Chapter 15 Flashcards
Mental Disorder
Any behaviour or emotional state that causes an individual great suffering, is self-destructive, seriously impairs the person’s ability to work or get along with others, or endangers others or the community
Insanity
Legal term only involving mental illness and whether person is aware of consequences and can control their behaviour
3 Varying definitions of mental disorders
- Mental disorder as a violation of cultural standards
- Mental disorder as emotional distress
- Mental disorder as behaviour that is self-destructive or harmful to others
What is typically used in classifying mental disorders?
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)
What is the primary goals of DSM?
To be descriptive and to provide clear diagnostic categories. DSM gives ability to make diagnosis but not how to treat it.
What does the DSM use for diagnosing mental disorders? (7)
Lists symptoms, onset, predisposing factors, course of disorder, prevalence, sex ratio, and cultural issues in diagnosis
What is ‘The Single Axis Approach’?
More unified approach that reflexts latest scientific knowledge
Improves the ways patients.
How do supporters view the new categories of DSM disorders?
Supporters of new categories answer that is important to distinguish disorders precisely
How do critics view the new categories of DSM disorders?
Critics point to economic reasons: diagnoses are needed for insurance reasons so therapists will be compensated.
What are 4 problems with the DSM?
- The danger of overdiagnosis (e.g., ADHD)
- The power of diagnostic labels
- The confusion of serious mental disorders with normal problems
- The illusion of objectivity and universality (e.g., drapetomania (tendency of slaves to want to escape), reflect cultural & social prejudices)
What are some benefits with the DSM?
When DSM used correctly, in conjunction with valid objective tests, improves reliability of diagnosis
What are Culture-Bound Syndromes?
Disorders that are specific to a particular culture context.
What are Projective Tests?
Tests used to infer a person’s motives, conflicts, and unconscious dynamics on the basis of the person’s interpretations of ambiguous stimuli (e.g. Behaviour assessment Scale for Children BASC)
What are Objective Tests?
Standardized objective questionnaires requiring written responses; typically include scales that people rate themselves on.
What is the Rorschach Inkblot Test?
An example of a projective test.
What are some drawbacks f projective testing?
Tests lack reliability and validity (although some have tried to develop comprehensive scoring systems for responses). They are also sometimes used inappropriately.
What is a common example of an objective test?
Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI)
What is Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory (MMPI)?
Contains 10 clinical scales for problems such as depression, paranoia, schizophrenia, introversion
Contains 4 validity scales to indicate whether responder is lying, defensive, or evasive
Has been revised but still some cultural differences in scores on certain sub-scales.
What is Anxiety?
- A general state of apprehension or psychological tension
- Can be adaptive as they energize us to cope with danger
What are Anxiety Disorders?
When fear and anxiety become detached from actual danger.
List some anxiety disorders. (4)
Chronic anxiety, panic attacks, phobias, obsessive-compulsive disorder