Download Introduction to Abnormal Psychology and Mental Illness

Psychological Disorders and
Therapies
Abnormal psychology
• the scientific
study of
abnormal
behavior in
order to
describe,
predict, explain,
and change
abnormal
patterns of
functioning
Why should we care?
According to the National Institute of Mental Health
Statistics:
• An estimated 26.2 percent of Americans ages 18
and older — about one in four adults — suffer
from a diagnosable mental disorder in a given
year. Or 57.7 million people.
• About 6 percent, or 1 in 17 —suffer from a serious
mental illness.
• In addition, mental disorders are the leading
cause of disability in the U.S. and Canada for
ages 15-44.
• Nearly half (45 percent) of those with any mental
disorder meet criteria for 2 or more disorders, with
severity strongly related to comorbidity.
• Most common disorders were anxiety, phobias,
and mood disorders
Understanding Psychological
Disorders
John W. Verano
Ancient Treatments
of psychological
disorders include
trephination,
exorcism, being
caged like animals,
being beaten,
burned, castrated,
mutilated, or
transfused with
animal’s blood.
Trephination (boring holes in
the skull to remove evil
forces)
What makes a Behavior a
Mental Illness?
• The following needs to happen over a
relatively long period of time:
• “The Four Ds”
–
–
–
–
Deviance – Different, extreme, unusual
Distress – Unpleasant & upsetting
Dysfunction – Causes interference with life
Danger – Poses risk of harm
Theoretical Approaches to
Psychological Disorders
• Biological approach
– Physiological or biochemical basis (medical
model) for disorder
• Psychological/Psychoanalytical Approach
– Thoughts, emotions, the unconscious,
personality contribute to disorder
• Cognitive-Behavioral Approach
– Disorders are the result of learning maladaptive
ways of behaving and thinking
• Diathesis-Stress Model (part of
Biopsychosocial Approach)
– Biological predisposition to disorder which is
triggered by stress
Biological Approach: Medical
Model.
When physicians discovered that syphilis led to
mental disorders, they started using medical
models to review the physical causes of these
disorders.
1.
2.
3.
4.
Etiology: Cause and development of
the disorder.
Diagnosis: Identifying (symptoms) and
distinguishing one disease from
another.
Treatment: Treating a disorder in a
psychiatric hospital.
Prognosis: Forecast about the disorder.
Classifying Psychological Disorders
The American Psychiatric
Association rendered a
Diagnostic and Statistical
Manual of Mental Disorders
(DSM) to describe
psychological disorders.
The DSM spells out the specific
diagnostic criteria
• An example of this can be seen in the
diagnosis of a major depressive
episode.
• A person must exhibit at least five or
more of the listed nine characteristics
and the symptoms must be evident for
at least the last two weeks for that
person to be diagnosed with this
disorder.
• When diagnosing a client the American
Psychiatric Association recommends
that the clinician use a multiaxial
Assessment System.
Multiaxial Classification
Is a Clinical Syndrome (cognitive, anxiety,
Axis I
mood disorders, etc) present?
Is a Personality Disorder or Intellectual
Axis II
Disability present?
Is a General Medical Condition (diabetes,
Axis III hypertension or arthritis, etc) also present?
Axis IV Are Psychosocial or Environmental
Problems (school or housing issues) also
present?
What is the Global Assessment of the
person’s functioning? (GAF Scale is out of
Axis V
100 with the lower the score the more
limited their functioning).
Sample
• Axis I 296.21 Major Depressive Disorder
303.90 Alcohol Dependence
• Axis II 301.6 Dependent Personality
Disorder
• Axis III None
• Axis IV Recent Divorce, unemployment
• Axis V 58
Pros and Cons of DSM
Positive: Disorders outlined by DSM-5 are
reliable. Therefore, diagnoses by different
professionals are similar.
FYI: this is not the only diagnostic system. The
WHO devised an International Classification of
Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD-10). It’s
close to the DSM-5, but there are still differences.
Negative: Relies too much on social norms
and subjective judgments
-Too many new categories lead to increase of
people diagnosed with a disorder
-Prescribing medication seems to be
encouraged, where other treatments can be
just as effective.