Psychopathology Week 1 & 2 PDF

lOMoARcPSD|5194257 Psychopathology Week 1: introduction to psychopathology The science of psychopathology  The most important development in field of psychopathology in our “recent” history is the adoption of scientific methods to learn about the nature, causes, and treatment of psychological di...

lOMoARcPSD|5194257 Psychopathology Week 1: introduction to psychopathology The science of psychopathology  The most important development in field of psychopathology in our “recent” history is the adoption of scientific methods to learn about the nature, causes, and treatment of psychological disorders  Psychopathology is the scientific study of psychological disorders  All psychologists are trained in how to conduct research, but not all who are trained will conduct research  Instead, most will become scientist-practitioners who will rely on their scientific skills to: o ask meaningful questions o keep up to date on research findings o critically evaluate and synthesise information in logical ways o deliver the most effective treatment possible for their clients Week 2: introduction to psychopathology (understanding psychopathology) Abnormality No single behaviour is sufficient in determining abnormality. Various indicators of abnormality include:  Subjective distress  Maladaptiveness  Statistical deviancy  Violation of standards of society  Social discomfort  Irrationality and unpredictability  Dangerousness Culture and Abnormality Decisions about abnormal behaviour involve judgments based on cultural values and change over time. Although some abnormal behaviour is universal, what is abnormal can depend on a person’s culture:  Unlucky Number 13 vs 4, Hearing voices of the dead Culture can also shape the clinical presentation of a disorder:  Social Anxiety vs Taijin Kyofusho, Depression in China is often characterised by physical symptoms rather than melancholy or hopelessness We actually know little about cultural expressions of abnormality Basic Features of a Psychological Disorder The DSM-5 asserts that a psychological disorder is defined by:  clinically significant difficulties in thinking, feeling, or behaving  dysfunction in psychological, developmental, and/or neurobiological processes  personal distress and/or impairment in functioning A psychological disorder:  is not a culturally expected reaction to an event  is not primarily the result of social deviance or conflict with society Stigma and Psychological Disorders Stigma encompasses:  Ignorance or limitations in knowledge about mental health  Prejudice or negative attitudes toward mental illness  Unhelpful or discriminatory responses to people with mental health problems How stigma can play out with psychological disorders  Tom is a “hoarder”  Hoarders are lazy  I am not lazy  Hoarders do not need treatment, they just need to throw things away Downloaded by Jackson Pullar ([email protected]) lOMoARcPSD|5194257 Stigma has a negative effect on self-esteem and help-seeking. Stigma can affect some more than others. Different kinds of stigma:  Personal or public stigma  Self-stigma  Perceived stigma Stigma is affected by different factors. Mental health literacy differentially affects the three types of stigmas. Historical Account of Stigma Stigma towards mental illness is tied toward our history of how we have understood the causes of mental illness  Demonology, Gods, Magic o Possession by evil spirits, perhaps punishment from God o Treatment = Exorcism  Hippocrates o Mental disorders due to brain pathology and imbalance of blood, phlegm, bile, black bile o Treatment = Balance the four humours  Middle (Dark) Ages in Europe o Supernatural causes of mental illness o Treatment = Prayer, holy water, sanctified ointments, touching relics, mild forms of exorcism  Renaissance Period o Scientific questioning re-emerged, very slowly replacing demonology and superstition th, o Treatment = Asylums, 16 and onward, bloodletting, and frightening people to the brink of death  Philippe Pinel (France 1790’s) o Removed chains from inmates to test hypothesis that patients with mental illness should be treated with kindness  William Tuke (England 1790’s) o Established the York Retreat, a place where mentally ill patients lived, worked, and rested in a kindly, religious atmosphere (Quackers) o Treatment = Restore balance As word spread about the success of Pinel and Tuke’s work, laws were established to improve the care of people with mental illness. Dorothea Dix (1802-1887) helped standardise care seen in private hospitals to state-based hospitals in the United States. Hospital overcrowding, staff shortages, and physician led hospitals has led to less individual