Historical and Contemporary Viewpoints of Psychopathology Flashcards
study of psychopathology
- scientific study of symptoms, causes of mental disorders and available treatments
- differences between normal and abnormal B
what is the study of psychopathology used for?
- explains causes of abnormal B
- predicts risk factors and long-term outcomes of abnormal B
- can modify behaviour associated with mental disorders
historical perspectives of abnormal B
- prehistoric and ancient beliefs
- greco-roman thoughts
- middle-ages
- witchcraft
- the rise of humanism
- the moral treatment movement
prehistoric and ancient beliefs
events beyond control of humans are supernatural
- deviancy reflected the displeasure of the gods or possession by demons
demonology
- doctrine that evil being may dwell within a person and controls their mind and body
- treated by exorcism or trephining
greco-roman thoughts
Hippocrates:
- brain is organ of intellectual activity
- brain pathology = deviant B is caused by dysfunction of the brain
Plato:
- the mentally ill should be taken care of, not punished
Galen:
- scientific examination of nervous system and role of brain in mental functioning
middle ages
- reverted to supernatural explanations
- illness = punishment for sin
- treatments = prayers, curses, exorcisms
- group hysteria and tarantism
witchcraft
- persecution of witches
- believed loss of reason = due to demonic possession
- people were accused, tortured and murdered
the rise of humanism: 14-16th centuries
- humanism
- hospitals take over churches’ responsibility to tend to the mentally ill
humanism
philosophical movement emphasizing uniqueness and worth of individual
conditions of asylums
- poor conditions and treatments
- chained, caged, starved, whipped, exhibited to public
moral treatment movement: 18-19th century
- shift to humane care
- important people:
1. Philipe Pinel
2. Benjamin Rush
3. Dorothea Dix - believed patients should be treated with dignity
- removed chains
- replaced dungeons with sunny rooms
- encouraged exercise
Philipe Pinel
- believed patients should be treated with dignity
- removed chains
- replaced dungeons with sunny rooms
- encouraged exercise
Benjamin Rush
- encouraged humane treatment of patients in mental hospitals
- patients should be gainfully employed while hospitalized
Dorothea Dix
- social reformer
- lobbied for improvement of treatment
- oversaw construction of 32 hospitals
asylums in Canada
- network of asylums eventually established
- overcrowding
- improper treatment
- case of Ewen Cameron
beginning of contemporary thought: 19th century
- biological view
- psychological view
beginning of contemporary thought: bio persepctive, Kraepplin
- defines syndromes based on clusters of symptoms
- each disorder has a unique physical cause, course and outcome
- developed classification system based on physiological causes (basis of DSM)
beginning of contemporary thought: bio perspective, General Paresis and Syphilis
- if one type of psychopathology has bio cause, so could others
- bio views gained credibility
- become dominant theory
beginning of contemporary thought: psychological perspective, Mesmer
theory of animal magnetism
- disruption in flow of magnetic forces in body, producing symptoms
mesmerism
- early practice which evolved into modern hypnotism
beginning of contemporary thought: psychological perspective, Breuer
- discovered that symptoms disappeared after patient spoke about past trauma while in a trance
- greater improvement when talk about previously forgotten memories
beginning of contemporary thought: psychological perspective, Freud
psychoanalysis
current view on abnormality is determined by ____
- distress
- dysfunction
- deviance
- dangerousness
distress
- AB creates discomfort and torment
- personal suffering
deviance
- not similar to others, according to stats
- cultural universality
- cultural relativism
cultural universality
origins, processes, and manifestations of disorder = same across cultures
cultural relativism
what is AB may vary from culture to culture
dysfunction
AB related to impairment in some important area of life (work, relationships, etc)
dangerousness
AB may pose risk to self or others
importance of context
consider developmental and contextual factors
“disorder” criteria, according to DSM
- syndromes
- persistence
- duration
disorder - syndrome
- look for pattern, group of symptoms that appear together
- significant disturbance in thinking, emotion regulation, B
- clinically significant distress/impairment in social, occupational or other areas of functioning
- not culturally expected
multicultural psychology
recognizes influence of cultural identifiers on dev, health, mental health
multicultural psych: how are we influenced
- social conditioning (how we are raised, learned values, cultural expectations)
- cultural manifestations and explanations of B
- sociopolitical influences (prejudice, discrimination)
- cultural biases in diagnoses
positive psychological
- focus on strengths and assets of individuals, families, communities
- contrast deficit model
- focus on resilience
contrast deficit model
focus on resilience
ability to adapt to very difficult situations
recovery movement
people with mental illness can recover and live satisfying lives
changes in therapeutic landscape
- advances in psychotropic medications
- increased appreciation for research
- technology assisted therapy
advances in psychotropic medications include
- shift from exclusive in-patient to out-patient care
- interest in biological influence on mental disorders
