abnormal Flashcards
abnormal behavior
Behavior that is deviant, maladaptive, or personally distressful over a relatively long period of time.
- extremely fallible definition, too broad and narrow at the same time
- all attempts to come up with a singular definition of abnormality failed. too many different types to be summarized in one definition
models of understanding abnormality
-many models (theoretical frameworks) for understanding abnormality >Psychoanalytic >cognitive >behavioral >biological >sociocultural -in past these models were like "camps" or political parties -was an us-vs-them feel
most modern models of abnormality are integrative
true. models are driven more by science. If a given perspective has demonstrated that it can explain something, then that finding is including in the larger understanding of the model
biopsychosocial model
come to realize that abnormal behavior is typically product of multiple factors, and focusing only on one is inadequate
- bio (biological and genetic factors)
- psycho (thoughts, feelings, behavior)
- social (interpersonal, cultural)
- relative contribution of these factors is quite different from one type of problem to the next
how disorder is classified
-diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders, 5th edition (DSM-5) is the current dominant classification system
ICD (international classification of disease)
which catalogs all known diseases (not just mental ones) but this system tends to follow the lead of the DSM and thus isn't really a true "alternative" -for each disorder >criteria for a diagnosis >basic description >demographic information
anxiety disorders
-fears of specific objects or situations
-Fears are excessive and experienced nearly every time the feared stimulus is experienced.
-Common:
>Animals (e.g., dogs, sharks)
>Environment (e.g., heights, water)
>Situations (e.g., elevators, flying)
-unique type: blood-injection-injury
anxiety disorders: social anxiety disorder
- Fear of social situations; specifically of being embarrassed or humiliated
- Fun fact: public speaking is the #1 biggest fear of Americans
- Generally, individuals do not have a lack of social skill
anxiety disorders: panic disorder
panic attacks
-Panic disorder is when these attacks become more common/severe, and when they begin to interfere with a person’s life
This can lead to individuals generalizing their fear to the environment… limiting their ability to go places
… leading to Agoraphobia
panic attaks
experience of sudden, intense fear that can feel like it “came out of the blue”
-Many people have them, but it doesn’t become often or severe enough to become a problem
anxiety disorders: generalized anxiety disorder
Excessive worry and anxiety about a number of things, associated with restlessness, fatigue, muscle tension, sleep problems
anxiety disorders-commoness
-Collectively, the anxiety disorders are common.
>Total prevalence ~18%
-Also, most are more common among women than men
>Ratio varies, but about 2:1
anxiety disorders, causes
-Behavioral principles help explain the onset
>conditioning, modeling
>but also help to explain the maintenance (neg. reinforcement is critical, every “escape” reinforces the fear)
-biologically, the anxiety disorders are slightly to moderately heritable
-cognitive factors are also very important in maintaining the disorder (e.g. catastrophic misinterpretation of normal bodily sensations plays a role in panic disorder)
obsessive-compulsive disorder
- obsessions= intrusive, distressing, and recurrent thoughts
- compulsions= repetitive, ritualistic behaviors associated with anxiety or obsessions (washing, counting, tapping, checking, etc.)
- obsessions and or compulsions need to be chronic and impairing in order to make the diagnosis
OCD- commoness
Low prevalence (~1% .. 2-3% lifetime) Equally impacts men and women
other disorders associated with OCD
- Hoarding disorder: compulsive hoarding
- Excoriation: skin picking
- Trichotillomania: hair pulling
OCD: biological factors
- moderately to strong heritable
- activity in many brain areas are correlated with OCD, but we don’t know if this is cause or consequence of the disorder
OCD: behavioral factors
- many times the compulsions and obsessions are logically tied. (fear of contamination hand washing)
- both can reinforce the other. The key to the most effective OCD treatment available is to break this cycle
post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
disorder caused by the experience of trauma, which leads to hypervigilance, avoidance of stimuli associated with the trauma, intrusive thoughts about the trauma, nightmares, etc
>Not exclusive to combat – accidents, sexual assault, terrorism, etc
PTSD commonality
- Prevalence: 3-4% of adults each year
- Men and women appear to be equally at risk, but the type of trauma is often different
PTSD factors
- cognitive factors
- biological factors
- behavioral factors
PTSD: cognitive factors
attempts to avoid recollection of the trauma is the most powerful predictor of who develops PTSD
>But yet forced recollection (“debriefing”) is harmful
PTSD: biological factors
hippocampal differences appear to be the result of the disorder (not cause) but might contribute to the disorder continuing.
PTSD: behavioral factors
number of prior traumas experienced raises the chance of developing PTSD
mood disorders: unipolar (depression)
-two different diagnoses >major depressive disorder _severe depression, at least two weeks _w/ a lack of interest/pleasure, sleep problems, appetite problems, fatigue, suicidal thoughts >persistent depressive disorder _same general symptoms, but less severe _but at least 2 years
mood disorders: prevalence
- ~7% of adults
>low in children, high in adolescence - 2:1 Female:male gender ratio
-2.6% more common among women
mood disorders: possible causes
- highly genetic
- generally poorly understood, with no major theory currently accepted
- biological
- cognitive
- stress
mood disorders: biological causes
- depression is mildly/moderately heritable, but environmental factors are more important
- We currently have no validated biological theory of depression (the old “lack of serotonin” theory has been disproven)
mood disorders: cognitive causes
- depression is the result of maladaptive ways of thinking.
- Do you ruminate after something bad happens, or let it go?