attention and a rise in biological and physical aspects of mental illness. In Australia, mental health literacy campaigns have increased Australian’s beliefs about the dangerous and unpredictability of those with depression and schizophrenia, while at the same time improving people’s willingness to have contact with them. Contemporary Views Psychoanalytic Perspective Downloaded by Jackson Pullar ([email protected]) lOMoARcPSD|5194257 Freud’s theory Evolution of the Psychoanalytic Perspective Freud’s ideas have been heavily criticized over the years  He conducted no formal research  Many ideas cannot be scientifically tested Interpersonal perspective: Emphasises cultural and social forces rather than inner instincts as determinants of behaviour Attachment theory: Emphasises the importance of early with attachment relationships as laying the foundation for later functioning throughout life. Quality parental care is needed to develop secure attachments. These newer psychodynamic perspectives have tried to improve the scientific limitations of traditional psychodynamic theory The Psychodynamic Inuence  Childhood experiences help shape adult personality  There are unconscious influences on behaviour  The cause and purpose of behaviour may not always be clear Behavioural Perspective  Arose in part as a reaction against the unscientific methods of psychoanalysis  Only observable behaviour and the stimuli and reinforcing properties of it can serve as the basis for understanding behaviour  Central to this approach is learning o Modification of behaviour as a consequence of experience o Classical (Pavlovian) Conditioning o Instrumental (Operant) Conditioning Pavlovian Conditioning Operant Conditioning Downloaded by Jackson Pullar ([email protected]) lOMoARcPSD|5194257 Cognitive – Behavioural Perspective Arose in part as a reaction against radical behaviourism. Important to understand how thoughts and information processing can become distorted and lead to maladaptive emotions and behaviour.    Self-efficacy: The belief that one can achieve desired goals Cognitive distortions: An exaggerated or irrational thought pattern involved in the onset and perpetuation of psychopathological states Attentional bias: The tendency for people's perception to be affected by their recurring thoughts at the time The dominant school of thought given its research base, but we still do not have a lot of support for the C in the CB perspective. Has led to the use of:   Cognitive therapy (cognitive restructuring) Third-wave CBTs o Dialectal behaviour therapy o Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy o Acceptance and commitment therapy Stroop Test Biological Perspective Genetic vulnerabilities   Usually not one gene, almost always polygenic Genotype – environment interactions  Diathesis – stress model Neurotransmitter imbalance  Norepinephrine, dopamine, serotonin, glutamate, GABA Hormonal imbalance  Malfunctioning of the hypothalamic pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis has been implicated in a handful of mental disorders. Brain dysfunction and neural plasticity Downloaded by Jackson Pullar ([email protected]) lOMoARcPSD|5194257 Social Perspective Exposure to multiple uncontrollable and unpredictable frightening life events is likely to leave a person vulnerable to psychopathology  Early life deprivation or trauma  Problems with caregivers  Marital discord and divorce  Low SES and unemployment  Maladaptive peer relationships  Prejudice and Discrimination This approach has highlighted the importance of environment and has contributed to the development of programs designed to improve the social conditions that lead to maladaptive behaviour No single cause of Psychopathology Week 3: (Introduction to Psychopathology continued) Multidimensional Models Multidimensional Models  Interdisciplinary, eclectic, and integrative  “System” of influences  Draw upon information from several sources Interactive nature Just because a faulty brain circuit might cause a mental problem, it does not mean that surgery and drugs are the only options available for treatment. Psychological and social factors and psychological and social interventions can influence brain functioning. Thus, we always need to consider factors together. Cause vs Maintenance What causes a problem, does not necessary explain why a problem persists. It is typically more important to know the maintaining factors as opposed to the initiating factors to treat a problem. Thus, one needs to go beyond the stress-diathesis model in order to help someone with a psychological problem. Multidimensional Model of Psychopathology Inuences Downloaded by Jackson Pullar ([email protected])