Unit VI: Abnormal Psychology

Why is there a stigma associated with

psychological disorders?

AbnormalPsychology

Psychopathology: the study of the causes,

symptoms, and development of psychological or
mental disorders

WHAT IS NORMAL AND WHAT IS

ABNORMAL??? (stop at 5:05)
http://www.youtube.com/watch
?v=wuhJ-GkRRQc

IntheCrashCoursevideo,hetalksabout:

What Cochran discovered:

http://dangerousminds.net/comments/list_of_reasons_for_admission_to_an_
insane_asylum

The experiment David Rosenhan did

What were Rosenhans criticisms of the system?
His experiment raised a lot of important
questions.

The 3 criteria that mark behavior as abnormal

Abnormal Behavior

What is abnormal behavior?

Mental disorders are characterized by DEVIANT, MALADAPTIVE,
or harmful behaviors and disruptive patterns of thinking, feeling,
and acting that causes DISTRESS and dysfunction and affects
the performance of daily functioning.

3 criteria
1) Deviantviolates societal norms in a particular culture
2)

Maladaptiveimpairs a persons everyday behavior; a

failure to adapt to societys norms

3)

Causing personal distresspersonal suffering

AbnormalBehavior
HOW DO PSYCHOLOGISTS APPROACH MENTAL DISORDERS?

The Medical Approach [Neurobiological Model]:

Offers explanations that focus on physiological or biological reasons
The Psychoanalytic Approach:
Focus on the possibility that unconscious conflicts, rooted in early
childhood cause anxiety that is dealt with in a maladaptive way
The Cognitive Approach:
Explains abnormal behavior in terms of abnormal patterns of thinking
The Behavioral Approach:
Disorders are learned behaviors; they have either been classically
conditioned or reinforced in some way
Biopsychological Modeldisorders are the result of a combination of
biological, psychological, and sociocultural factors.

In 1952 The APA (American Psychiatric Association)

published the DIAGNOSTIC AND STATISTICAL MANUAL OF
MENTAL DISORDERS (DSM): used by all psychologists to
determine the nature and course of psychological disorders

Widely used
diagnostic system
for the United States
Provides a set of
criteria to make
assessments

The DSM-5:
Published in 2013

Psychodiagnosis: The Classification of Disorders

All

Mental & Medical diagnosis:

Clinical Syndromes or disorders
Personality Disorders or Mental
Retardation
General Medical Conditions
Psychosocial and Environmental Problems
(Accounts for personally distressing
occurrences. For trauma & stress-related
disorders.)

Mental Disorders and the Law

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20H0yGx__NA&feature=youtu.be
Insanity: Insanity is not a diagnosis, it is a legal concept. It is a legal status
indicating that a person cannot be held responsible for his or her actions
because of mental illness.
Mnaghten rule: holds that insanity exists when a mental disorder
makes a person unable to distinguish right from wrong
Involuntary commitment: occurs when people are hospitalized in
psychiatric facilities against their will. People are subject to
involuntary commitment when they are:
A danger to self
A danger to others
in need of treatment
In emergency situations, psychiatrists and psychologists can authorize
temporary commitment only, for a period of 24-72 hours. Long-term
commitments must go through the courts and are usually set up for
renewable six-month periods.

Celebrities and Disorders:

Depression: Terry Bradshaw
Depression: Clara Hughes, Olympic gold medalist
Depression: Michael Landsberg, TSN Off the Record
Depression: Elizabeth Manley, Olympic skater
Depression: Billy Joel
Depression: Pete Wentz
Depression: Mary J Blige
Depression & Bipolar: Mariel Hemingway, actress
Bipolar: DemiLovato
Bipolar: Bradley Cooper
Bipolar: Robert De Niro
Anxiety Disorder: Steve Sax, baseball player
Borderline Personality Disorder: Brandon Marshall, NFL
Postpartum Depression: Brooke Shields
Dissociative Identity Disorder: Herschel Walker, NLF legend
Can you think of others? Get approval from Vara

Belovedcharacterswith
disorders

http://www.cracked.com/article_19336_6
-beloved-characters-that-had-undiagnos
ed-mental-illnesses.html

Whoaresomefamouspeoplewho
changedtheconversationaround
mentalhealth?

http://popcrush.com/demi-lovato-mental-healt
h-advocacy-video/

Lets look at the EQs for your project!!!

