Psychopathology Flashcards
What are the definitions of abnormality.
Statistical infrequency
Deviation from social norms
Failure to function adequately
Deviation from ideal mental health
Describe statistical infrequency.
When an individual has a less common characteristic.
Describe deviation from social norms.
Concerns behaviour that is different from the accepted standards of behaviour in a community or society.
Evaluate statistical infrequency.
- real life application (diagnosing intellectual disability disorder)
- all assessment of patients with mental disorders include some kind of measurement of how severe their symptoms are compared to statistical norms. It is thus useful in clinical assessments.
- unusual characteristics can be positive and just because they’re abnormal, doesn’t necessarily mean they need to be treated. Means statistical infrequency can’t be used alone to make a diagnosis.
- labelling someone as abnormal might have a negative effect on the way others view them and the way they view themselves.
Evaluate deviation from social norms.
- real-life application in the diagnosis of antisocial personality disorder.
- deviation from social norms is never the sole reason for defining abnormality.
- social norms vary from one culture and generation to another, this makes it hard to define abnormality across cultures.
- too much reliance on deviation from social norms can lead to systematic abuse of human rights. Diagnoses were really there to maintain control over minority ethnic groups and women.
Describe failure to function adequately.
Occurs when someone is unable to cope with ordinary demands of day-to-day living.
Describe deviation from ideal mental health.
Occurs when someone does not meet a set of criteria for good mental health.
Evaluate failure to function adequately.
- includes the subjective experience of the individual, means it is a useful criterion for assessing abnormality.
- it is hard to determine whether something is failing to function adequately and whether it is a deviation from social norms.
- treating something as a failure to function adequately can limit personal freedom and can discriminate against minority groups.
- judging whether someone is failing to function is subjective and someone has the right to make a judgement that the patient may not agree with.
Evaluate deviation from ideal mental health.
- covers a broad range of criteria for mental health
- some ideas in Jahoda’s criteria are culture-bound, specific to Western European and North American cultures
- sets an unrealistic standard for mental health, the criteria would see everyone as abnormal as it is near impossible to have every trait
What is an example of statistical infrequency?
IQ and intellectual disability disorder.
The average IQ is set at 100, most people have an IQ between 85 and 115. Only 2% have a score below 70 and these people are classed as abnormal.
What is an example of deviation from social norms?
Antisocial personality disorder.
A symptom is the absence of prosocial internal standards associated with failure to conform to lawful or culturally normative ethical behaviour. So, a psychopath is abnormal because they don’t conform to our moral standards.
Who proposed signs that someone is failing to function adequately, and what were these?
David Rosenhan and Martin Seligman
- when a person no longer conforms to standard interpersonal rules.
- when a person experiences severe personal distress.
- when a person’s behaviour becomes irrational or dangerous to themselves or others.
What is an example of failing to function adequately?
Intellectual disability disorder.
An individual must be failing to function adequately as well as having a statistical infrequency to be diagnosed.
Who created the good mental health criteria and what did it entail?
Marie Jahoda
- we have no symptoms or distress
- we are rational and can perceive ourselves accurately
- we self-actualise (reach our potential)
- we can cope with stress
- we have a realistic view of the world
- we have good self-esteem and lack guilt
- we are independent of other people
- we can successfully work, love and enjoy our leisure
What is a phobia?
An irrational fear of an object or situation.
What is the DSM system?
A system used to classify and diagnose mental health problems. It stands for Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder. The DSM is updated every so often as ideas about abnormality change, the current version is the 5th edition and so is thus the DSM-5.
What are all phobias characterised by?
Excessive fear and anxiety, triggered by an object, place or situation. The extent of the fear is out of proportion to any real danger presented by the phobic stimulus.
What does the DSM recognise as phobias and related anxiety disorders?
- specific phobia = phobia of an object or situation
- social anxiety (social phobia) = phobia of a social situation
- agoraphobia = phobia of being outside or in a public place
What are the behavioural characteristics of phobias?
Panic
Avoidance
Endurance (remaining in presence of phobic stimulus but with high levels of anxiety)
What are the emotional characteristics of phobias?
Anxiety (unpleasant state of high arousal, prevents relaxation and makes it difficult to experience positive emotion)
Anxiety is long term
Fear is the immediate unpleasant response from a phobic stimulus
What are the cognitive characteristics of phobias?
Selective attention to the phobic stimulus
Irrational beliefs
Cognitive distortions
What is depression?
A mental disorder characterised by low mood and low energy levels.
How does the DSM recognise depression and depressive disorders?
- major depressive disorder = severe but often short-term depression
- persistent depressive disorder = long-term or recurring depression, including sustained major depression and what used to be called dysthymia
- disruptive mood dysregulation disorder = childhood temper tantrums
- premenstrual dysphoric disorder = disruption to mood prior to and/or during menstruation
What are the behavioural characteristics of depression?
- activity levels (reduced levels of energy, has the effect of dropping out of school/ work and their social life) OR (psychomotor agitation = struggling to relax so they end up pacing up and down a room)
- disruption to sleep and eating behaviour (reduced sleep = insomnia) OR (increased need for sleep = hypersomnia)
- aggression and self-harm