P1 - psychopathology Flashcards
4 definitions of abnormality
Deviation from social norms - behavior that violates social expectations
Failure to function adequately - coping with everyday life
Statistical infrequency - defines abnormality as behavior that deviates from the norm or average, Anyone who falls outside of the normal distribution (about 5%) will be categorised as abnormal.
Deviation from ideal mental health - identified 6 categories that constitute ‘ideal mental health’:
strengths of deviation from social norms? (2)
People can receive treatment
People are more accepting if the understand
weaknesses of deviation from social norms (4)
The definition is too broad, makes it hard to specify
Cultural relativism
Abnormal or eccentric?
Abnormal or criminal?
What is the strengths of using something like the GAF? (FFA)
It allows people to identify abnormal behavior and help the person according to the level of severity of their failure to function adequately.
looks at abnormality from the individual’s point of view (how are they coping?) rather than the point of view of the people around them
what are the limitations of FFA (4)
Some people are mentally disordered, yet would appear to be functioning adequately.
Some people may not be functioning adequately and yet it would be wrong to describe them as ‘psychologically abnormal’.
Like with DSN, there is the issue of where we draw the line: at what point is someone’s functioning inadequate enough to justify them being classified as abnormal?
Cultural Relativism presents a major problem for this definition: the meaning of behaviors differs so widely across cultures that what one culture considers to be a sign of failing to function another might consider to be perfectly functional behaviour.
what are jahodas 6 categories of ideal mental health
Positive attitudes towards the self:
In touch with own feelings and identity
Personal growth& self-actualsation:
Focus on future and own personal growth/development
Personal autonomy:
Self reliant, independent and able to make decisions
Resistance to stress
Having effective coping strategies
Having an accurate perception of reality:
Perceiving the world in a non distorted fashion eg objectively.
Adapting to & mastering the environment:
Competent in all aspects of life-flexible to adapt
strength of ideal mental health
This definition gives all people an ideal target to aim for in order to be mentally healthy rather than just stating what makes us abnormal.
It allows us to target areas of dysfunction which is useful for treating disorders
limitation of ideal mental health
According to this definition most people could be seen as abnormal.
Whether or not an individual is seen as meeting most of these criteria is a subjective judgement.
Once again Cultural relativism poses a problem for this definition
strengths of statistically infrequent
Identifies clear guidelines for identifying behaviour as abnormal or normal (objective)
Statistical data can justify the need for psychiatric assistance.
limitations of statistically infrequent
Once again cultural factors aren’t considered
Not all infrequent behaviours are abnormal. Some rare characteristics are desirable
Not all abnormal behaviors are infrequent
define a phobia
A type of anxiety disorder characterised by extreme irrational fears. They involve anxiety (an emotion) which is out of proportion to the actual risk.
3 types of symptoms of a phobia
Behavioral Symptoms
Emotional Symptoms
Cognitive symptoms
describe two behavioral symptoms
Avoidant/anxiety response – due to the fact that confrontation with the feared object produces high anxiety, efforts are made to avoid the object and situation in order to reduce the chances of the anxiety response occurring. For example needles, to avoid them someone would not get vaccinations.
Disruption of functioning – anxiety and avoidance responses are so extreme that they severely interfere with the ability to conduct everyday working and social functioning, for example, a person with a social phobia. For example, a person with a bee phobia would not be able to go out in summer as regularly as there is a likely chance of seeing a bee.
describe two emotional symptoms of a phobia
Persistent excessive fear – phobias produce high anxiety due to the presence or anticipation of feared objects or situations.
Fear from exposure to phobic stimulus – phobias produce immediate fear response due to presentation of the object or situation.
describe a cognitive symptom of a phobia
Recognition of exaggerated anxiety – generally phobics are consciously aware that they anxiety levels they experience are overstated.