EndtheStigma

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zn6yw2KUIwc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8JcHu-Vs2_Y

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZflM7zl0_yQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnKZ4pdSU-s&app=desk
top
Button Poetry

Help

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bMmwYCR590U

http://www.halfofus.com/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54sDdNa9vek

Clinical Syndromes: Anxiety Disorders

A category of disorders characterized by extreme
feelings of apprehension (worrying and increased
physical arousal) , which disrupt functioning, and
are present for a long time
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a

X7jnVXXG5o

Clinical Syndromes: Anxiety Disorders

A category of disorders characterized by extreme feelings of

apprehension (worrying and increased physical arousal) , which
disrupt functioning, and are present for a long time

1) Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)

Free-floating anxiety: chronic, high level of anxiety that is
not tied to any specific threat
Anxiety all the time and in most situations
Fatigue, irritability, constant apprehension about future
events

Clinical Syndromes: Anxiety Disorders

2) Phobic disorder
Specific focus of feara disproportional fear
leads to avoidance
Particularly common are:
acrophobia fear of heights
claustrophobia fear of small, enclosed places
brontophobia fear of storms
hydrophobia fear of water

Clinical Syndromes: Anxiety Disorders

3) Panic disorder
Sudden occurrence of panic attacks with no
indicated cause
These paralyzing attacks have physical symptoms
Rapid heart rate, heavy breathing, dizziness,
fainting, etc.
Agoriphobia: fearful of places or situations that
might cause you to have a panic attack. So, they
are fearful to even leave home.

Etiology of Anxiety Disorders

How do Anxiety Disorders Develop?
Biological factors (Neurobiological)
Genetic predisposition, anxiety sensitivity
Neurochemical causes in the brain [Norepinephrine, Serotonin,
GABA]
Conditioning and learning (Behavioral)
Acquired through classical conditioning or observational learning
Maintained through operant conditioning
Cognitive factors
Judgments of perceived threat (Misinterpretations; selective attention)
Personality
Neuroticisma tendecy to experience negative emotioanl states
Stress
A precipitator

Clinical Syndromes

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (This is now in a class by itself!!!)

Obsessionsunwanted, repetitive thoughts
Examples: fear of shaking hands, doubting that you locked your
door, intense stress when objects arent orderly.
Compulsionssenseless ritualistic and repetitive behaviors
Examples: hand-washing until skin bleeds, checking door
repeatedly to see if it is locked, erc
http://www.cnn.com/2014/06/24/health/brain-stimulation-ocd/
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnKZ4pdSU-s&app=desktop
(warning, youll hear the F word in this one.)

Also includes:
Hording

Disorder
Excoriation (skin-picking) disorder
Substance/medically induced OCD
Body Dysmorphic Disorder: think about their perceived flaws for hours a day.
Sometimes undergo several unnecessary plastic surgeries to fix the flaw, never
finding satisfaction with the results
Trichotillomania (Hair-pulling disorder)

Clinical Syndromes

:PTSD
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=343ORgL3kIc
(stop at 7:10)
Post-Traumatic

Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Anxiety in response to extreme physical or
psychological trauma
Reliving the event
Avoiding situations in which you associate the event
Excessive physiological arousal
negative changes in emotions or belief

**Not PSYCHOSOMATIC: Psychosomatic diseases are real physical

ailments caused in part by psychological factors.

