abnormality and deviations of mental health

Question 1

what are the 4 main definitions of abnormality

Answer 1

Statistical Infrequency​

Deviation from Social Norms​

Failure to function adequately​

Deviation from ideal mental health (Marie Jahoda, 1958)​

Question 2

defining abnormality

Answer 2

undesirable behaviour
must be flexible and adaptable
‘abnormal’ needs to be used considerately as the label itself could affect an individuals self esteem

Question 3

statistical infrequency definition (si)

Answer 3

behaviour that is as rare as ‘abnormal’ if its more than 2 sections away from the majority section on the curve

Question 4

how does it look at behaviour

Answer 4

behaviours through statistics, measuring which behaviours are statistically normal and abnormal - normative distribution curve

Question 5

statistical ‘normal curve’

Answer 5

used as a reference
looks at IQ
majority of pop (68%) are in the middle part of curve
represents ‘average’ or ‘normal’ inteligence
cases of extreme brilliance or profound retardation

Question 6

whats on the graph

Answer 6

individual characteristics (e.g mood, intelligence) and the distribution of these characteristics in the population

Question 7

limitations of si (2)

Answer 7

fails to take into account of desirable characteristics- according to the statistical definition, ‘abnormal’ would also include very gifted people
gender- men are less likely to consult their dr about their mental problems than females so women may be over represented

Question 8

strengths of si

Answer 8

used to assess severity of a disorder e.g schizophrenia only affects 1% of general population

plot the standard deviations are based on real data and, therefore, should be unbiased

Question 9

deviation from social norms definition (dsn)

Answer 9

a persons thinking or behaviour is classified as abnormal if it violates social norms

Question 10

how have researchers interpreted abnormal people (2)

Answer 10

szasz argues that mental illness is a constructed myth that allows the state to control those who do not conform to its expectations of behaviour
zimardo identifies ‘social heroes’ as those who actively resist sticking to social norms

Question 11

how does culture have an affect on dsn

Answer 11

cultural variations in norms can be misinterpreted by other cultures, esp in multi-cultural societies. it doesnt take into consideration cultures that choose an alternative non-conformist lifestyle.
Walking around barefoot in London, would be seen as abnormal, however, in a tribal community, this would be the norm

Question 12

real life application as evidence

Answer 12

homosexuality was regarded as a mental illness until 1973- changes over time can be used as a limitation

Question 13

failure to function adequately (ffa) definition

Answer 13

States individuals are abnormal when they are unable to cope with everyday life and this is evident in their behaviour

Question 14

what may ffa include (behaviourwise) (not rlly a flashcard just so you understand but actually pay attention to this)

Answer 14

distress leading to not being able to function, behaviour that interrupts the individual’s ability to work or go to school

Question 15

gobal assessment of functioning scale

Answer 15

used to rate how serious a mental illness may be

Question 16

rosenhan and seligman 1989

Answer 16

suggested failure to function can be judged on a critera

Question 17

what is on the criteria (7)

Answer 17

personal distress
maladaptiveness- behavior that interferes with an individual’s activities of daily living or ability to adjust to and participate in particular settings.
irrationality
unpredictability
Unconventionality
observer discomfort
violation of social norms

Question 18

ffa strengths (2)

Answer 18

definition provides individuals with a practical checklist to check their behaviour
definition provides a clear criteria for when individuals need professional help

Question 19

ffa limitations (2)

Answer 19

people who are labelled as abnormal may not be distressed by their actions e.g schizophrenics may be completely unaware of the irrationality of their actions
some south asian and african people who have schizophrenia may view their symptoms as positive as its a sign to them as a strong connection with ancestors so its culturally bias

Question 20

dsn strengths (2)

Answer 20

definition has a clear indication of what is considered normal and abnormal as most of us understand and are aware of social norms in our own culture

people can make a comparison against the social norm of their society

Question 21

limitations of dsn (2) (previously been over 1)

Answer 21

some labelled as ‘crazy’ or strange’
This definition does not explain abnormality changing over time-
Homosexuality was not removed from the ICD until the 1990s

Question 22

Deviation from ideal mental health (dimh) definition

Answer 22

assesses mental health in the same way physical health is assessed
Once it is established how individuals should look when they are psychologically healthy (ideal mental health), then those who deviate from this can be identified

Question 23

Marie Jahoda (1958)

Answer 23

suggested there are 6 characteristics an individual should display if they have an idea of mental health

Question 24

dimh characteristics (6)

Answer 24

self attitude- high self esteem and string sense of identity can be related to mental health
personal growth- individuals growth and development is important over a period of time
integration- Resisting stress and being able to cope in stressful situations. Although we all face stressful situations, most should have the ability to accept and deal with them
autonomy- ability to act independently from others
perception of reality-
Having a realistic view of the world and not a distorted view and understanding how it works
environmental mastery-This is the ability to adapt to your different environments and act accordingly in them.

Question 25

strengths of dimh (2)

Answer 25

definition focuses on positive behaviours and what is desirable instead of undesirable behaviours
gives people things to work on to improve themselves

Question 26

limitations of dimh (2)

Answer 26

specific for western cultures-collectivist cultures would see autonomy as undesirable
definition tries to treat mental health in the same way as physical health, however, mental health is much more subjective and needs to be looked at in the context of the patient
if someone has a low self esteem for a little bit then they will be classed as abnormal when they aren’t as they’re normal and functioning

Question 27

who studied the relevance of the definition of abnormality

Answer 27

Rosenhan (1973)
investigated the problem of SI and DSN

Question 28

what happened in Rosenhans study

Answer 28

Rosenhan and seven other mentally healthy people pretended they had hallucinations to get admitted to psychiatric hospitals. Once admitted, they acted normally and reported that their symptoms had disappeared. However, despite their obvious lack mental illness, the fact that they were faking it was not detected by the hospital staff, and all were diagnosed with various psychiatric disorders.

Question 29

what does the result of rosenhan show

Answer 29

raised serious concerns about the reliability and validity of psychiatric institutions’ assessments. It highlighted the potential for misdiagnosis in real life situations

Question 30

what was the findings

Answer 30

Took between 7 and 52 days to get a discharge​
Even though they reported as asymptomatic ​

Question 31

what type of study is this

Answer 31

naturalistic (individuals are exposed to the experimental and control conditions that are determined by nature or by other factors outside the control of the investigators)
participant observation (researcher immerses themselves in a particular social setting or group, observing the behaviours, interactions, and practices of the participants.)

Question 32

what did the patients experience

Answer 32

Resilience of diagnosis (may display characteristics that are commonly associated with a disorder, but these symptoms dont significantly impair their functioning or cause distress to the extent required for a diagnosis)​
Powerlessness​
Depersonalisation​ (feeling disconnected or detached from one’s self)

And 90% of the time they reported extreme isolation​

​

Question 33

findings of rosenhans second study

Answer 33

Of the 193 walk-ins the hospital received in the 3-month period the staff made 83 errors. A misdiagnosis rate of 43%

Question 34

how did psycologists reposnd to this

Answer 34

psychologists rewrote the diagnostic statistical manual dsm iii which was the list of characteristics of all the accepted physiological conditions
this is what is used by psychologists and psychiatrists use to define when a person has an identifiable condition
shift to the failure to function adequately model [FFA] ​

Question 35

what did the ffa give us

Answer 35

global assessment of functioning (gaf)
checklist of things you should be able to do to be classed as normal

Question 36

what is irrationality in terms of ffa

Answer 36

beliefs are not rational

Question 37

holistic meaning

Answer 37

looks at an overall picture of the individual not specifics