Abnormal Psychology Quiz

Understanding Abnormal Psychology

• The DSM lists ten major disorders in the field of abnormal psychology, including anxiety disorders, mood disorders, schizophrenia, and substance use disorders.
• Different therapeutic perspectives are employed to treat these disorders, such as the medical, behavioral, psychoanalytic, and cognitive perspectives.
• The medical perspective focuses on biological factors and often includes medication, for example, schizophrenia is linked to genetics and brain chemistry.
• Behaviorists focus on observable behaviors and use strategies like classical and operant conditioning in treatment plans.
• The psychoanalytic perspective, developed by Sigmund Freud, emphasizes unconscious thoughts, desires, and memories.
• The cognitive perspective focuses on internal thoughts and beliefs, often using cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) to help clients change their reactions.
• Mood disorders, anxiety disorders, eating disorders, neurocognitive disorders, and psychotic disorders are the most common types of abnormal psychology disorders.
• Mood disorders like major depression and bipolar disorder can severely impact a person's daily functions but can be managed with therapy and medication.
• Anxiety disorders, the most common mental health disorder in America, can cause apprehension and stress in routine daily living.
• Criticisms of abnormal psychology include the stigmatization of mental health disorders, cultural influences not being taken into account, and the vague definition of "normal" leading to potential misdiagnosis.
• Abnormal psychology is widely studied, but creating a solid definition has been a point of criticism in the field.
• Treating clients with abnormal behaviors can often be done through different modalities, such as medication and behavior therapy from a medical perspective, and understanding one's past using the psychoanalytic approach.