Somatic Symptom Disorders: Occur when people

experience psychological problems associated with
real physical symptoms that are NOT linked to a
physical cause. To be diagnosed with SSD, the
individual must be persistently symptomatic (typically
at least for 6 months).

1) Somatic Symptom Disorder: http://on.aol.com/video/dr--phil-definessomatic-symptom-disorder-with-an-accused-hypochondriac-518509148

characterized by somatic symptoms and disruption of functioning
excessive thoughts, feelings, and behaviors regarding these
symptoms
They are worried about their health, because doctors are unable to
find a cause for their symptoms.
2) Functional Neurological Symptom Disorder
Significant loss of physical function of a single organ for no real
reason
Convert emotional difficulties into loss of specific functions
Neurological examinations can diagnose this
3) Illness Anxiety Disorder
Health related anxiety withOUT somatic symptoms
Fear of having a serious illness, so much so that it causes significant
distress
Some patients examine themselves repeatedly

Etiologyof
Somatic Symptom Disorders
Some inherited aspects, but mostly cognitive and personality based

Personality factors
Histrionic and neuroticism personalities are highly predisposed to
somatoform disorders
Thrive on attention

Cognitive factors
Draw catastrophic conclusions about minor body aches
Have a faulty belief of what good health is

The learned sick role

Receive pleasant benefits from being sick

Clinical Syndromes: Dissociative

Disorders

Rare occurrences that involves sudden and mostly temporary disruptions to

a persons memory, consciousness, and identity

1) Dissociative Amnesia
Sudden loss of memory for important personal information that is too
extensive to be due to normal forgetting
Dissociative Fugue is a symptom of Dissociative Amnesia:
Sudden loss of memory resulting in a new identity and moving to
a new location (amnesia + active flight)

Clinical Syndromes: Dissociative

Disorders

2) Dissociative identity disorder(Multiple Personality Disorder)

A person exhibits more than one personality that is unique by style of

thinking, speaking, acting, feeling, and memories
Transitions in identity may be observed by others or self-reported

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=weLvkZGr9Tw&feature=youtu.be (90)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5PholAYAF4&feature=youtu.be
(Psych)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0tITzDjPf4g&feature=youtu.be (PSA)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7TlYGivBGYE (documentary)

EtiologyofDissociativeDisorders

Severe emotional trauma during childhood

A result of defense mechanisms
Exhibiting different personas for different situations

Clinical Syndromes: Mood

Disorders

Often referred to as Affective Disorders; involve

extreme mood disruptions (mania and depression)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwMlHkWKDwM

Clinical Syndromes: Mood

Disorders

1) Major depressive disorder (unipolar disorder)

Extreme depression for at least 2 weeks
Persistent Depressive Disorder: less intense
depression; longer howevergenerally more than 2
years
2) Bipolar disorder (manic-depressive disorder)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=HWB0wQWJTew&app=desktop
Alternating between periods of deep depression and mania
Mania: energetic, optimistic, impulsive, invincibility, etc.
Cyclothymic disorder: hypomania, less severe
3) Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
Generally occurs during the winter, when the amount of
daylight is low.
Depression, lethargy, sleep disturbances, carvings for carbs

Clinical Syndromes: Mood

Disorders

4.) Disruptive mood dysregulation disordera disorder

specific to those under 18 to avoid the over diagnosis of
bipolar disorder in children

5.) Premenstrual dysphoric disorder: Severe depression

symptoms, irritability, and tension before menstruation.
More severe than PMS
Symptoms: no interest in daily activities, fatigue, feelings
of hopelessness, anxiety, food cravings, crying, panic
attacks, problems sleeping and concentrating.

EtiologyofMoodDisorders
How do Mood Disorders Develop?

