Abnormal Psychology Textbook PDF

Abnormal Psychology Eighteenth Edition Chapter 1 Abnormal Psychology: Overview and Research Approaches...

Abnormal Psychology Eighteenth Edition Chapter 1 Abnormal Psychology: Overview and Research Approaches Copyright © 2020, 2017, 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved Introduction Abnormal psychology is concerned with understanding the nature, causes, and treatment of mental disorders Family aggregation: whether a disorder runs in families – Asking questions is an important aspect of being a psychologist Copyright © 2020, 2017, 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved What Do We Mean by Abnormality? (1 of 3) Learning Objective 1.1: Explain how we define abnormality and classify mental disorders. Indicators of Abnormality No universal agreement about what is meant by abnormality or disorder—the more someone has difficulties in the following areas, the more likely they have some form of mental disorder – Subjective distress – Maladaptiveness – Statistical deviancy – Violation of the standards of society – Social discomfort – Irrationality and unpredictability – Dangerousness Culture plays a role in determining what is/is not abnormal; behaviors once considered abnormal may be considered normal as times/attitudes change Copyright © 2020, 2017, 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved What Do We Mean by Abnormality? (2 of 3) The DSM-5 and the Definition of Mental Disorder The American Psychiatric Association’s Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders is the accepted standard for defining mental disorders in the United States Current version (DSM-5) was published in 2013 Other psychiatric classification systems exist – World Health Organization’s International Classification of Diseases (Chapter V covers mental and behavioral disorders) – Used outside the U.S. Copyright © 2020, 2017, 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved What Do We Mean by Abnormality? (3 of 3) DSM-5 definition of a mental disorder: a syndrome that is present in an individual and that involves clinically significant disturbance in behavior, emotion regulation, and cognitive functioning – Disturbances represent dysfunction in biological, psychological, or developmental processes needed for mental functioning – Associated with significant distress or disability in social or work life – Predictable or culturally approved responses to common stressors or losses, such as the death of a loved one, are excluded – Dysfunctional pattern of behavior must not stem from social deviance or conflicts that the person has with society as a whole DSM should be seen as a work in progress—will continue to be regularly updated Copyright © 2020, 2017, 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved Classification and Diagnosis (1 of 3) Learning Objective 1.2: Describe the advantages and disadvantages of classification. Advantages of Classification Systems Provide nomenclature (a naming system) Provide a common language for clinicians and researchers Allow structuring of information in a helpful manner Facilitate research Define the domain of what is considered pathological Help in insurance reimbursement assessment Copyright © 2020, 2017, 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved Classification and Diagnosis (2 of 3) What Are the Disadvantages of Classification? Loss of specific information and personal details due to simplification Stigma (disgrace) and stereotyping (automatic beliefs concerning other people) may be associated with diagnosis Self-concept impacted by diagnostic labeling Important to remember that diagnostic classification systems do not classify people; they classify the disorders that people have Take care not to define patients by their illness—use respectful and appropriate “person-first” instead, e.g., “a person with schizophrenia,” not “a schizophrenic” Copyright © 2020, 2017, 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved Culture and Abnormality Learning Objective 1.3: Explain how culture affects what is considered abnormal, and describe two different culture-specific disorders. Culture Affects the way abnormality is defined Varies in the way different cultures describe psychological distress Can shape the clinical presentation of disorders Can influence the forms of psychopathology experienced by people in that culture Copyright © 2020, 2017, 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved How Common Are Mental Disorders? (2 of 6) Prevalence and Incidence Mental health epidemiology: the study of the distribution of mental disorders in a given population Prevalence: number of active cases in a population during any given period of time, expressed in percentages or different types of prevalence estimates – Point prevalence: estimated proportion of actual, active cases of a disorder in a given population at a given point in time – 1-year prevalence: estimate of the number of people who experienced depression at any point during the entire year – Lifetime prevalence: estimate of the number of people who have had a particular disorder at any time in their lives Incidence: number of new cases in population over given period of time; typically, lower than prevalence figures Copyright © 2020, 2017, 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved How Common Are Mental Disorders? (3 of 6) Prevalence Estimates for Mental Disorders National Comorbidity Survey Replication (NCS-R) – Most prevalent category: anxiety disorders – Most common individual disorders: major depressive disorder, alcohol abuse, and specific phobias (e.g., fear of small animals, insects, flying, heights) – Social phobias (e.g., fear of public speaking) are also very common Copyright © 2020, 2017, 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved Table 1.1 Prevalence of Mental Disorders in Adults in the United States Blank 1-Year (%) Lifetime (%) Any anxiety disorder 18.1 28.8 Any mood disorder 9.5 20.8 Any substance-abuse 3.8 14.6 disorder Any disorder 26.2 46.4 Copyright © 2020, 2017, 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved Table 1.2 Most Common Individual Mental Disorders in the United States Disorder 1-Year Prevalence (%) Lifetime Prevalence (%) Major depressive disorder 6.7 16.6 Alcohol abuse 3.1 13.2 Specific phobia 8.7 12.5 Social phobia 6.8 12.1 Conduct disorder 1.0 9.5 Copyright © 2020, 2017, 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved How Common Are Mental Disorders? (4 of 6) National Survey on Drug Use and Health (NSUDH) surveys provide the most recent information – 1-year prevalence of serious mental illness in adults in the United States is 4.0 percent – Comorbidity (the presence of two or more disorders in the same person) occurs in serious cases; not in mild cases Copyright © 2020, 2017, 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved Figure 1.1 Prevalence of Serious Mental Illness Among U.S. Adults (2015) Rates of severe mental illness are higher in women, people ages 18 to 25 and 26 to 49, and some minority groups. Copyright © 2020, 2017, 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved Figure 1.2 The Burden of Mental Illness for Different Disorders Across the Lifespan Disability adjusted life years (DALYs) for various mental and substance use disorders are shown according to age. DALYs represent the total (worldwide) number of otherwise healthy years of life that are lost or profoundly impacted because of the disorder. Depression causes the greatest total disability. This is because depression is a relatively common disorder. Copyright © 2020, 2017, 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved How Common Are Mental Disorders? (6 of 6) Mental Health Professionals Inpatient treatment: – Different mental health professionals work as a team: psychiatrist, clinical psychologist, clinical social worker, psychiatric nurse – Intense treatment leads to more rapid recovery Outpatient treatment: – Smaller team – May include psychiatrist, psychologist, specialized counselor Copyright © 2020, 2017, 2014 Pearson Education, Inc. All Rights Reserved