Abnormal Psychology Notes PDF

Module1 Part1: Introduction to Abnormal Psychology RMDEALA Module1 Part1: Introduction to Abnormal Psychology Course Learning Outcome CLO1. Establish the difference between pathological and non-pathological behavior by illustrating the nature of abnormal behaviors/mental o...

Module1 Part1: Introduction to Abnormal Psychology RMDEALA Module1 Part1: Introduction to Abnormal Psychology Course Learning Outcome CLO1. Establish the difference between pathological and non-pathological behavior by illustrating the nature of abnormal behaviors/mental or psychological disorders and looking into how the history of Abnormal Psychology has affected the different views of these disorders. Topic Learning Outcomes TLO1. Describe abnormal behavior/psychological disorder/ psychopathology in view of the different criteria of a pathological behavior. TLO2. Discuss highlights in the historical development/ perspectives of Abnormal Psychology in the Western and Filipino context. Stereotypes/ misconceptions/ stigma/ myth vs reality about the mentally disturbed/ mental illness My t h : Mentally disturbed people can always be recognized by their abnormal behavior. R e a l i t y: Mentally disturbed people are not always distinguishable from others on the basis of consistently unusual behavior. My t h : The mentally disturbed have inherited their disorders. If one member of a family has an emotional breakdown, other members will probably suffer a similar fate. R e a l i t y: The belief that insanity runs in certain families has caused misery and undue anxiety for many people.  My t h : Mentally disturbed people can never be cured and will never be able to function normally or hold jobs in the community. R e a l i t y: This erroneous belief has caused great distress to many people who have at some time been labeled mentally ill. Some have endured social discrimination and have been denied employment because of the public perception that “once insane, always insane.” My t h : People become mentally disturbed because they are weak willed. To avoid emotional disorders or cure oneself of them, one need to only exercise will power. R e a l i t y: Needing help to resolve difficulties does not indicate a lack of will power. In fact, recognizing one’s own need for help is a sign of strength rather than a sign of weakness. My t h : Mental illness is always a deficit, and the person suffering from it can never contribute anything of worth until cured. R e a l i t y: Many persons who suffered from mental illness were never “cured,” but they nevertheless made great contributions to humanity. My t h : Mental illness causes people to become unstable and potentially dangerous. Reality: The vast majority of individuals who are mentally ill do not commit crimes, do not harm others, and do not get into trouble with the law. However, there is a slightly increased risk of violence among individuals with a dual diagnosis (a mental disorder and substance abuse) and a prior history of violence (Elbogen & Johnson, 2009). Introductory Concepts Abnormal psychology focuses on psychopathology, the study of the symptoms and causes of mental distress and the various treatments for behavioral and mental disorders. Those who study psychopathology attempt to describe, explain, predict, and modify the behaviors, emotions or thoughts associated with various mental conditions. People who work in the field of psychopathology strive to alleviate the distress and life disruption experienced by those with mental disorders and the concerns of their friends and family members. Abnormal psychology is the scientific study whose objectives are to describe, explain, predict, and modify behaviors associated with mental disorders (Sue et al., 2016). Definition of a Mental Disorder A mental disorder is a syndrome characterized by clinically significant disturbance in an individual’s cognition, emotion regulation, or behavior that reflects a dysfunction in the psychological, biological, or developmental processes underlying mental functioning. Mental disorders are usually associated with significant distress or disability in social, occupational, or other important activities. An expectable or culturally approved response to a common stressor or loss, such as the death of a loved one, is NOT a mental disorder. Socially deviant behavior (e.g., political, religious, or sexual) and conflicts that are primarily between the individual and society are NOT mental disorders unless the deviance or conflict results from a dysfunction in the individual. APA (2022) The diagnosis of a mental disorder should have clinical utility: it should help clinicians to determine prognosis, treatment plans, and potential treatment outcomes for their patients. Barlow & Durand (2018) define abnormal behavior as actions that are unexpected and often evaluated negatively because they differ from typical or usual behavior. x Four major factors involved in judging psychopathology distress, deviance, dysfunction, and dangerousness Distress: extreme discomfort, pain or suffering Most people who seek the help of therapists are experiencing psychological distress that affects