Introduction.

Question 1

What is Abnormal Psychology?

Answer 1

It is the scientific study of abnormal behaviour and mental disorders. It must only use the empirical method.

Question 2

What is psychiatric classification based on? And what is observed for diagnosis?

Answer 2

Psychiatric classification is based on the medical model (physical classification). Symptoms are observed for diagnosis.

Question 3

When classifying psychological dysfunction, what are three aspects of the mental illness that must be understood in order to help a person get better.

Answer 3

The CAUSE of the illness (causation), what MAINTAINS the illness (maintenance) and how to TREAT the illness (treatment).

Question 4

When finding the CAUSE of a mental illness, clinicians must look at the contributing factors from a ___, ___ & ___ perspective.

Answer 4

Causes of mental illness include biological, psychological & sociocultural factors.

Question 5

When an illness is episodic and comes back again, clinicians must look at the ___ factors.

Answer 5

MAINTAINING factors.

Question 6

What components of mental illness must treatment target?

Answer 6

The causal and maintaining factors.

Question 7

What are three abnormal behaviours that can indicate a mental/psychological disorder?

And what must be remembered about these behaviours?

And what do they depend on?

Answer 7

Deviance, distress and dysfunction.

Not one is necessary, or on its own sufficient, to classify a disorder.

They depend on what is considered ‘normal’ within a society.

Question 8

What is DEVIANCE?

Answer 8

Rare behaviour that deviates from the norm.

Question 9

What is DISTRESS?

Answer 9

When a person or those around them is distressed by his/her behaviour.

Question 10

What is DYSFUNCTION?

Answer 10

Maladaptive behaviour whereby the person cannot carry out daily functions.

Question 11

Historically, what was mental illness called? And what kind of concept was it?

Answer 11

‘Madness’ or ‘insanity’. It was UNITARY CONCEPT, whereby ‘insanity’ was the same in everyone, just expressed differently (different symptoms). There were no seperate disorders.

Question 12

How many categories of mental disorders are there today? And were are they listed?

Answer 12

400+. They are mainly listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) and the International Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD).

Question 13

What do the DSM and ICD handbooks contain?

Answer 13

They contain descriptions of symptom clusters.

Question 14

What is the field of study that evaluates the prevalence/incidence of mental illness within a given society?

Answer 14

Psychiatric epidemiology.

Question 15

What is prevalence? And what is incidence?

Answer 15

Prevalence is the proportion within a specified population that has a diagnosable disorder - within a specified time period.
Incidence is the proportion of healthy individuals that will develop a disorder in their lifetime.

Question 16

In what periods of time is the prevalence of mental illness evaluated?

Answer 16

Point-prevalence (right now), one-year prevalence (12 months) and lifetime prevalence (during a person’s lifetime).

Question 17

What other population percentages need to be considered when evaluating psychiatric epidemiology?

Answer 17

The percentage of people that seek help, and the percentage of people that receive help.

Question 18

Internationally, what is the generally accepted lifetime prevalence of any mental disorder?

Answer 18

32-48%.

Question 19

In Australia (2007 survey) what is the lifetime prevalence for any mental disorder?

Answer 19

45%

Question 20

What are the three most common categories of mental disorders in Australia? And what number of Australians experience one in their life?

Answer 20

Anxiety, affective (depressive) and substance abuse disorders are the most common.
7.3 million Australians experience one at some point in their lifetime.

Question 21

What is the 12-month prevalence of anxiety, affective and substance abuse disorders in Australia (percentage and number)? And what percentage do each disorder make up of that prevalence?

Answer 21

The 12-month prevalence is 20% (3.2 million Australians). Anxiety (14%), affective (6%) and substance abuse (5%).

Question 22

How many people received help for their anxiety, affective or substance abuse disorder in 2007?

And what might it mean for those who didn’t seek help?

Answer 22

1/3 of people received help.
The 2/3 who didn’t could indicate that there is a huge public health problem OR that we are overestimating the prevalence of mental disorders.
Perhaps the two-thirds of diagnosed people didn’t actually need treatment anyway.

Question 23

When assessing a mental disorder, what distinctions must clinicians make?

Answer 23

Is the mental illness a RESPONSE to a particular event? Or is it a DYSFUNCTION (behavioural, psychological or biological) within the individual?
(The latter being the indication of mental illness).