Download Mod 65: Introduction to Psychological Disorders

Unit XII: Psychological Disorders
Mod 65: Introduction to Psychological Disorders
65.1 Defining Psychological Disorders
Definition: a disorder/syndrome where one has disruptions in thoughts/cognitions (like a
delusion), emotions (like bipolar), and/or in behaviors (like a compulsion such as handwashing)
See issues with disturbed behavior
Often see person distressed by their life/conditions
Key is to whether a person is suffering from a disorder is if it is impairing ability to live a “normal”
life
What is “disorder” can change due to time & culture
See info about homosexuality and READ(!!) the Thinking Critically About: ADHD
65.2 Understanding Psychological Disorders
As early as ancient man, people were trying to explain “abnormal behavior” (see picture of
extremely early attempts to “treat” on 651--trephining)
Most early explanations looked to evil spirits/demons even the stars
See text for some of the treatments
Medical Model
Pinel was one of the 1st to see abnormal behavior as a sickness and not as demonic possession
Instituted humane treatment for “sick” (had been chained & many times without
clothing--would actually go to insane asylum like it was a zoo)
(Mad as a hatter phrase that came from haberdashers actually becoming insane from mercury
poisoning--wet their fingers that came into contact with the mercury on the hats)
Syphilis & its treatment started the search for physical causes & treatments for abnormal behavior
(Untreated syphilis will cause a person to go insane in the last stages--and possibly lose your nose!)
Medical model: belief that disorders have a physical/organic cure that can determined from
symptoms & cured thru medical treatment
Also points to genetics, abnormalities in brain & body chemistry
Biopsychosocial Approach
Abnormal behavior is an interaction with body (see above) the environment and learned
habits/experiences
Note text points out “culturally” bound disorders, like anorexia for U.S.
Note text does point out that “amok”, “susto” & other disorders all share anxiety as underlying
symptom
Not in text!! Diathesis-stress: having a genetic predisposition (diathesis) for a
disorder, like anxiety, but it may not manifest itself unless person suffers “extreme”
stress or has an inability to hand stress;
Stress “triggers” the gene to “turn-on”
65.3 Classifying Psychological Disorders
Goal of classification system (DSM) is group symptoms for disorders to help correctly diagnosis
disorder/syndrome
Ex: schizophrenics can have unorganized speech, suffer hallucinations & delusions, be
socially withdrawn & have inappropriate emotions
Another goal is to also to describe the disorder as well as to attempt to predict the course of the
disorder (Is it life long? Will it get worse as you age or will the symptoms lessen?)
Classification like DSM 5 do not really discuss treatment
DSM 5: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (5th edition)
Used by doctors & mental health workers to diagnose AND to identify probably treatments
(and get insurance to possibly cover treatment)
As DSM is updated, types of disorders/labels change
See text in regards to autism & Aspergers as well as other types of disorders
When Myers discusses “disruptive mood dysregulation disorder”, the disorder was actually
developed to decrease the amount of children being diagnosed as bipolar
Besides “labeling” people, DSM is not exact--question validity (not an exact science)
People can be misdiagnosed
DSM does not discuss possible causes
Others question the syndromes themselves--is grieving really a “disorder”?
65.4 Labeling Psychological Disorders
First is reliability--read about Rosenhan’s study sending normal people into mental hospital;
Rosenhan was one of the participants; the only people who knew the eight people were “acting”
were the actual patients themselves
This is called a false-positive diagnosis: saying someone is ill when they are not
Second issue is the “label” itself; read Langer study
Self-fulfilling prophecy→ if told a person has a disorder, more likely to see & treat them
differently
Stigma of suffering from a disorder is lessening, as people are more open about illness
Also stigma that people with disorder are dangerous--more likely to be a victim of crime than the
perpetrator
65.5 Rates of Psychological Disorders/Effects of Poverty
Fig 65.2 is interesting, but no questions will be asked over it
One of the biggest predictors of mental disorder is poverty
Could be stress, lack of resources/help
See studies in regards to economy & rates of disorders
Note the beginning of symptoms in regards to specific disorders→ earliest onset is antisocial