Psychopathology Flashcards
What are the 4 definitions of abnormality?
- Statistical infrequency
- Deviation from social norms
- Deviation from ideal mental health
- Failure to function adequately
What is statistical infrequency?
When an individual has a less common characteristic, e.g. High IQ
What is deviation from social norms?
Behaviour that is different from the accepted standards of behaviour in a community or society
e.g. antisocial personality disorder (psychopathy)
What is failure to function adequately?
When someone is unable to cope with ordinary demands of day-to-day living
What is deviation from ideal mental health?
Occurs when someone does not meet a set of criteria for good mental health
who proposed some additional signs that can be used to determine when someone is not coping? and what are they?
Rosenhan & Seligman
- when a person no longer conforms to standard interpersonal rules, e.g. personal space
- when a person experiences severe personal distress
- when a person’s behaviour becomes irrational or dangerous to themselves or others
Who suggested we are in good mental health if we meet the following criteria?
Jahoda
What are Jahoda’s criteria for good mental health?
- no symptoms or distress
- are rational and can perceive ourselves accurately
- we self-actualise
- can cope with stress
- have a realistic view of the world
- have good self-esteem & lack guilt
- are independent of other people
- can successfully work, love and enjoy our leisure
Strength of statistical infrequency as a definition of explaining abnormality?
Real world application
- used in clinical practise
- as part of formal diagnosis & as a way to assess severity of a person’s symptoms
E.G. diagnosis of intellectual disability disorder requires IQ below 70 (bottom 2%)
E.G. Assessment tool - Beck depression inventory (BDI), a score of 30+ (top 5% of respondents) is an indicator of severe depression - shows value of statistical infrequency criterion, as it’s useful in diagnostic & assessment processes
Limitation of statistical infrequency as a definition of explaining abnormality?
Unusual characteristics can be positive
- infrequent characteristics can be positive and negative
E.G. IQ above 130 - we would not see them as abnormal
E.G. should also not think of someone with very low depression score on the BDI as abnormal - these show being unusual or at one end of a psychological spectrum doesn’t necessarily make someone abnormal
- although SI can form part of assessment and diagnostic procedures,
- SI is never sufficient as the sole basis for defining abnormality
Strengths of deviation from social norms as a definition of explaining abnormality?
Real world application
- is a useful definition
- used in clinical practice
E.G. key defining characteristic of antisocial personality disorder is the failure to conform to culturally acceptable ethical behaviour, i.e. aggression, recklessness - these signs of the disorder are all deviations from social norms
- shows that deviation from social norms criterion has value in psychiatry
Limitations of deviation from social norms as a definition of explaining abnormality?
Cultural and situational relativism
- variability between social norms in different cultures & different situations
- person from one cultural group may label someone from another group as abnormal using their own standards rather than the other person’s standards
- E.G. hearing voices is the norm in some cultures (as messages from ancestors) but seen as a sign of abnormality in most parts of UK
- means it’s difficult to judge deviation from social norms across different situations and cultures
Strengths of failure to function adequately as a definition of explaining abnormality?
Represents a threshold for help
- around 25% of people in the UK will experience a mental health problem in any given year
- however, many people also face fairly severe symptoms
- to the point where they fail to function adequately so seek professional help or are noticed and referred help by others
- This criterion means that treatment and services can be targeted to those who need the most
Limitations of failure to function adequately as a definition of explaining abnormality?
Discrimination and social control
- is easy to label non-standard lifestyle choices as abnormal
- hard to say when someone is really failing to function adequately or have simply chosen to deviate from social norms
E.G. those who favour high-risk leisure activities could be classed as danger to self - This means that people who make unusual choices are at risk of being labelled abnormal and their freedom of choice may be restricted
Strengths of deviation from ideal mental health as a definition of explaining abnormality?
Comprehensive definition
- Jahoda’s concept of ‘ideal mental health’ includes range of criteria for distinguishing mental health from mental disorder
- covers most of the reasons we might seek help (or are referred help) with mental health
- means that an individual’s mental health can be discussed meaningfully with a range of professionals who might take different theoretical views
E.G. medically-trained psychiatrist= focus on symptoms & humanistic counsellor= interested in self-actualisation - means that ideal mental health provides a checklist against which we can assess ourselves and others and discuss psychological issues with a range of professionals
Limitations of deviation from ideal mental health as a definition of explaining abnormality?
May be culture-bound
- it’s different elements are not equally applicable
- some of Jahoda’s criteria for ideal mental health are firmly located in the context of the US & Europe
- concept of self-actualisation would probably be dismissed as self-indulgent in much of the world
- Even within Europe there is quite a bit of variation in the value placed on personal independence
E.G. High in Germany, Low in Italy - what defines success in our working, social and love-lives is very different in different cultures
- means that it’s difficult to apply the concept of ideal mental health from one culture to another
what is a phobia?
An irrational fear of an object or situation
What is the DSM system?
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorder
What are the 3 DSM-5 categories of phobias?
Specific phobia - phobia of an object (e.g. an animal) or situation (e.g. flying)
Social anxiety - phobia of a social situation (e.g. public speaking)
Agoraphobia - phobia of being outside or in a public space
Behavioural characteristics of phobias
Panic - person make panic when coming into contact with their phobic stimulus
(crying, running away, etc)
Avoidance - going to a lot of effort to prevent coming into contact with the phobic stimulus
(can interfere with work, education and social life)
Endurance - person chooses to remain in the presence of the phobic stimulus
Emotional characteristics of phobias
Anxiety - an emotional response to the phobia that prevents relaxation, may be long-term
Fear - immediate and extremely unpleasant response we experience when thinking or encountering our phobic stimulus
Emotional response is unreasonable - when the anxiety or fear is much greater than is ‘normal’ & disproportionate to any threat posed
Cognitive characteristics of phobias
Selective attention to the phobic stimulus - person may not be able to keep their eye off their phobic stimulus, and may give us best chance of reacting quickly to a threat, but is not useful when the fear is irrational
Irrational beliefs - a person with a phobia may hold unfounded thoughts in relation to the phobic stimuli
Cognitive distortions - negative thinking patterns that aren’t based on fact or reality
What is depression?
A mental disorder characterised by low mood and low energy levels
DSM-5 categories of depression
- Major depressive disorder
(severe but often short-term) - Persistent depressive disorder
(long-term or recurring, including sustained major depression) - Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder
(childhood temper tantrums) - Premenstrual dysphoric disorder
(disruption to mood prior to and/or during menstruation)
Behavioural characteristics of depression
Activity levels
- reduced energy or struggle relaxing
Disruption to sleep & eating behaviour
- reduced sleep (insomnia) or an increased need for sleep (hypersomnia) & eating may decrease or increase (weight gain or weight loss can occur)
Aggression and self-harm
- people with depression are often irritable and can become verbally or physically aggressive and even to themselves (cutting, or suicide attempts)
Emotional characteristics of depression
Lowered mood
- people with depression often describe themselves as ‘worthless’ and empty’
Anger
- can be directed at the self or at others
and can lead to aggressive or self-harming behaviour
Lowered self-esteem
- tend to have reduced
self-esteem
and can be quite extreme (e.g. hating themselves)
Cognitive characteristics of depression
Poor concentration
- unable to stick with a task or make decisions so likely to interfere with the individuals life and work
Dwelling on the negatives
- tend to see a glass half-empty rather than half-full
Absolutist thinking
- ‘black’ and ‘white’ thinking
when a situation is bad they see it as an absolute disaster
What is OCD?
Obsessive-compulsive disorder - A condition characterised by obsessions and/or compulsive behaviour.
Obsessions are cognitive & compulsions are behavioural
