Download Defining Psychological Disorders

Defining Psychological Disorders
Defining Psychological Disorders
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Psychological Disorder: What Makes a Behavior “Abnormal”?
Anxiety and Dissociative Disorders: Fearing the World Around Us
Mood Disorders: Emotions as Illness
Schizophrenia: The Edge of Reality and Consciousness
Personality Disorders
Somatoform, Factitious, and Sexual Disorders
Psychological Disorder
What Makes a Behavior “Abnormal”?
Psychological Disorder
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Learning Objectives
1.
Define “psychological disorder” and summarize the general causes of disorder.
2.
Explain why it is so difficult to define disorder, and how the Diagnostic and Statistical
Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) is used to make diagnoses.
3.
Describe the stigma of psychological disorders and their impact on those who suffer from
them.
Psychological Disorder
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abnormal psychology
– the application of psychological science to understanding and treating mental disorders
More psychologists are involved in the diagnosis and treatment of psychological disorder than in
any other endeavor.
About 1 in every 4 are affected by a psychological disorder during any one year.
The impact of mental illness is strongest on people from lower socioeconomic classes or from
disadvantaged ethnic groups.
People with psychological disorders are stigmatized by the people around them.
Psychological Disorder
Psychological Disorder
Defining Disorder
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psychological disorder
– n ongoing dysfunctional pattern of thought, emotion, and behavior that causes significant
distress, and that is considered deviant in that person’s culture
comorbidity
– occurs when people who suffer from one disorder also suffer at the same time from other
disorders
– Because many psychological disorders are comorbid, most severe mental disorders are
concentrated in a small group of people (about 6% of the population) who have more than
three of them.
Defining Disorder
biological factors
•come from the body
•e.g., genes;
neurotransmitters.
social factors
•come from society and
culture
•e.g., socioeconomic
status, homelessness,
abuse
psychological
factors
•come from the
individual
•e.g., patterns of
negative thinking;
stress responses
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bio-psycho-social model
assumes that disorder is caused by
biological, psychological, and social factors
Defining Disorder
distressing
unusual
dysfunctional
disordered
behavior
Diagnosing Disorder: The DSM
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2000
1952
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• DSM-IVTR, an
update
• first
edition
1994
• DSM-IV,
last
major
revision
2013
DSM-V
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of
Mental Disorders (DSM)
provides a common language and standard
criteria for classifying mental disorders
Diagnosing Disorder: The DSM
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Axis I
Axis V
•global assessment
of functioning
•major clinical
disorders
Axis IV
Axis II
•social and
cultural factors
•personality
disorders
Axis III
•physical symptoms
The DSM organizes the diagnosis of disorder
according to five dimensions (or axes)
relating to different aspects of disorder or
disability.
Categories of Psychological Disorders Based on the
DSM
Categories of Psychological Disorders Based on the
DSM
Categories of Psychological Disorders Based on the
DSM
Categories of Psychological Disorders Based on the
DSM
Categories of Psychological Disorders Based on the
DSM
Diagnosis or Overdiagnosis? ADHD, Autistic Disorder,
and Asperger’s Disorder
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attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder
– a developmental behavior disorder characterized by problems with focus, difficulty
maintaining attention, and inability to concentrate, in which symptoms start before 7
years of age
ADHD can persist in adulthood, and up to 7% of college students are diagnosed with it.
In adults the symptoms of ADHD include forgetfulness, difficulty paying attention to details,
procrastination, disorganized work habits, and not listening to others.
ADHD is about 70% more likely to occur in males than in females.
Diagnosis or Overdiagnosis? ADHD, Autistic Disorder,
and Asperger’s Disorder
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The diagnosis of ADHD has quadrupled over the past 20 years. It is now diagnosed in about 1
out of every 20 American children and is the most common psychological disorder among
children in the world.
Although ADHD may be overdiagnosed, most psychologists believe that ADHD is a real disorder
caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors.
Diagnosis or Overdiagnosis? ADHD, Autistic Disorder,
and Asperger’s Disorder
Autistic Disorder
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autistic disorder (autism)
– a developmental disorder
characterized by impaired social
interaction and communication; by
restricted and repetitive behavior;
and in which symptoms begin before
age 7
Asperger’s Disorder
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Asperger’s disorder
– a developmental disorder affecting a
child’s ability to socialize and
communicate with others and in which
symptoms begin before age 7
The symptoms of Asperger’s are almost
identical to those of autism.
Diagnosis or Overdiagnosis? ADHD, Autistic Disorder,
and Asperger’s Disorder
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Diagnoses of autism-related disorders have increased dramatically, especially for milder forms
of autism and Asperger’s.
Disorders related to autism and Asperger’s disorder now affect almost 1% of American children.
Current research suggests that autism-related disorders reflect biological causes. The
heritability of autism may be as high as 90%.
The American Psychiatric Association has proposed eliminating the term Asperger’s syndrome
from the upcoming DSM-V.
Psychological Disorder
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Key Takeaways
– More psychologists are involved in the diagnosis and treatment of psychological disorder
than in any other endeavor, and those tasks are probably the most important psychologists
face.
– The impact on people with psychological disorder comes both from the disease itself and
from the stigma associated with disorder.
– A psychological disorder is an ongoing dysfunctional pattern of thought, emotion, and
behavior that causes significant distress and that is considered deviant in that person’s
culture or society.
Psychological Disorder
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Key Takeaways, continued
– According to the bio-psycho-social model, psychological disorders have biological,
psychological, and social causes.
– It is difficult to diagnose psychological disorders, although the DSM provides guidelines that
are based on a category system. The DSM is frequently revised, taking into consideration
new knowledge as well as changes in cultural norms about disorder.
– There is controversy about the diagnosis of disorders such as ADHD, autistic disorder, and
Asperger’s disorder.