Historical Concepts and Issues in Psychopathology Flashcards
How do we evaluate ‘abnormal’ behaviour?
Observation
Self-report
Biological
Measurement
Other-report
Varied definitions of ‘abnormal’
Deviation from statistical norms – Mean ± standard deviation
Deviation from cultural norms – different from most contemporaries in place (i.e. use of cutlery types in different countries)
Deviation from developmental norms – different from most of same age (i.e. crying as a response to change in environment)
Deviation from expected behaviour – different from most in that setting
(i.e. not sitting in a room with sufficient chairs)
Deviation from the desired functional life (maladaptiveness)– Does one’s behaviour interfere with their ability to meet their life needs?
The Realist
“Mental health conditions exist and are measurable in physical terms.
Impartial observers can objectively identify psychopathology.
Pharmacological research shows us that biology drives mental health diagnoses.”
The Constructivist
“The classification of mental health conditions is subjective and has no objective truth.
Society creates psychopathology as a framework.
Culturally/historically varying labels shows that mental health is socially constructed.”
The Pragmatist
“Treatment and intervention is most effective with labels.
Detail on the genesis of mental health does not help those who need help right now.
Research shows us that varied treatments work.”
What does it mean to talk about the psychology of an individual?
How a person behaves in general.
How variant a person’s behaviour is.
How the population behaves in general.
How population variation affects behaviour.
States
of mind, mood, feelings, highly variant short-term behaviour
Traits
dispositions, personalities, long-term general behaviour
People may vary, but what’s their general differences in behaviour?
Definitions of ‘abnormal’ focus on atypical traits.
A person’s traits can reflect their states in two ways:
describe general states (i.e. Schizotypal PD: “paranoid ideation”)
highly variable states (i.e. Major depression: “change in activity level”)
‘Personality disorders’ focus on symptoms that are invariant over time.
‘Mood disorders’ focus on symptoms that are variant over time.
Psychiatry is a field of medicine.
This takes a medical/pharmacological approach to mental health and behaviour. A psychiatrist can prescribe medication.
Psychology is a field of behavioural science.
Focus on behavioural-emotional interventions, such as therapy and public health change. Psychologists do not prescribe medication themselves (can work with GPs/MDs)
Those delivering psychological treatment may be “psychotherapists” or “counsellors”.
Schwartz and Blankenship (2014)
“Racial minority” individuals in US are more likely to receive a mental health disorder diagnoses
There are signs of diagnostic bias, with “racial minority” groups more likely to receive a psychotic disorder diagnosis (i.e. Schizophrenia)
Samuel and Widiger (2009), (see also: Garb, 1997):
With the same pattern of symptoms, personality disorder diagnosis changes
Men= antisocial personality disorder (“disregarding the rights of others”)
Women= histrionic personality disorder (“excessive emotionality”)
