Introduction Flashcards
what is Statistical criterion?
Extreme deviations from statistical norm. Used in medicine as well – Blood pressure.
what are the problems with statistical criterion
- Where should the cut off be
- There isn’t a specific number of standard deviations that confirms you have a disorder = It’s Arbitrary
- There are other negative/positive in excess that are not considered mental disorders. (ex. Excessive greed or pathological happiness).
what is Sociocultural Criterion
Unacceptable violations of social or cultural expectations. Patterns of behaviour that society does not except ( Disappeared from the DSM in 1974).
Problems with socioclutural criterion
- Cultural standards vary across time
- Cultures differ from place to place
- If disorders are brain-based, they cannot be cultural relative
what did Thomas Szasz argue?
agrued that all mental illness is cultural. There are no physical ways to determine the presence of a mental disorder. It is purely based on the interpretation of a pattern of symptoms, which in essence is a social interpretation.
what is the impairment criterion
Symptoms impair social, occupational, or other domains of functioning. If any of these areas are impaired than these symptoms deserve a label and should be treated.
(includes harm to self and others)
What are the problems with the impairment criterion
• Could someone be dangerous but not impaired and disordered?
- terrorists?
• Who decides who is impaired
• What about altruistic self-sacrifice?
• Being excessively shy can impair you, doesn’t mean you have a disorder
what is the personal distress criterion?
Even if symptoms cause no impairment in any area of your life, but you are concerned/bothered by your thoughts and emotion, a mental disorder can be labeled.
what are the problems with personal distress criterion?
• What about those dangerous, or detached from reality who are not concerned.
Ex. Someone with schizophrenia
• There are things that DO disturb us but are not considered to be a mental disorder
what is the Medical (biomedical) Model of psychopathy?
Abnormality is caused by physical problems in the brain
-basis for pharmacological and physical treatments
what are the candidate disorders of (biomedical) Model of psychopathy?
Autism, depression and schizophrenia
what is the Psychodynamic Model?
Abnormal thoughts, behaviors, caused by unconscious conflict
what are the candidate disorders of Psychodynamic Model?
- Anxiety Disorders (neurosis)
- Dissociative Disorders
- Somatic Symptom Disorders
what is the behavioural model?
- Symptoms are not the result of a disorder they are the disorder
- Abnormal behavior is acquired by learning then generalized inappropriately
- Treatment changes reward conditions to produce extinction or relearning
candidate disorders of behavioural model?
Anxiety disorders
what is the sociocultural model
• Abnormal result from social pressures
-poverty unemployment, etc.
• Higher rates of mental disorder at low socioeconomic levels
• Treat by changing external conditions
Candidate disorders of sociocultural model?
anxiety and depression
what are epigenomes?
→instructions in the genome tell what it does
→ Chemical markers (epigenomes) attached to our gene
→ Genes important when active
→ which genes got turned
→ Experiences (mother’s womb, home environment) can effect our epigenomes
→ We can follow these changes across 3 generations