Lecture 11

Question 1

Define Psychopathology

Answer 1

Psychological disorder or mental disorder. Defined as patterns of thought, emotion, and behaviour that result in personal distress or a significant impairment in a person’s social or occupational functioning.

Question 2

What is considered abnormal in the the context of psychopathology

Answer 2

Deviance: Statistical infrequency (against social norms) - oppression of those with minority views.
Distress: Personal suffering
Dysfunction: Impaired functioning, difficulty fulfilling appropriate and expected roles in family, social and work related situations.

Question 3

Define Mental health

Answer 3

A state of emotional and social wellbeing

Question 4

Define mental health problems

Answer 4

The wide range of emotional and behavioural abnormalities that affect people throughout their lives.

Question 5

Define mental disorder:

Answer 5

A clinically recognisable set of symptoms and behaviours which usually need treatment to be alleviated (a serious departure from normal functioning).

Question 6

What did the NSMW survey in 2007 indicate about the amount of people with mental disorders 12 months prior?

Answer 6

20 percent of the people aged between 16-65 years, had a mental disorder 12 months prior - though the actual prevalence may be higher.

Question 7

List the contemporary perspective on psychopathology

Answer 7

Biological medical approach: biopsychosocial model, diasthesis stress model
Psychological approach: psychodynamic approach, behavioural perspective, cognitive behavioural perspective
Evolutionary perspective

Question 8

What does the biopsychosocial/neurobiological model entail?

Answer 8

Medical model - disorders stem (biologically) primarily from an underlying illness which can be diagnosed, treated and cured.
Psychological processes: wants, needs, emotions, attachments, history etc.
Sociocultural contexts: gender, age, cultural values and traditions. These influence what is normal.

Question 9

What does the diathesis stress model entail?

Answer 9

Biological, psychological and sociocultural factors can predispose us towards a disorder, via exposure to the stressors over a certain amount of time..
The strength of the diathesis creates vulnerability. People with strong diathesis may succumb to mild stress while those with weak diathesis, may not show signs of diaorder until stress exacerbates or is explicit for extensive periods of time.

Question 10

What does the psychological model entail?

Answer 10

Sees mental disorders arising from psychological factors, wants, needs, emotions, learning experiences, attachment histories and ways of looking at the world.

Question 11

What does the evolutionary perspective entail?

Answer 11

Provides insight into psychopathology rather than a comprehensive system of understanding and treatment.

Question 12

What are the cultural influences on psychopathology?

Answer 12

gender, age, cultural values, traditions - these influence what is normal.
Some psych disorders are cultural general like depression but there are disorders that are culture specific like ataques de nervios (puerto rico) - heart palpitations, shaking, shouting, nervousness, depression and sometime fainting or seizures.

Question 13

What is a descriptive diagnosis?

Answer 13

No bias towards any perspective in pscyhopathology. Defines mental disorders in terms of a set of clinical syndromes (symptoms that occur together) that can occur together. Based on the medical model.

Question 14

What are the reasons for the classifications of mental disorders?

Answer 14

Determine nature of the problem, choose appropriate method of treatment, study the causes of mental disorders.

Question 15

What are the main classification systems?

Answer 15

• The diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (DSM-5)
• International classification of diseases (ICD-11)
• International classification of impairments, disabilities and handicaps (ICIDI1-2)

Question 16

How good is the diagnostic system? (Interrelatability, validity, problems?)

Answer 16

Interraterellatability: High for some disorders (anxiety disorders), low for others (personality disorders).
Validity: Stronger for some diagnoses (e.g schitzophrenia) than others.
Problems: Same symptoms seen in different disorders, possibility of bias in diagnosis, insufficient attention to sociocultural variables, labels can be dehumanising.

Question 17

What are the anxiety disorders in DSM

Answer 17

Phobia: speicifc phbias, social phobia, agoraphobia
Generalised anxiety disorder: Excessive, long-lasting unfocused ‘free floating’ anxiety.
Panic Disorder: Recurrent panic attacks without warning or obvious cause
Obsessive compulsive disorder: Obsessions vs compulsions.

Question 18

Theories of aeitology of anxiety disorders

Answer 18

Biological - Genetic factors” Supported by twin studies and family studies. Neurotransmitter system abnormalities.
Cognitive behavioural theories: maladaptive schemas about self, other and the world - how we see and react. Reinforcing cycles of behaviour, thoughts and feelings.
Learning: Developing anxiety disorder increased by abuse or other traumatic childhood experiences.

Question 19

What are the symptoms of depressive disorder?

Answer 19

Sad, overwhelmed , losing interest in activities and relationships, inability to take pleasures in anything, eating habit changes, sleep disturbances/excessive sleeping, exaggerated feelings of inadequacy, worthlessness, hopelessness, delusions.

Question 20

What is persistent depressive disorder?

Answer 20

Less severe pattern of depression - person shows sad mood, lack of interest, and loss of pleasure less intensely and for long duration (2 years +) basically high functioning.

Question 21

What is bipolar I disorder?

Answer 21

Intense mania (emotional state characterised by optimism, impulsivity, irritability etc) with alternates of deep depression

Question 22

What is bipolar II disorder?

Answer 22

Hypomania (less sever than mania) with alternates of deep depression.

Question 23

What is Cyclothymic personality disorder?

Answer 23

Less severe version of bipolar disorder - less extreme mania and less sever depressive moods.

Question 24

Theories of aetiology of mood disorders?

Answer 24

Biological: Genetics, malfunctions of brain regions associated with mood, neurotransmitter imbalance, endocrine system imbalance, disruption of biological rhythms.
Psychological/social: Environmental stressors, how one thinks about the stressors, thinking style can subsequently affect depression.

Question 25

What is obsessive-compulsive and related disorders?

Answer 25

Obsessions: Persistent, upsetting, unwanted thoughts or impulses which are distressing for individual and cannot be controlled.
Compulsions: Intentional repetitive behaviour sometimes conducted in ritualistic manner.
Anxiety: Often experience anxiety if unable to complete the ritual.

Question 26

Schitzophrenia and other psychotic disorders breakdown;

Answer 26

• Umbrella term for number of psychotic disorder
• Thought: delusions and loosening of associations
  Perception: Presence of hallucinations
  Affect: Emotion (often flat or absent)
  Positive: Signal the presence of something not usually there.
  Most apparent in acute phase - delusions/hallucinations.
  Negative: Signal the absence of a function.
  lack of emotion, motivation, complex thought.

Question 27

Theories of Aetiology of schitzophrenia: Diasthesis model:

Answer 27

Schitzophrenia develops in people with an underlying biological vulnerability (diasthesis ) that is compounded by stress.

Question 28

Theories of Aetiology of schitzophrenia: Dopamine Hypothesis

Answer 28

Schitzophrenia reflect elevated levels of dopamine in brain.

• Paranoid schitzophrenia is induced by chronic treatment with amphetamine, a drug that releases dopamine.
• Blocking dopamine re-uptake can reduce positive symptoms.

Question 29

Theories of Aetiology of schitzophrenia: Psychological and sociological factors

Answer 29

Dysfunctional cognitions, urban living, bring an immigrant, exposure to stressful family communication patterns.