Download Ch. 3

Psychological Disorders
Chapter 13
Psychology: An Introduction
Charles A. Morris & Albert A. Maisto
© 2005 Prentice Hall
Perspectives on Psychological
Disorders

Societal


Individual

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Does the behavior conform to existing social
norms?
Personal sense of well-being
Mental-health professional
Personality characteristics
 Personal discomfort
 Life functioning

Psychology: An Introduction
Charles A. Morris & Albert A. Maisto
© 2005 Prentice Hall
Historical Views of Psychological
Disorders
Supernatural view, where mysterious
behavior was attributed to supernatural
powers, likely dominated early societies
 Mental hospitals and asylums were used
more like prisons to keep the afflicted
away from society

Psychology: An Introduction
Charles A. Morris & Albert A. Maisto
© 2005 Prentice Hall
Models of the Causes of
Psychological Disorders

Biological model

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Psychoanalytic model

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Disorders are the result of learning maladaptive ways of
behaving and thinking
Diathesis-Stress model
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Disorders are the result of unconscious conflicts
Cognitive-Behavioral model


Physiological or biochemical basis
Biological predisposition to disorder which is triggered by stress
Systems theory (biopsychosocial model)

Model in which biological, psychological, and social risk factors
combine to produce psychological disorders
Psychology: An Introduction
Charles A. Morris & Albert A. Maisto
© 2005 Prentice Hall
Classifying Psychological
Disorders

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of
Mental Disorders (DSM-IV-TR)
Focuses on significant behavioral patterns
 Lists symptoms
 Criticisms

 Disorders
classified as diseases
 Many of the symptoms have nothing to do with
mental illness
Psychology: An Introduction
Charles A. Morris & Albert A. Maisto
© 2005 Prentice Hall
The Prevalence of Psychological
Disorders
In a 2001 survey, 14.9% of respondents
reported experiencing some type of
clinically significant mental disorder
 Six percent were suffering from substance
abuse
 Most common disorders were anxiety,
phobias, and mood disorders

Psychology: An Introduction
Charles A. Morris & Albert A. Maisto
© 2005 Prentice Hall
Mental Illness and the Law

Insanity


Legal term for mentally disturbed people who
are not considered responsible for their
criminal actions
Those found insane often spend more
time in mental institutions than they would
have in prison
Psychology: An Introduction
Charles A. Morris & Albert A. Maisto
© 2005 Prentice Hall
Mood Disorders
Psychology: An Introduction
Charles A. Morris & Albert A. Maisto
© 2005 Prentice Hall
Depression

Symptoms




Major depressive disorder

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Overwhelming feelings of sadness
Lack of interest in activities
Excessive guilt or feelings of worthlessness
Intense symptoms that may last for several months
Dysthymia

Less intense, but may last for periods of two years or
more
Psychology: An Introduction
Charles A. Morris & Albert A. Maisto
© 2005 Prentice Hall
Mania
Not as common as depression
 Symptoms

Feelings of euphoria
 Extreme physical activity
 Excessive talkativeness
 Grandiosity


Mania rarely appears alone, but usually as
part of bipolar disorder
Psychology: An Introduction
Charles A. Morris & Albert A. Maisto
© 2005 Prentice Hall
Bipolar Disorder
Characterized by alternating between
depression and mania
 Periods of normal mood may come
between bouts of depression and mania
 Much less common than depression
 Stronger biological component than
depression

Psychology: An Introduction
Charles A. Morris & Albert A. Maisto
© 2005 Prentice Hall
Causes of Mood Disorders

Biological factors
Twin studies demonstrate that genetic factors
play a role in development of depression
 Mood disorders may be linked to chemical
imbalances in the brain

Psychology: An Introduction
Charles A. Morris & Albert A. Maisto
© 2005 Prentice Hall
Causes of Mood Disorders

Psychological factors

Cognitive distortions
 Maladaptive
response to early negative life events
that leads to feelings of incompetence and
unworthiness

These responses are reactivated whenever a
new situation arises that resembles the
original events
Psychology: An Introduction
Charles A. Morris & Albert A. Maisto
© 2005 Prentice Hall
Causes of Mood Disorders

Social factors
Depression is linked to troubled close
relationships
 May explain greater incidence of depression
in women, who tend to be more relationshiporiented
 Depressed people can evoke anxiety and
hostility in others, who then withdraw, which in
turn can intensify feelings of depression

Psychology: An Introduction
Charles A. Morris & Albert A. Maisto
© 2005 Prentice Hall
Suicide
19,000 people commit suicide in the U.S.
every year, the 11th leading cause of death
 More women than men attempt suicide,
but more men succeed

Psychology: An Introduction
Charles A. Morris & Albert A. Maisto
© 2005 Prentice Hall
Anxiety Disorders
Psychology: An Introduction
Charles A. Morris & Albert A. Maisto
© 2005 Prentice Hall
Anxiety Disorders

Any disorder in which anxiety is a
characteristic feature or avoidance of
anxiety motivates abnormal behavior
Psychology: An Introduction
Charles A. Morris & Albert A. Maisto
© 2005 Prentice Hall
Specific Phobias



