Introduction to Abnormal Psychology

Introduction to Abnormal Psychology

• Psychological Disorder: Atypical psychological dysfunction within an individual, associated with distress or impairment in functioning and not culturally expected.
• Psychological Dysfunction: A breakdown in cognitive, emotional, or behavioral functioning, possibly experiencing distress or impairment in their daily function.
• Atypical or Not Culturally Expected: Behavior deviates from normal or the norm of a particular culture. This behavior is inconsistent and not usual or typical.
• Psychopathology: The scientific study of psychological disorders.
• Clinical/Counseling Psychologist: Graduate-level study lasts approximately 5 years, focusing on clinical training.
• Psy.D.: Clinical training; de-emphasizes/eliminates research.
• Psychiatrists: Hold an M.D. followed by specialization in Psychiatry.
• Psychiatric Social Workers: Masters in social work with expertise in social/family situations.
• Scientist-Practitioners: Stay updated on scientific developments and apply this knowledge to their practice.
• Conduct Research: Produce new information about treatments and disorders, to avoid fads that impact their patients.
• Presenting Problem: Indication of why a person seeks clinical help.
• Clinical Description: Combination of behaviors, thoughts, and feelings that make up a particular disorder.
• Clinical: Refers to types of problems/disorders in clinics/hospitals and activities related to assessment and treatment.

Historical Overview

• Supernatural Factors: During the 14th century, the thought was that evil spirits caused the psychological issues. People turned to magic/sorcery for solutions. Exorcisms and other treatments were common.
• Medical/Biological Perspectives: Hippocrates believed psychological disorders are diseases. He also used different ways of describing the psychological problems. Others, like Johann Weyer and Paracelsus, started using compassion and understanding when they treated the patient.
• Biomedical Perspective:
  • Hypocrites – considered psych disorders and diseases to be treated equally.
  • Galen – developed theory of Humoral Theory of Disorders
    • Sanguine (cheerful), Melancholic (depressed), Choleric (irritable), Phlegmatic (calm).
  • Early Modern Times – there was a greater understanding of the brain.
  • Other Treatments: Bloodletting, induced vomiting.
• Chinese Culture: Emphasis on wind and energy, imbalance in energy or flow related to the disorders.

Cultural Influences

• Mental Health: Many different cultures in the world that have explanations for mental illness and disorders.
• Historical Influences: Belief systems may be associated with many different approaches to treatment.
• Cultural Concepts of Distress: These factors, such as Taijin Kyufusho or Kufungisisa are associated with different cultures.

Defense Mechanisms

• Sublimation:
• Denial:
• Suppression:
• Displacement:
• Rationalization:
• Projection:
• Reaction Formation:
• Regression:
• Repression:
• Intellectualization:

Psychosocial Development Stages

• Fixation: Did not receive appropriate gratification during a specific stage.
• Castration Anxiety: Fear of losing penis
• Oedipus Complex: Lustful impulses towards mother, resulting in castration anxieties
• Electra Complex: Young girl wanting to replace her mother, having penis envy.
• Neuroses: Nervous system disorders.

Psychological Disorders and Classify

• DSM-I (1952): First published manual of mental disorders.
• DSM-II (1968): Attempted an atheoretical approach.
• DSM-III (1980): More precise descriptions of disorders.
• DSM-III-R(1987): Corrected minor errors and improved the educational aspect.
• DSM-IV (1994): 5-axial system, organically based disorders versus psychologically based disorders.
• DSM-IV-TR (2000): Text Revision = Corrected earlier problems.
• DSM-5 (2013): Removed Axial system, now evidence-based. Removed the Not Otherwise Specified (NOS) category. Intended to be spectrum/dimensions-based classification system.
• DSM-5-TR (2022): Prolonged grief disorder added in this version.

Behavioral Conditioning

• Classical Conditioning: Neutral stimulus is paired with response until it elicits the response.
• Unconditioned Stimulus: Natural stimulus
• Unconditioned Response: Natural response
• Conditioned Stimulus: Newly conditioned event/stimulus
• Conditioned Response: Response from the conditioned stimulus
• Extinction: Eliminate conditioned response/behavior without conditioned stimulus.
• Stimulus Generalization: Similar stimuli elicit similar responses.

Biological Perspective

• Genes: Long DNA molecules.
• Chromosomes: Locations on genes in the nucleus.
• Genetic Considerations:
  • Diathesis-Stress Model: Inherited tendencies, traits.
  • Gene-Environment Correlation: People might have genetic tendencies to create environmental risks that trigger genetic vulnerabilities.
  • Epigenetics: Study of how your behaviors and environments cause changes that affect gene functioning.
• Neuroscience: Study of the brain's role in human behavior and mental processes. Understand nervous system function by studying parts and processes.

Cognitive-Behavioral Perspective

• Cognitive Factors: How mental processes and thoughts influence behavior and experiences.
• Behavioral Factors: Environmental influences on behavior.
• Social factors: Influence of social environment and social learning.

Stress Response

• Stage 1 (Alarm): Initial symptoms the body experiences under stress.
• Stage 2 (Resistance): Body repairs after shock of stress, lower cortisol and other hormones are released.
• Stage 3 (Exhaustion): Prolonged or chronic stress, no longer have enough energy to fight it.

Cerebral Cortex

• Structure: Left/right hemisphere, frontal/parietal/occipital/temporal lobes.
• Functions: Higher-level cognitive functions.
• HPA Axis: Hypothalamus-pituitary-adrenal axis (stress response).
• Peripheral Nervous System
  • Somatic Nervous System: Controls muscles.
  • Autonomic Nervous System: Regulates cardiovascular and endocrine systems (sympathetic-fight/flight response, parasympathetic-rest/digest).
  • Endocrine System: Glands release hormones to bloodstream, which regulates growth, metabolism, and other body functions.
• Neurotransmitters: Agonists vs. Antagonists
• Cerebral Cortex: Responsible for higher-level cognitive functions, and is broken down into smaller parts, each with specialized functions.