Exam 1 Flashcards
Distress or impairment in functioning - it is a breakdown of functioning in cognitive, emotional, and behavioral areas. Involves a response that is not typical or culturally expected.
Psychological dysfunction
Occurs when person is much more distressed than others would be
Dysfunctional distress
Must be pervasive and/or significant. Mental disorders are often exaggerations of normal processes
Impairment
Consider “normalcy” relative to behavior of others in same context
Culture
Rule of thumb
Mental disorder = harmful dysfunction
Behavioral, psychological, or biological dysfunctions that are unexpected in their cultural context and associated with present distress and/or impairment in functioning or increased risk of suffering, death, pain, or impairment
An Accepted Definition of a Psychological Disorder
Scientific study of psychological disorders
Psychopathology
Clinical and counseling psychologist (trained in research and delivering treatment
Ph.D
Clinical and counseling “Doctor of Psychology” (trained in delivering treatment)
Psy.D.
Psychiatrist
M.D.
Licensed Clinical Social Worker (trained in delivering treatment)
LCSW
Nurses
Psychiatric nurses
Stays current with research in field. Evaluates own assessment and treatment. Conducts research
Scientist-practitioner
Symptoms that brought the client to seek help
Presenting problem
Aims to distinguish clinically significant dysfunction from common human experience.
Clinical Description
How many people in a population have the disorder
Prevalence
The number of new cases over a period of time
Incidence
Acute vs. insidious
Onset of disorders
Episodic, time-limited, or chronic. Individual pattern of disorder
Course of disorders
Good vs. guarded. The anticipated course of disorder.
Prognosis
Age may shape presentation. Can be acute. Can be insidious
Onset of disorder
The factors contributing to the development of psychopathology
Etiology
Deviant behavior as a battle of “Good” vs. “Evil”. Believed to be caused by demonic possession, witchcraft, sorcery. Treatments included exorcism, torture, religious services.
The supernatural tradition
Experience of an emotion seems to spread to those around us
Emotion contagion