Intense fear of specific situations or objects
Common phobias include animals, heights,
closed places, needles
Social phobias

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Excessive fear of social situations
Agoraphobia

Intense fear of crowds and public places or other
situations that require separation from source of
security, such as the home
Psychology: An Introduction
Charles A. Morris & Albert A. Maisto
© 2005 Prentice Hall
Panic Disorder
Recurrent panic attacks in which the
person experiences intense terror without
cause
 Person is often left with fear of having
another panic attack
 Can lead to agoraphobia

Psychology: An Introduction
Charles A. Morris & Albert A. Maisto
© 2005 Prentice Hall
Other Anxiety Disorders

Generalized anxiety disorder


Prolonged vague but intense fears not
attached to any particular object or
circumstance
Obsessive-compulsive disorder

Driven to disturbing thoughts (obsessions)
and/or performing senseless rituals
(compulsions)
Psychology: An Introduction
Charles A. Morris & Albert A. Maisto
© 2005 Prentice Hall
Causes of Anxiety Disorders

Conditioning



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For example, phobias can be learned through
classical conditioning
Feelings of not being in control can lead to
anxiety
Predisposition to anxiety disorders may be
inherited
Displacement or repression of unacceptable
thoughts or impulses can lead to anxiety
Psychology: An Introduction
Charles A. Morris & Albert A. Maisto
© 2005 Prentice Hall
Psychosomatic and
Somatoform Disorders
Psychology: An Introduction
Charles A. Morris & Albert A. Maisto
© 2005 Prentice Hall
Psychosomatic Disorders
Real physical illness with psychological
causes such as stress or anxiety
 Tension headaches, for example
 Research indicates that most, if not all,
illnesses may have a psychosomatic
component

Psychology: An Introduction
Charles A. Morris & Albert A. Maisto
© 2005 Prentice Hall
Somatoform Disorders


Physical symptoms without any physical cause
Person experiences symptoms as real

Somatization disorder
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Conversion disorder
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Dramatic, specific disability without physical cause
Hypochondriasis
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Vague, recurrent physical complaints without physical cause
Minor symptoms are interpreted as sign of serious illness
Body dysmorphic disorder

Person becomes preoccupied with imagined ugliness and
cannot function normally
Psychology: An Introduction
Charles A. Morris & Albert A. Maisto
© 2005 Prentice Hall
Causes of Somatoform Disorders

Freud


Cognitive behavioral


Symptoms related to traumatic experience in
the past
Examines ways in which the behavior is being
rewarded
Biological perspective

May be real physical illnesses that are
misdiagnosed or overlooked
Psychology: An Introduction
Charles A. Morris & Albert A. Maisto
© 2005 Prentice Hall
Dissociative Disorders
Disorders in which some part of the
personality seems separated from the rest
 Often involves memory loss and change in
identity

Psychology: An Introduction
Charles A. Morris & Albert A. Maisto
© 2005 Prentice Hall
Dissociative Disorders

Dissociative amnesia
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Dissociative fugue
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Involves flight from home and adoption of a new
identity and amnesia for past events
Dissociative identity disorder

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Loss of memory without a physical cause
Person has several distinct personalities that emerge
at different times
Previously called multiple personality disorder
Depersonalization disorder

Person suddenly feels strangely changed or different
Psychology: An Introduction
Charles A. Morris & Albert A. Maisto
© 2005 Prentice Hall
Causes of Dissociative Disorders
Seems to involve unconscious processes
 Memory impairments may also include
biological factors such as normal aging
and Alzheimer’s disease
 Dissociation is common with use of some
drugs such as LSD
 Trauma may also be involved

Psychology: An Introduction
Charles A. Morris & Albert A. Maisto
© 2005 Prentice Hall
Sexual Disorders
Psychology: An Introduction
Charles A. Morris & Albert A. Maisto
© 2005 Prentice Hall
Sexual Dysfunction

Erectile disorder

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Inability of a man to
achieve or maintain an
erection
Female sexual arousal
disorder
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Inability of a woman to
become sexually aroused
or reach orgasm
Sexual desire disorders

Lack of sexual interest or
active distaste for sex
Orgasmic disorders
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Premature ejaculation
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Inability to reach orgasm in
a person who has sexual
desire and can maintain
arousal
Male’s inability to inhibit
orgasm as long as desired
Vaginismus

Involuntary muscle spasms
in the outer part of the
vagina making intercourse
impossible
Psychology: An Introduction
Charles A. Morris & Albert A. Maisto
© 2005 Prentice Hall
Sexual Dysfunction
Psychology: An Introduction
Charles A. Morris & Albert A. Maisto
© 2005 Prentice Hall
Paraphilias

Sexual disorders in which unconventional
objects or situations cause sexual arousal
Psychology: An Introduction
Charles A. Morris & Albert A. Maisto
© 2005 Prentice Hall
Paraphilias