- Do you tend to live mindfully, in the moment, or are you someone whose mind is always on something else?
mood disorders: stress
- All contemporary theories of depression involve stress. Major life events are a common precipitant of depression.
- However, individuals react differently to life stress
- diathesis-stress models
diathesis-stress models
- Diathesis: a predisposition of some sort (cognitive, behavioral, biological, etc)
- These models suggest that a person needs to have the predisposition to a disorder, as well as high stress to result in disorder
mood disorders: bipolar disorder
-Bipolar Disorders involve combination of periods of depression and periods of mania.
>They do not have to “alternate”
>Mania: a period of unrealistically elevated mood
Often associated with risky behavior, increased levels of behavior, decreased need for sleep
Also known as “manic depression” in the past.
anorexia nervosa
- Eating disorder that involves the relentless pursuit of thinness through starvation. (from the book)
- not entirely accurate, other methods used rather than starvation ex. exercise and laxatives
Individuals with Anorexia often perceive themselves to be overweight even when they are dangerously thin
true
People with anorexia often do engage in binging and purging (forced vomiting).
true
bulimia nervosa
-recurrent episodes of binge eating. Characterized by:
>Eating, in a discrete period of time, an amount of food that is definitely larger than what most individuals would eat in a similar period of time under similar circumstances
>A sense of lack of control over eating during that episode
-recurrent inappropriate compensatory behaviors in order to prevent weight gain
-is someone meets criteria for anorexia and Bulimia, only anorexia is diagnosed (it takes precedence)
binging and purging does NOT distinguish anorexia from bulimia
true, distinguished by whether the person is significantly underweight (if yes: anorexia)
dissociative identity disorder
- this is the disorder that involves having multiple “alters”
- alters= different personality states, where the personal often identifies as having a different name, different interests and skills ect.
- very rare «<1%
dissociative identity disorder causes
causes:
- Emerging evidence suggests that this is not a naturally-occurring disorder
- Rather, it seems to be caused by therapists who convince their clients that they have this.
- Prevalence is closely tied to popular media reports of DID
- Also the symptoms are closely tied to what’s been described in the media
- On average, it takes 7 years of therapy before this is “identified”
- And the VAST majority of cases are identified by very few therapists, who typically use highly questionable therapy practices
Dissociative identity disorder oversimplify
- oversimplifying…
- the disorder is not naturally occurring
- incompetent therapists talk highly vulnerable clients into it
schizophrenia
is not having more than one personality
-A disorder characterized by hallucinations, delusions, disorganized thought and speech, abnormal movement, restricted affect, avolition (lack of doing much) and asociality (lack of social interest).
schizophrenia: positive symptoms
“positive” meaning pathological excesses
hallucinations
false perceptual experience
-the majority are auditory; visual is second most common
delusions: a false belief
- held in the absence of evidence or in the face of contradictory evidence
- but must be inconsistent with cultural norms
schizophrenia: disordered thoughts/ speech
- loose associations, derailment, word salads
- neologisms (making up new words), clang associations (pointless rhyming)
schizophrenia: negative symptoms
“negative” meaning pathological deficits
-negative symptoms are more highly associated with functional impairment than the positive symptoms
avolition
a lack of voluntary activity
asociality
lack of social involvement and interest
flat affect
a lack of emotional highs or low
schizophrenia causes
- 50% of the variability in schizophrenia can be attributed to genetic differences
- 50% of the variability can be attributed to the environment.
- essentially, need both high levels of *stress and a genetic predisposition in order to develop
- stress can be psych. or phys. such as drug use or sleep problems
schizophrenia prevalence
-prevalence: about 1 %
>equal number of men and women (but later onset and better prognosis for women)
-generally, a lifetime disorder
>though symptoms can come and go
-positive symptoms are more responsive to medication; neg. symptoms don’t respond
-the disorder tends to first emerge in late teens to the 30s
personality disorders
-enduring patterns of inner experience and behavior that deviates markedly from the expectations of the individual’s culture.
-must be enduring, an cross-situationally stable.
-must also cause the person some distress or impairment
>note: distress is often not experienced; the individual often feels that the disorder is “normal”
-cant be diagnosed until adulthood
personality disorders- how many
-10 currently recognized personality disorders in the DSM
-well just talk about the two most famous ones:
>borderline personality disorder
>antisocial personality disorder
-note: the personality disorders are very difficult to diagnose, and even then, diagnosis is unreliable
antisocial personality disorder
-aka “psychopathy”
-pervasive pattern of disregard for and violation of the rights of others
-associated systems:
>behaviors that are grounds for arrest
>impulsivity/failure to plan ahead
>irritability and aggressiveness
>last of remorse
>irresponsibility
antisocial personality disorder- prevalence
- rare with prevalence estimates at about 1%
- most are not violent
- moderately heritable
- more common among men
borderline personality disorder
-pattern of instability of interpersonal relationships, self-image, and affects; and marked impulsively. associated with
>fears of abandonment
>alternating extremes of mood and of views of other people
>suicidal thoughts and behavior (but not necessary for the diagnosis)
>feelings of emptiness
borderline personality disorder: prevalence
about 2% of adults
-more common among women
narcissistic personality disorder
-pattern of grandiosity, need for admiration, and lack of empathy
>Grandiose sense of self-importance
>Preoccupied with fantasies of success, power, etc
>Believes that they are “special” and unique and can only be understood by, or should associate with, those who are special
>Requires excessive admiration
>Has sense of entitlement
>Interpersonally exploitative
>Lacks empathy
>Shows arrogant, haughty behaviors or attitudes
-prevalence: about 1 %
men have slightly higher rates
