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
