Abnormal Psychology: Understanding Mental Disorders

Defining Abnormal Psychology

• Study of unusual patterns of thought, emotion, and behavior that deviate from societal norms
• Focuses on understanding, assessing, and treating mental disorders

Types of Abnormal Behavior

• Anxiety Disorders:
  • Excessive fear or anxiety that interferes with daily life
  • Examples: generalized anxiety disorder, phobias, panic disorder
• Mood Disorders:
  • Extreme or persistent feelings of sadness or elation
  • Examples: major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder
• Personality Disorders:
  • Inflexible and maladaptive patterns of thought, feeling, and behavior
  • Examples: borderline personality disorder, antisocial personality disorder
• Psychotic Disorders:
  • Distorted perception of reality, including hallucinations and delusions
  • Examples: schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder
• Trauma-Related Disorders:
  • Emotional and psychological distress following a traumatic event
  • Examples: post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), acute stress disorder

Models of Abnormal Psychology

• Biological Model:
  • Abnormal behavior results from genetic, biochemical, or neurological factors
  • Treatments: medication, psychosurgery
• Psychodynamic Model:
  • Abnormal behavior results from unconscious conflicts and childhood experiences
  • Treatments: psychoanalysis, psychodynamic therapy
• Behavioral Model:
  • Abnormal behavior results from learned patterns of behavior
  • Treatments: behavioral therapy, conditioning techniques
• Cognitive-Behavioral Model:
  • Abnormal behavior results from distorted or unhelpful thinking patterns
  • Treatments: cognitive-behavioral therapy, cognitive restructuring
• Humanistic Model:
  • Abnormal behavior results from an inability to meet basic human needs
  • Treatments: humanistic therapy, person-centered therapy
• Sociocultural Model:
  • Abnormal behavior results from cultural or societal factors
  • Treatments: family therapy, community-based interventions

Assessment and Diagnosis

• Clinical Interviews:
  • Structured or unstructured interviews to gather information about symptoms and behavior
• Behavioral Observations:
  • Observing behavior in controlled or naturalistic settings
• Psychological Tests:
  • Standardized measures of cognitive, emotional, or behavioral functioning
• ** DSM-5**:
  • Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition
  • Used to diagnose and classify mental disorders

Treatment Approaches

• Biological Treatments:
  • Medication, electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), psychosurgery
• Psychotherapy:
  • Various forms of talk therapy, including cognitive-behavioral, psychodynamic, and humanistic approaches
• Behavioral Treatments:
  • Techniques such as exposure therapy, aversion therapy, and operant conditioning
• Alternative Approaches:
  • Non-traditional treatments, including herbal remedies, acupuncture, and meditation

Defining Abnormal Psychology

• Abnormal psychology studies unusual patterns of thought, emotion, and behavior that deviate from societal norms
• Focuses on understanding, assessing, and treating mental disorders

Types of Abnormal Behavior

• Anxiety Disorders: excessive fear or anxiety that interferes with daily life, e.g., generalized anxiety disorder, phobias, panic disorder
• Mood Disorders: extreme or persistent feelings of sadness or elation, e.g., major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder
• Personality Disorders: inflexible and maladaptive patterns of thought, feeling, and behavior, e.g., borderline personality disorder, antisocial personality disorder
• Psychotic Disorders: distorted perception of reality, including hallucinations and delusions, e.g., schizophrenia, schizoaffective disorder
• Trauma-Related Disorders: emotional and psychological distress following a traumatic event, e.g., post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), acute stress disorder

Models of Abnormal Psychology

• Biological Model: abnormal behavior results from genetic, biochemical, or neurological factors, treatments include medication, psychosurgery
• Psychodynamic Model: abnormal behavior results from unconscious conflicts and childhood experiences, treatments include psychoanalysis, psychodynamic therapy
• Behavioral Model: abnormal behavior results from learned patterns of behavior, treatments include behavioral therapy, conditioning techniques
• Cognitive-Behavioral Model: abnormal behavior results from distorted or unhelpful thinking patterns, treatments include cognitive-behavioral therapy, cognitive restructuring
• Humanistic Model: abnormal behavior results from an inability to meet basic human needs, treatments include humanistic therapy, person-centered therapy
• Sociocultural Model: abnormal behavior results from cultural or societal factors, treatments include family therapy, community-based interventions

Assessment and Diagnosis

• Clinical Interviews: structured or unstructured interviews to gather information about symptoms and behavior
• Behavioral Observations: observing behavior in controlled or naturalistic settings
• Psychological Tests: standardized measures of cognitive, emotional, or behavioral functioning
• DSM-5: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition, used to diagnose and classify mental disorders

Treatment Approaches

• Biological Treatments: medication, electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), psychosurgery
• Psychotherapy: various forms of talk therapy, including cognitive-behavioral, psychodynamic, and humanistic approaches
• Behavioral Treatments: techniques such as exposure therapy, aversion therapy, and operant conditioning
• Alternative Approaches: non-traditional treatments, including herbal remedies, acupuncture, and meditation

Explore the study of abnormal patterns of thought, emotion, and behavior, focusing on understanding and treating mental disorders such as anxiety and mood disorders.