Chapter 1 Flashcards
abnormality
No universal agreement about what is meant by abnormality
includes
Maladaptiveness (for and toward society or the self)
Statistical deviancy (outlier in either direction/not in a standard deviation)
subjective distress
Violation of the standards of society
Social discomfort
Irrationality and unpredictability
Dangerousness
Culture plays a role in determining what is/is not abnormal; behaviors once considered abnormal may be considered normal as times/attitudes change
DSM
DSM is accepted standard for defining mental disorders in US
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
Work in progress
DSM-5 is current; published in 2013
Others exist though but we dont use them here
not everyone can diagnose
DSM-5 definition of a mental disorder:
a syndrome that is present in an individual and that involves clinically significant disturbance in behavior, emotion regulation, and cognitive functioning–Associated with significant distress or disability in social or work life
advantages of classification
Advantages of classification:
Nomenclature
Define domain of what is pathological
Help in insurance reimbursement
disadvantages of classification
Disadvantages:
Loss of specific info/personal details and manifestations due to simplification
Stigma
Stereotyping
Labeling–people take on a persona that they “are” that illness. U dont refer to people as their conditions “people with schizophrenia” over “schizophrenics” etc
cultural impact on abnormality
Affects the way abnormality is defined
Varies in the way different cultures describe psychological distress
Can shape the clinical presentation of disorders
Why do we need to know abnormality stats?
Understanding the number and types of people with diagnosable disorders is significant for many reasons, including:
–Planning, establishing, and funding mental health services for specific disorders
–Understanding the causes of mental disorders in different groups of people
Prevalence:
number of active cases in a population during any given period of time, expressed in percentages or different types of prevalence estimates; snapshot
Incidence:
number of new cases in population over given period of time; typically lower than prevalence figures; snapshot minus old cases
Comorbidity
presence of 2+ disorders in same person. Occurs in serious cases, not mild cases.
duration terminology
Acute: short in duration; Chronic: long in duration
Treatment
Not all people receive treatment and most people delay treatment
Many people treated by family physicians
Vast majority of treatment is done on outpatient basis
Inpatient hospitalization typically in psychiatric units
abnormal psych
is concerned with understanding the nature, causes, and treatment of mental disorders
