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PS1000: Introduction to Abnormal Psychology
Dr Claire Gibson
[email protected]
School of Psychology, University of Leicester
1. Introduction to abnormal psychology
2. Introduction to mood disorders and anxiety
disorders
Why study abnormal behaviour?
• At the centre of mental disorders
• Psychopathology
• the field concerned with the nature, development and treatment of
psychological disorders
• As psychologists;
• we have to overcome our own (and work to change others)
preconceived notions of mental disorder and abnormality
• Stigma;
• beliefs and attitudes held by a society ascribed to groups not
considered ‘normal’
• Sadly, mental illness is one of the most stigmatised
conditions of the 21st century
What is abnormal behaviour?
• Difficult to define
• Contains several characteristics
• ‘A clinically significant behavioural or psychological syndrome or
pattern that occurs in an individual that is associated with present
distress or disability or with a significant increased risk of suffering,
death, pain, disability, or an important loss of freedom. In addition,
this syndrome or pattern must not be merely an expectable and
culturally sanctioned response to a particular event, e.g. the death of
a loved one. Whatever its original cause, it must currently be
considered a manifestation of a behavioural, psychological, or
biological dysfunction in the individual.’
DSM-IV
Personal distress
• A person’s behaviour may be considered
abnormal if it causes them distress
– e.g. a child with problems paying attention may feel
distress
• But, not all abnormal behaviour causes distress
– e.g. a person with antisocial personality disorder may
treat others coldheartedly or break the law without
any remorse
Disability
• Impairment in some important area of life (e.g.
work or personal relationships)
• E.g. substance-related disorders are defined, in
part, by the social or occupational disability
created by substance abuse
• But, not all disorders involve disability
Violation of social norms
• Social norm =
• widely held beliefs and attitudes that people use (consciously
or intuitively) to make judgments of behaviour in terms of;
good-bad, right-wrong, acceptable-unacceptable
• Behaviour that violates social norms might be
classified as abnormal
• But, this definition is too broad
• e.g. criminals violate social norms
• Not all abnormal behaviour violates social norms
• e.g. anxiety disorders
• Social norms vary immensely across cultures
and ethnic groups
Dysfunction
• Wakefield (1992) proposed that mental disorder
could be defined as harmful dysfunction
• This definition has two components;
i.
ii.
A value judgment (harmful)
Objective, scientific component (dysfunction)
• A judgment that a behaviour is harmful requires
some standard (social norms)
• Dysfunction = internal mechanism unable to
perform its natural function
• But, the internal mechanism that is dysfunctional
in mental disorders is usually unknown
Dysfunction
• DSM-IV-TR
• Dysfunction = behavioural, biological or psychological
dysfunction supported by current evidence
• Dissociative disorders, mood disorders, anxiety
disorders, psychotic disorders, eating disorders,
developmental disorders, personality disorders, etc.
• In many cases there is no single accepted cause of
mental disorders although often accepted in terms
of a diathesis-stress model and biopsychosocial
model.
Diathesis-stress model
• Explains behaviour as result of biological and genetic
factors (‘nature’) and life experiences (‘nurture).
• Assumes that a disposition to a disorder results from a
combination of genetics and early learning (‘di’)
• A biological or genetic vulnerability (diathesis) interacts
with the environment and life events (stressors) to trigger
abnormal behaviours.
↑vulnerability - ↓stress = abnormal behaviour
↓vulnerability - ↑ ↑stress = abnormal behaviour
Biopsychosocial (BPS) model
• States that a range of biological, psychological and
sociological factors all play a significant role in
human functioning in the context of disease/illness.
• In contrast to traditional reductionist biomedical
models of disease
Biological = neural mechanisms
Psychological = stress, anxiety, personality traits
Social = peer pressure/relationships, culture
History of psychopathology and its treatments
• Dr José Prados (PS2015)
• e.g. exorcism
• Evolution of contemporary thought (late
18th/early 19th century) – biological and
psychological approaches to the causes and
treatments of mental disorders.
Today’s treatments of mental health issues
• Care in the community
• The biggest political change in mental
healthcare in the history of the NHS
• Movement away from isolation of the mentally ill
in Victorian asylums towards their integration in
the community
• Aim = to ‘normalise’ mental health disorders and
remove stigma
Care in the community
• Since the 1960’s
o Change in attitude towards treatment of the mentally
ill, civil rights campaigns
o 1959 Mental Health Act – abolished distinction
between psychiatric and other hospitals
o Challenges to historic treatment, introduction of new
drugs
o Closure of mental health asylums, change in social
attitudes
o 1983 Mental Health Act (now 2007) – rights of people
admitted to hospitals on the grounds of mental health
Care in the community
• Success?
o Closure of Victorian asylums should = reduced
spending for mental health authorities
o Assumed such ‘extra’ money would be invested in
appropriate services for care in the community
o Political issues
Mental health professionals
• An individual who offers services for the purpose
of improving an individual’s mental health or to
treat mental illness
• Includes; psychiatrists, clinical psychologists, clinical social
workers, psychiatric nurses, mental health counselors etc.
• Deal with the same illnesses, conditions, issues
etc.
• But, scope of practice varies and laws regarding
education/training
• Diagnosis
Challenges to mental health treatment
• Stigma
= the beliefs and attitudes held by a society that are
ascribed to groups considered to deviate from the
‘norm’ in some way e.g. the mentally ill.
• Has four characteristics
i.
ii.
iii.
iv.
A label is applied to a group of people
The label is linked to deviant or undesirable attribute by
society
People with the label are viewed differently
People with the label are discriminated against
Challenges to mental health treatment
• Stigma
– Results in discrimination
– One of the biggest obstacles to future progress in the
diagnosis of mental health disorders
• We need to set aside our own preconceptions
and misgivings
• Individuals, professionals, media
Summary
• Characteristics of abnormal behaviour –
personal distress, disability, violation of social
norms, dysfunction.
• Diathesis stress model
• Biopsychosocial model
• Today’s treatment of mental health issues
• Mental health professionals
• Obstacles – stigma and discrimination.