Genetic vulnerability
Shown to run in families (twin studies)
Neurochemical factors
Malfunction of Chromosome 13 which produces Serotonin
Endocrine system malfunctions
Cognitive factors
Learned Helplessness
Negative thinking
Precipitating stress
Correlation to SESsocioeconomic status

Clinical Syndromes: Schizophrenia

A severe and often debilitating disorder that involves patterns of disturbed
thinking, perceptions, emotions and behavior
Split Mind
General symptoms: a person must exhibit one of the Positive
Symptoms:
DELUSIONS: False and distorted believes
Delusions of grandeur occur when people think they are famous
or important
Irrational thought: Clang associations, loose associations
SPEECH DISRUPTIONS (Neologisms, word salad)
HALLUCINATIONS: False reports of perceptions
Disturbed emotions: Display emotions that dont coincide with the
situation

Schizophrenia subtypes
Schizophrenia

of symptoms

is labeled across a spectrum of severity

Schizophrenia subtypes

Schizotypal (Personality) Disorder

https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=W76tBPAow0M&feature=youtu.be
Extreme discomfort in forming and maintaining close
relationships with others.
Excessive social anxiety, perceptual distortions, eccentric
behavior, may be superstitious, preoccupied with
paranormal phenomena.

Delusional Disorder
It is a type of psychosis; person cant tell what is real from
what is imagined.
Non-bizarre delusions; involve situations that could occur in
real life (being followed, poisoned, conspired against)
Generally do not behave in a obviously odd manner

Schizophrenia subtypes

Brief Psychotic Disorder

Symptoms come on suddenly, last for less than a month, and the
person usually recovers completely.
3 types: Brief Psychotic Disorder with Obvious Stressor, Brief
Psychotic Disorder without Obvious Stressor, Brief Psychotic
Disorder with Postpartum Onset.

Schizophrenia
Disturbed thought, delusions, belief that private thoughts
are broadcast to others, chaotic thinking, loose
associations (person shifts topics in disjointed ways)
Deterioration of adaptive behavior involves noticeable
deficits in the quality of a persons routine functioning in
work, social relations, and personal care.
Hallucinations, hearing voices.

Schizophrenia subtypes

Schizoaffective Disorder
Has the features of 2 disorders; schizophrenia and a mood
disorder (depression or bi-polar)
Severe changes in mood, hallucinations, delusions, disorganized
thinking, unable to tell what is real from what is imagined.

Catatonia https://www.youtube.com/watch?
v=_s1lzxHRO4U&feature=youtu.be
Disturbances in a persons movement
Dramatic reduction in activity, to the point that voluntary
movement stops
Waxy flexibility; maintain a pose that someone puts them in,
sometimes for extended periods of time. Considerable
resistance and strength when someone tries to reposition them.
May repeats the words or movements of others

Etiology of Schizophrenia
What causes Schizophrenia to develop?
Genetic vulnerability
Neurochemical factors
Excess of dopamine
Structural abnormalities of the brain
Enlarged ventricles in the brain
Small Thalamus, undersized prefrontal cortex
The neurodevelopmental hypothesis
Disruption of the normal maturation of the brain prior to birth
Precipitating stress

Personality Disorders
Enduring or continuous inflexible patterns of thinking, feeling, and acting
(Lifelong, pervasive, inflexible)
Cluster

B: Dramatic-impulsive cluster
Histrionic
obsessed with being the center of attention
overly dramatic, tending to exaggerate expressions of emotion
Borderline
instability of emotions
unstable in self-image, mood, and interpersonal relationships
Antisocial
no feelings of regard for others
chronically violating the rights of others, nonaccepting of social
norms, inability to form attachments

Personality Disorders

Cluster C: Anxious-fearful cluster

Avoidant
oversensitive to criticism, potential rejection, humiliation or shame

Dependent
very needy, fear of abandonment, fears that they cant live their
life without the help of others
excessively lacking in self-reliance and self-esteem
Pessimist, self-doubt, belittling their abilities, difficulty making
every-day decisions without the reassurance of others

Etiology
Genetic predispositions
inadequate socialization in dysfunctional families