Basics

Question 1

Why is it important to study psychological disorders?

Answer 1

Great prevalence
Economic burden
Personal Cost
Obliquitous (all cultures, ages)
Culture differences

Question 2

Psychological dysfunction

Answer 2

Breakdown in cognitive, emotional or behavioural functioning

Question 3

What is dysfunction or breakdown in psychopathology?

Answer 3

Personal distress
Impairment
Atypical behavior

Question 4

Personal distress

Answer 4

personal distress and complaints. There are behavioural signs but distress is usually self-reported (may be misleading).

Question 5

Impairment

Answer 5

in an important life area. Weakness: it involves a judgment, is subjective, and we need to know what happened before the impairment.

Question 6

Atypical behavior

Answer 6

statistical infrequency in cultural context. excessive or unwarranted behavior.

Question 7

How is the absence or presence of mental illness decided?

Answer 7

based on Social judgment (Jerome Frank) - behaviors or physical signs, Socio-cultural context
Although DSM exists, it still requires a bit of subjective judgment from decision maker

Question 8

In the DSM-5 a psychological disorder is defined by

Answer 8

Symptoms criteria (syndromes)
Produces significant Impairment or Distress to the patient
Excessive or atypical in cultural context