social, emotional, or physical functioning. Manifestations of distress: Social: an individual may become withdrawn and avoid interactions with others or, at the other extreme, may engage in inappropriate or dangerous social interactions. Emotional distress: might involve extreme or prolonged reactions such as anxiety and depression. Physical distress: can surface in conditions such as asthma or hypertension or with symptoms of fatigue, pain, or heart palpitations. Reactions which are so intense, exaggerated, or prolonged that it interferes with your ability to function adequately. For some disorders, by definition, suffering and distress are absent (Durand & Barlow, 2016). E.g. Consider the person who feels elated and may act impulsively as part of a manic episode. Deviance Abnormal behaviors deviate or represent a significant deviation from social norms. Some examples of unusual behavior include false perceptions of reality (such as hallucinations), an intense preoccupation with repetitively washing one’s hands, or demonstrating extreme panic in a social setting. Sue et al. (2016) identified certain behaviors that are considered abnormal in most situations. These behaviors include refusal to leave your house; depression so severe that you sleep most of the day; starving yourself because you are so fearful of gaining weight; experiencing frequent nightmares involving a trauma you experienced; forgetting your own identity; feeling overwhelmed with fear at the sight of a spider, etc. Dangerousness- violence risk Only a small minority of acts of violence involve someone with a severe mental illness (Frazel & Grann, 2006). Drug and alcohol abuse is much more likely to result in violent behavior than are other kinds of mental illness (Friedman & Michels, 2013). Dysfunction refers to a breakdown in cognitive, emotional, or behavioral functioning. The behaviors or feelings prevent the person from functioning in daily life. Emotional problems sometimes interfere with the performance of one’s roles. How to assess dysfunction: 1. compare someone’s performance with the requirements of a role. 2. compare an individual’s performance with his or her potential.  Define: 1. clinical description 2. presenting problem 3. prevalence 4. etiology 5. incidence 6. course 7. prognosis 8. onset of the disorder 1. Clinical description: the unique combination of behaviors, thoughts, and feelings that make up a specific disorder. Durand and Barlow (2016) Function of clinical description: To specify what makes the disorder different from normal behavior or from other disorders. 2. Presenting problem: Original complaint reported by the client to the therapist. -initial symptom motivating the patient / client to consult a practitioner. -the chief complaint in the medical field (or CC) The actual treated problem may be a modification derived from the presenting problem. 3. prevalence – Number of people displaying a disorder in the total population at any given time -the percentage of individuals in a targeted population who have a particular disorder during a specific period of time Intellectual developmental disorder (IDD) has an overall general population prevalence of approximately 10 per 1,000 APA (2022) 4. etiology - the study of origins, has to do with why a disorder begins and includes biological, psychological, and social dimensions. - the cause or causes for a condition 5. Incidence : Number of new cases of a disorder appearing during a specific period. Difference between prevalence and incidence: Prevalence is a measurement of all individuals affected by the disease at a particular time (% of individuals in a targeted population). e.g. 12-month prevalence Incidence is a measurement of the number of new individuals who contract a disease during a particular period of time. 6. course: pattern of development and change of a disorder over time. Most disorders follow a particular pattern, or course. E.g. Schizophrenia follow a chronic course, meaning that they tend to last a long time. Mood disorders follow an episodic course, in that the individual is likely to recover within a few months only to suffer a recurrence of the disorder at a later time. Other disorders may have a time-limited course, meaning they will improve without treatment in a relatively short period. 7. prognosis: predicted development of a disorder over time. A prognosis is a prediction of the future course, duration, severity and likely outcome of a condition. 8. onset of the disorder - the first appearance of the signs or symptoms of an illness Some disorders have an acute onset, meaning they begin suddenly; others develop gradually over an extended period, which is called an insidious onset. Age of onset: the common age which an illness initially begins in susceptible people - childhood, adolescence, etc. References: APA (2022). Diagnostic statistical manual of mental disorders: DSM-5 TR (5th ed.). American Psychiatric Association. Barlow, D.H., Durand, V. M., & Hofman, S.G. (2018). Abnormal psychology: an integrative approach. (8th ed.). Cengage Learning. Sue, D., Sue, D. W., Sue, D., & Sue, S. (2016). Understanding abnormal behavior. (11th ed.). Cengage Learning.