daily life.

Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD)

• Symptoms include persistent worry about various aspects of life, restlessness, muscle tension, fatigue, and difficulty sleeping
• Factors associated with GAD include genetic predisposition, overactivity in brain regions like the amygdala, maladaptive thinking, and heightened sensitivity to threats.
• Environmental factors like chronic stress and traumatic experiences also play a role.

Panic Disorder

• Symptoms involve abrupt panic attacks with chest pain, rapid heartbeat, dizziness, fear of dying or losing control.
• Factors associated with panic disorder are biological (abnormal function in fear circuits) and psychological (catastrophic misinterpretations of bodily sensations).

Phobias

• Characterized by intense, irrational fears of specific objects, activities, or situations.
• Avoidance behaviors are common.
• Factors include biological evolutionary predispositions to fear certain stimuli, and environmental conditioning events linked to feared stimuli

Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD)

• Includes recurrent intrusive thoughts (obsessions) and repetitive, anxiety-reducing behaviors (compulsions).
• Biological factors associated with OCD include abnormal serotonin activity and dysfunction in brain areas like the orbitofrontal cortex.
• Psychological factors involved include perfectionism and a need for control

Mood Disorders

• Affect: Disturbances of emotions;
• Major Depressive Disorder (MDD): Persistent sadness, loss of interest, fatigue, concentration problems, changes in appetite or sleep, and suicidal thoughts
  • Biological factors include imbalances in serotonin and norepinephrine.
  • Psychological factors include negative cognitive patterns (e.g., hopelessness).
  • Environmental factors include stressful events and lack of social support.

Bipolar Disorder

• Alternating episodes of mania (elevated mood, increased energy, impulsivity) and depression (low energy, hopelessness).
• Biological factors include genetic predisposition and irregular dopamine activity
• Environmental factors can trigger episodes.

Key Differences Between Bipolar and MDD

• Mood episodes, onset, duration of symptoms, treatment, genetic heritability

Schizophrenia

• A group of psychotic disorders with major disturbances in perceptions (e.g., hallucinations), language (e.g., word salad), thoughts (e.g., delusions), emotions, and behavior.

Schizophrenia Spectrum and Psychotic Disorders

• Severe disorders involving distorted thinking, perception, and emotional responses

Schizophrenia Symptoms and Factors

• Symptoms include positive (hallucinations, delusions) and negative symptoms (reduced emotional expression, social withdrawal). and cognitive impairments (memory and judgment).
• Contributing factors include biological (genetic predisposition, dopamine dysregulation), and environmental (prenatal exposure to infections, stress).

Subtypes of Schizophrenia

• Paranoid, disorganized, catatonic, undifferentiated, residual

Personality Disorders

• Inflexible, maladaptive personality patterns that significantly impair social and occupational functioning.

Antisocial Personality Disorder

• Exhibits egocentrism, lack of conscience, impulsive behavior, and manipulation of others.
• Possible biological and psychological factors for development (e.g. genetic predisposition, disturbed family relationships).

Borderline Personality Disorder

• Impulsivity and instability in mood, relationships, and self-image.
• Psychological factors like childhood neglect and abuse, emotional deprivation are related to development, while biological factors such as impaired functioning of frontal lobes are also cited.

Dissociative Disorders

• Critical elements of personality split apart.
• Dissociative Identity Disorder is characterized by the existence of at least two distinct personalities within one person.
• Often linked to a history of extreme and repeated trauma

Substance-Related Disorders

• Characterized by drug use interfering with social or occupational functioning and displaying symptoms like drug tolerance or withdrawal.
• Comorbidity is a common aspect seen where a person with substance-related disorders commonly suffers from other psychological issues.

How Gender and Culture Affect Abnormal Behaviors

• Gender and Depression: Women are more likely to experience depressive symptoms than men.
• Societal influences potentially contribute to these differences
• Culture plays a significant role in how symptoms and conditions are expressed.

Culture and Schizophrenia

• Many symptoms are cultural but have variation in prevalence, form, onset, and prognosis across different cultures.

Culture-General Symptoms

• Symptoms useful in diagnosing disorders across different cultures

Culture-Bound Symptoms

• Symptoms specific to certain cultural contexts

This quiz covers key concepts and criteria related to abnormal behavior and mental disorders as defined by the DSM. It explores the historical perspectives, diagnostic functions, and distinctions between various disorders. Test your knowledge on the nuances of mental health classifications and their implications.