Module 41 - basic concepts of psychological disorders Flashcards
1
Q
What is a psychological disorder?
A
- syndrome (collection of symptoms) marked by a clinically significant disturbance in an individual’s cognition, emotion regulation, or behavior
2
Q
what does it mean to be clinically significant
A
- the disturbance must interfere with patient’s functioning or potentially harm someone
3
Q
historical approaches to psychological disorders
A
- in earlier times, abnormal behavior attributed to mystical forces, planetary movements, and demons
- treatments were often barbaric
- in the late 1700s, Phillippe Pinel recognized abnormal behavior as illness of the mind
- introduced and encouraged reform and humane treatment of patients
4
Q
what is the medical model
A
- assumes that illnesses, including psychological disorders, have physiological causes that can be diagnosed and treated
5
Q
biopsychosocial approach
A
- biological, psychological, and social-cultural factor interactively form the basis of psychological illnesses
- includes epigenetics
- someone may have a gene that makes them susceptible to depression, but it may only express with genetic factors
- poverty is a risk factor for many psychological disorders
- some may be culturally dependent
- ex: anorexia, ADHD
- suggests environmental influence
- some disorders exist across cultures
- ex: depression and schizophrenia
6
Q
what is DSM-5
A
- diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders
- published by the American Psychiatric Association
- provides standardized diagnostic criteria
7
Q
pros and cons of labeling psychological disorders
A
pros:
- can be validating/comforting
- can help establish path to recovery
cons:
- can be stigmatizing/discouraging
- some say that DSM criteria is too broad and pathologies normal human experiences
- about 1 in 5 people experience a psychological disorder in a given year
8
Q
when are psychological disorders onset
A
- usually first appear in early childhood
- some exceptions
- ex: phobias usually begin in childhood
