L1 - Definitions, models, normality, abnormality & Diagnosis

Question 1

What is defined as abnormality?

Answer 1

behavioural, emotional or cognitive dysfunctions that are unexpected in their cultural context and associated with personal distress or substantial impairment

Question 2

What are some ways that people might define abnormality, but prove to be areas of subjectivity?

Answer 2

statistical infrequency
norm violation
personal distress
disability/dysfunction 
unexpectedness

Question 3

what is psychopathology?

Answer 3

the study of the nature, causes and development of abnormal behaviour, thoughts and feelings.

Question 4

why diagnose or classify psychopathology?

Answer 4

communication, treatment, prognosis, necessary for statistics and research

Question 5

negatives of diagnosis or classification?

Answer 5

bias / restrictive thinking
jargon - assumptive
inhibit research - peoples experiences aren’t always the same
stigma

Question 6

what are the “diagnoses” in psychopathology?

Answer 6

• presenting problem
• clinical description: what psychologist sees
• age of onset
• acute or inisidious onset
• course
• prognosis

Question 7

what are symptoms?

Answer 7

subjective complaints reported by a patient

eg. low mood, paranoia

Question 8

what are signs?

Answer 8

objective findings observed by a clinician.

eg. tachycardia, poor eye contact, accelerated speech

Question 9

what is a syndrome?

Answer 9

signs, symptoms and events that occur in a particular pattern and indicate the existence of a disorder.

Question 10

what is a disorder?

Answer 10

a syndrome which can be discriminated from other syndromes.

if it is labelled a disorder, this means there is a distinct course to the syndrome, and the age and gender characters of the disorder have been described.
prognosis may be known.

Question 11

what is a disease?

Answer 11

it is a disorder but with indications of abnormal physiological processes or structural abnormalities.

eg. dementia

so we can’t call depression a disease

Question 12

what are the three modes of classification?

Answer 12

categorical
dimensional
prototypical

Question 13

describe the categorial approach of classification

Answer 13

This divides psychological disorders into categories based on criteria with defining features.

pros - better clinical utility, easier for communication, useful in data collection/research

cons - pigeon hole people, not a true representation of reality, restricts thinking on research and even treatment

Question 14

describe the dimensional approach of classification

Answer 14

mental health disorders are quantified on a scale that can vary and change over time - people can move back and forward on dimensions.

pros - greater capacity to detect change, more reflective of the real world, can treat relevent stages or symptoms of a disorder, allows for individualised diagnosis

cons - lack of boundaries makes it hard to utilise, hard to implement.

Question 15

what is the prototypical approach?

Answer 15

considered to be half way between categorical and dimensional approach.

identifies essential characteristics of a disorder that must be met and non-essential characteristics that are optional.

Question 16

Describe the psychodynamic model of mental illness?

Answer 16

Freud - much of human behaviour is unconscious!

Id - human’s most primitive drives.
Ego - conscious self
Superego - morality - develops last

Says that all behaviour (normal and abnormal) are the result of conflict between the Id, Ego and Superego.

Stages of psychosexual dev - oral, anal, phallic and latency

defence mechanisms - projection, splitting, denial.

Question 17

Differences between medical and psychoanalytic models?

Answer 17

Psychoanalytic model proposes that there is no clear distinction between insane and sane people.
Everyone lies on a continuum. No specific disease process.

Also, psychoanalytic model proposes that one underlying cause can produce numerous different symptoms, and the same symptoms can be from a variety of different causes. Symptoms were not crucially important in understanding and treating individuals, unlike in bio model

Question 18

Describe the Biological Model of MI?

Answer 18

Causes for MI may be biological: genetics, brain damage, neurochemistry, viruses, gut organisms are linked to depression.

Question 19

What are some treatments from the biological perspective?

Answer 19

Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT) - traditionally used to treat schizophrenia. Still sometimes used for depression. Invasive.

Prefrontal lobotomy.

Question 20

Limitations of the biological perspective?

Answer 20

Reductionism - complex human phenomena such as beliefs, values and interpretations cannot be reduced to basic biological processes.

Direction of causation is unclear.

Effectiveness of treatment does not imply causation.

Question 21

Cognitive and Social Learning Models?

Answer 21

social and developmental factors - media, social influence, culture etc.

Learned behaviours : - social learning theory, operant behaviour, classical conditioning models…

Question 22

Describe the Stress-Vulnerability Model

Answer 22

• Everyone can develop mental illness in the right circumstances.
• Everyone has a level of vulnerability. This level is impacted by life and social factors… temperament, family environment, self-esteem, previous experience with stressors.

Model promotes health and resilience.

Question 23

Describe ABC Model

Answer 23

The way an individual appraises the world, influences their reactions..

Appraisal of events = response.

CBT derived from this idea.

Question 24

Describe Biopsychosocial Model

Answer 24

Intergrates biological, psychological and social/environmental factors into the explanation of mental health issues.

stresses that there are multiple causes behind MI.

Question 25

What are the models of MI discussed?

Answer 25

Psychodynamic
Biological
Cognition and social learning
ABC model
Biopsychosocial
Clinical Staging Model
Transdiagnostic model

Question 26

Explain the Clinical Staging Model?

Answer 26

McGorry Et al. (2006)

challenges categorical model by proposing a spectrum of ‘stages’ for each illness.
it’s aim is to detect/treat MI in its early stages, with less invasive/intense treatments.
Want to prevent patients from progressing to the next stage of illness.

4 stages. different treatments associated with each stage.

Question 27

Explain the transdiagnostic model of mental illness?

Answer 27

Aims to treat the vulnerability factor rather than the disorder. considers all psychological illnesess to lie on one continuum.
thinks that there are multiple possible factors that might cause illness.
Most people who have a MI have more than one diagnosis - this will reduce comorbid diagnoses.

eg: Perfectionism
associated with depression, anxiety and eating disorders.