Download Abnormal Psychology

What is Abnormal
Psychology?
0 Abnormal psychology is the application of psychological
science to the study of mental disorders.
0 Its also the branch of psychology that is concerned with
research into the classification, causation, diagnosis,
prevention, and the treatment of psychological disorders or
psychopathology.
Terms & Definitions
• Psychopathology- Literally translates into pathology of the mind.
• Psychosis- A general term that refers to several types of severe
mental disorder where the individual loses contact with reality.
• Syndrome- A group of symptoms that appear together and are
assumed to represent a specific type of disorder.
• Deviant- The behavior is statistically rare and has a very low
probability of occurring.
• Insanity- A legal term used to describe the inability to determine
right from wrong
Abnormal
Behavior
•
Behaviors characterized as
deviant, distressful, and
dysfunctional.
•
Behaviors that are
personally disturbing or
disabling, or culturally so
deviant that others judge it
as maladaptive,
inappropriate, or
unjustifiable.
Harmful Dysfunction
0 According to Wakefield (1999) a condition should be
considered a mental disorder if, and only if, it meets
two criteria:
1. The condition results from the inability of some
internal mechanism (mental or physical) to perform
its natural function.
2. The condition causes some harm to the person as
judged by the standards of the person’s culture.
Diagnostic and
Statistical Manual of
Mental Disorders (DSMIV)
• Classification system for mental
disorders published by the
American Psychiatric Associations
• Used by researchers and mental
health practitioners for the
diagnosis and treatment of
psychological disorders
• DSM-IV lists seventeen categories
or types of mental disorders
DSM-IV Continued
• DSM-IV contains five axes of classification:
• Axis I: Clinical Disorders
• Axis II: Personality Disorders. Mental Retardation
• Axis III: General Medical Conditions
• Axis IV: Psychosocial and Environmental
Problems
• Axis V: Global Assessment of Functioning
References
0 Oltmanns, T. F., & Emery, R. E. (2010). Abnormal
psychology (6th ed.). Upper Saddle River, N.J.:
Prentice Hall.
0 Myers, D. G. (2007). Psychology eighth edition in
modules (8th ed.). New York: Worth Publishers.