Fetishism
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Desire to watch others
having sex or undressing
Compulsion to expose
one’s genitals to achieve
sexual arousal
Frotteurism
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Touching or rubbing
against a non-consenting
person in public
Transvestic fetishism
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Exhibitionism
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Non-human object is
preferred method of sexual
excitement
Voyeurism
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Sexual sadism
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Obtain sexual gratification
by humiliating or physically
harming a sex partner
Sexual masochism
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Wearing clothing of the
opposite sex to achieve
sexual arousal
Inability to enjoy sex
without physical or
emotional pain
Pedophilia

Preferred desire to have
sex with children
Psychology: An Introduction
Charles A. Morris & Albert A. Maisto
© 2005 Prentice Hall
Gender-Identity Disorders
Involves a desire to become, or insistence
that one really is, a member of the other
sex
 Usually begins in childhood
 Most develop normal gender identity in
adulthood
 Sex reassignment surgery is an option for
adults who have this disorder
 Causes are not known

Psychology: An Introduction
Charles A. Morris & Albert A. Maisto
© 2005 Prentice Hall
Personality Disorders
Psychology: An Introduction
Charles A. Morris & Albert A. Maisto
© 2005 Prentice Hall
Personality Disorders
Disorders in which inflexible thinking and
maladaptive ways of thinking and
behaving learned early in life cause
distress in the person and/or conflicts with
others
 Approximately 3% of men and 1% of
women have a personality disorder
 Rate among prisoners is close to 50%

Psychology: An Introduction
Charles A. Morris & Albert A. Maisto
© 2005 Prentice Hall
Personality Disorders

Schizoid
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Narcissistic
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Very suspicious of others
Inability to make decisions
or act independently and
cannot tolerate being alone

Avoidant
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Social anxiety leading to
isolation
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Grandiose sense of selfimportance
Borderline
Dependent
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Withdrawn and lacks
feelings for others
Paranoid
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Instability in self-image,
mood, and interpersonal
relationships
Antisocial

Pattern of violent, criminal,
or unethical behavior with
no sense of remorse
Psychology: An Introduction
Charles A. Morris & Albert A. Maisto
© 2005 Prentice Hall
Causes of Antisocial Personality
Disorder
Combination of biological predisposition,
adverse psychological experiences, and
an unhealthy social environment
 Also possible link to damaged frontal lobe
during infancy
 Emotional deprivation during childhood
may lead to antisocial tendencies

Psychology: An Introduction
Charles A. Morris & Albert A. Maisto
© 2005 Prentice Hall
Schizophrenic Disorders
Severe disorders characterized by
disturbances of thought, communication,
and emotions
 Hallucinations
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

Sensory experiences without external
stimulation
Delusions

False beliefs about reality
Psychology: An Introduction
Charles A. Morris & Albert A. Maisto
© 2005 Prentice Hall
Types of Schizophrenic Disorders

Disorganized
schizophrenia
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Bizarre and childlike
behavior
May engage in incoherent
conversations
Catatonic schizophrenia

Paranoid schizophrenia
Can alternate between a
catatonic state (mute and
immobile) and an overly
active state (overly excited
and shouting)

Marked by extreme
suspiciousness and
complex delusions
Undifferentiated
schizophrenia

Clear symptoms of
schizophrenia that do not
meet criteria for other
subtypes
Psychology: An Introduction
Charles A. Morris & Albert A. Maisto
© 2005 Prentice Hall
Causes of Schizophrenia





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Biological predisposition to schizophrenia may
be inherited
Twin studies show genetic link
Excessive levels of dopamine lead to psychotic
symptoms
Abnormalities of brain structures
Abnormal patterns of connections between brain
cells
May involve family relationships and social class
Psychology: An Introduction
Charles A. Morris & Albert A. Maisto
© 2005 Prentice Hall
Childhood Disorders

Attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder
(AD/HD)
Characterized by inattention, impulsiveness,
and hyperactivity
 Causes not fully understood
 Psychostimulants

 Drugs
that increase the ability of children with
AD/HD to focus
Psychology: An Introduction
Charles A. Morris & Albert A. Maisto
© 2005 Prentice Hall
Childhood Disorders

Autistic Disorder
Characterized by lack of social instincts and
strange motor behavior
 Fail to form normal attachments to parents
 May withdraw into their own world
 Causes are not known

Psychology: An Introduction
Charles A. Morris & Albert A. Maisto
© 2005 Prentice Hall
Gender and Cultural
Differences in
Psychological Disorders
Psychology: An Introduction
Charles A. Morris & Albert A. Maisto
© 2005 Prentice Hall
Gender Differences
More women are in treatment for
psychological disorders
 Men who are divorced or separated, or
who never married, have a higher rate of
mental disorders
 Married women have higher rates than
married men
 Women have higher rates of anxiety
disorders and depression

Psychology: An Introduction
Charles A. Morris & Albert A. Maisto
© 2005 Prentice Hall
Cultural Differences
Many disorders occur only in particular
cultural groups
 Prevalence of some disorders among
males/females/children differs markedly by
culture

Psychology: An Introduction
Charles A. Morris & Albert A. Maisto
© 2005 Prentice Hall