PSY240 1. Intro Flashcards
Definitions of “Abnormal”
- Statistical Definition 2. Personal Distress
3. Personal Dysfunction 4. Violation of Norms
Definitions of “Abnormal”
- Comparing to avg
- Is it causing someone to be upset? Is it causing other people distress?
- Does it get in the way of functioning as a productive member of society?
- Taking context into consideration. Depending on culture, some acts are acceptable, others are not
Definitions of “Abnormal”
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Definitions of “Abnormal”
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- Statistical Definition
Deviation from average – Is the behaviour rare?
• Problems:
– Not all deviations are abnormal – Where is the cut-off
- Statistical Definition
Is the response rare?
But not everything rare is not pathological or abnormal
e.g. High IQ, not problematic
at the low end, it becomes problematic
e.g. athleticism
Where is the cutoff between normal and abnormal?
Doesn’t capture every factor of describing abnormality
- Statistical Definition
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- Statistical Definition
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- Personal Distress
• Behaviour is only abnormal if:
– The individual suffers as a result, and
– The individual wishes to be rid of the behavior
• Advantage: many disorders are distressing!
- Personal Distress
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- Personal Distress
Problems
• “Normal”distress
• Some disorders don’t involve suffering
• Maynotcareaboutdiscomfortofothers • Poor insight
- Personal Distress
e.g. Manic Episode
Might have lots of energy and inflated sense of self-esteem so they may not feel like it’s an impairment, but the succeeding depressive episode might
e.g. Schizophrenia - Poor Insight
Idea of reality testing - when intact, you can challenge their hallucinations
Psychosis: cannot argue with them about hallucinations
Forms of Distress completely normal
e.g. bereavement - culturally sanctioned form of distress, thus not considered pathological
- Personal Distress
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- Personal Distress
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- Personal Distress
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- Personal Dysfunction
• AKA: Harmful dysfunction
• Disorder causes “functional” impairment – Occupational
– Academic – Social
- Personal Dysfunction
Occupational: e.g. depressed - can’t get out of bed
Academic: anxiety - can’t write tests
Social: anti-social personality - can’t make friends
Typically judged by others and professionals, they may not see it as an impairment
- Personal Dysfunction
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- Personal Dysfunction
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- Personal Dysfunction
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- Violation of Norms
- AKA Societal / Cultural Relativism
- Norm violation
- No universal standards or rules
- Ab/normality is relative to cultural norms
- Violation of Norms
Relative to culture
What might hold in 1 society, doesn’t hold in another
Problematic in pinning down definition when it culturally varies
e.g. Gender Roles: Masculine + Feminine Expectations
These are culturally sanctioned
e.g. Nudity - frowned upon in North America
In some African Tribes - normal to wear less clothing
- Violation of Norms
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- Violation of Norms
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Problems with Societal Definition
- Emphasizes conformity • Cultural specificity
- Temporal specificity
- Potential for abuse
- Some societies endorse bad things
- Society’s implicit rules are hard to break
Problems with Societal Definition
Everyone should be the same
Specific to a culture
How come abnormality changes across the world and time
Potential for powerful people to abuse these definitions
Hard to defy social norms once in place
Risk being alienated or worse - consequences for deviating
Problems with Societal Definition
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Problems with Societal Definition
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DSM-5
• Section I: Basics
• Section II: Diagnostic
Criteria & Codes
• Section III: Emerging Measures & Models
DSM-5
3 Sections
Basic: caution, purpose
Diagnostic:
Chapters divided into the different types of disorders
Broken down into the specific listing of symptoms needed in order to qualify for a diagnosis
DSM-5
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DSM Basics
- A mental disorder is a behavioral or psychological dysfunction associated with…Personal distress
- Impairment in work, home, school, or social activities
- “Significantly increased risk of suffering death, pain, disability, or an important loss of freedom”
DSM Basics
Death - Increased risk for suicide
Loss of Freedom - going to jail
DSM Basics
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DSM Definition
• Mental disorders are not:
– An expected or appropriate response to an event – Statistically deviant behavior of minority groups – A conflict between one individual and society
DSM Definition
e.g. bereavement: expected to be sad
causing severe impairment or lasting a long time not normal in bereavement - considered for clinical attention
Required to be culturally sensitive
Keep in mind the patients context of what’s normal and abnormal
e.g. Ghandi - not pathological
Clinicians are ethically trained and specialize in diagnosis
DSM Definition
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DSM Definition
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DSM Example: Major Depressive Episode (MDE)
5+ of the following symptoms nearly every day (2+ weeks):
- Depressed Mood
- Anhedonia
- Weight/Appetite Change
- Sleep Change
- Change in Psychomotor Activity
- Loss of Energy
- Guilt/Worthlessness
- Impaired Concentration
- Suicidality
DSM Example: Major Depressive Episode (MDE)
Symptom criteria where is a threshold for amount needed to diagnosis
Need either Depressed Mood or Anhedonia (inability to take pleasure in anything)
DSM Example: Major Depressive Episode (MDE)
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DSM Example: Major Depressive Episode (MDE)
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DSM Example: Major Depressive Episode (MDE)
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Differing Opinions
•“As long as the research community takes the DSM to be a bible, we’ll never make progress. People think that everything has to match DSM criteria, but you know what? Biology never read that book.” – Dr. Thomas Insel
“A classification system is like a map. And just as any map is only provisional, ready to be changed as the landscape changes, so does classification.” – Dr. Sir Simon Wessely
Differing Opinions
Some people are not fond of DSM-V
It is not the bible - it changes constantly
It is not the absolute truth
To think otherwise impairs the ability to see the truth
Wessely: Take it with a grain of salt
It’s a work in progress, but it’s all we got
Differing Opinions
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Differing Opinions
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Differing Opinions
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DSM Classification
Advantages
• Increasesscientificcommunication
• Used in forensic situations
• Necessitated by 3rd party payers Disadvantages
• Loseindividualinformation
• Stigma and stereotyping
• Subject to political and social influences