Understanding Psychopathology

• Psychopathology involves behaviors, thoughts, and feelings that define a specific disorder, and how the disorder differs from normal behavior or other disorders
• The DSM-5 is used to check signs and symptoms for disorder criteria
• Mental health practitioners like RPms administer tests, RGCs provide counseling, RPsys provide psychotherapy, and Psychiatrists can prescribe medicines
• Factors of psychopathology include biological, hereditary, social, and psychosocial elements

Psychological Theories

• Psychoanalysis attributes abnormal behavior to struggles between the id, ego, and superego
• Behaviorism explains abnormal behavior through reinforcement and conditioning
• Humanistic perspective sees abnormal behavior as a result of failed actualization
• Social perspective attributes abnormal behavior to learning through observation
• Existential perspective links abnormal behavior to a failure to accept freedom
• Cognitive perspective associates abnormal behavior with warped interpretations

Characteristics of Abnormal Behavior

• Suffering is ultimately normal, with intensity and persistence of pain being key factors
• Maladaptive behaviors are unhealthy adaptations to stress
• Statistical deviation refers to behaviors different from the norm

Nature of Psychopathology

• Etiology studies the origins of disorders, including biological, psychological, and social dimensions
• Acute onset means a disorder/illness begins suddenly
• Insidious onset means symptoms develop gradually

Prognosis

• Positive prognosis suggests the individual will likely recover
• Negative prognosis suggests the probable outcome doesn't look good

Disorder Course

• Chronic course disorders last a long period or lifetime
• Episodic course disorders mean recovery occurs within a few months, but recurrence is likely
• Time-limited course disorders improve without treatment in a relatively short timeframe

Historical Concepts of Abnormal Behavior

• Supernatural traditions view deviant behavior as a reflection of the battle between good and evil, attributing disorders to the devil
• Stress and Melancholy Insanity were considered natural phenomena with curable causes
• Treatments like rest, sleep, and a happy environment were administered for Stress and Melancholy Insanity
• Disturbances in bodily humors were believed to cause abnormal behavior and were addressed with treatments like bloodletting

Psychological Tradition

• Moral Therapy, encouraged normal social interaction
• Asylum Reform and Decline of Moral Therapy resulted from brain pathology and understaffing
• Mental Hygiene Movement campaigned for brain pathology and understaffing

Integrative Approach to Psychopathology

• An Integrative Approach combines multiple dimensions - any influence contributes to psychopathology

Biological Factors in Psychopathology

• Genetic Contributions result in neurodevelopmental disorders.
• Diathesis–Stress Model says Individuals inherit tendencies to express behaviors that can then be activated under stress.
• The Gene–Environment Correlation Model -genetically determines your tendency to create environmental risk factors that trigger genetic vulnerability
• Epigenetics "Inheritance" of Behavior - Behavior shapes genetic material despite the same environment

Neuroscience and Psychopathology

• The Central Nervous System processes all signals, the spinal cord facilitates signals, and neurons control all actions
• The Limbic System regulates emotional experiences, impulses, and desires like sex and hunger
• Brain Structure -The Cerebral provides human qualities, Basal Ganglia controls motor activity & the Peripheral coordinates movement.
• Neurotransmitters are Monoamines and Amino Acids that alter activity

Clinical Assessment

• Case Form, Presenting Problem & Clinical Description with Genetic, Trigger and Coping factors combined in a 5Ps model.
• Clinical assessment is a systematic process of psychological measurement and evaluation of biological and social factors in an individual with a psychological disorder
• The Key Concepts in Assessment is funnel to collect information, assess and target necessary information
• Clinical interviews help gather information on past behaviors, attitudes, and emotions, as well as a detailed history of the individual
• Mental Status Exam has 5 categories: Appearance, Thoughts, Mood,Intellect & Sensorium Clinical method includes status examination in mental & subsequent focus on possible disorders.
• Behavioral Assessment uses direct observation to assess feelings, and behavior in specific situations/contexts

Clinical Observation

• Observation, Antecedent, Behavior and Consequence are keys
• Psychological Tests are assessed -Projective Tests- (i.e. rorschach, thematic) display feelings
• Personal is the process of inventoring and the validating of traits to provide information on people: -The Minessota Inventories assess personality
• Verbal & Performance measures- cognitive skills using performance (Non - verbal ) & knowledge tests( Verbal)