W1: Classification, diagnosis and an integrative approach to psychopathology Flashcards
Abnormal Behaviour
A psychological dysfunction within an individual that is associated with distress or impairment in functioning and a response that is not typical or culturally expected.
Psychological Dysfunction
A breakdown in cognitive, emotional, or behavioural functioning. These problems are often considered to be on a continuum or a dimension rather that to be categories that are either present or absent.
A related concept that is useful is to determine whether the behaviour is out of the individuals control (something the person doesn’t want to do).
Distress
If/when the individual is extremely upset.
Although distress does not necessarily result in impairment, distress often precedes impairment and may be considered a “warning signal”.
Impairment
A condition that compromises functioning; a decrement in the body’s typical physiological or psychological functioning.
Although distress does not necessarily result in impairment, distress often precedes impairment and may be considered a “warning signal”.
Psychological Disorders
Extreme expressions of otherwise normal emotions, behaviours, and cognitive processes.
DSM-5: Behavioural, psychological, or biological dysfunctions that are unexpected in their cultural context and associated with present distress and impairment in functioning, or increased risk of suffering, death, pain, or impairment.
Atypical
(Something) Occurs infrequently or deviates from the average. The greater the deviation, the more abnormal/ atypical.
ASSOCIATED ISSUES: talent or eccentricity are atypical (deviate from the norm) but not considered disordered. The more productive one is in the eyes of society, the more eccentricities society will tolerate.
Not Culturally Accepted / Violating Social Norms
Behaviours or emotional displays (etc, including timing) which are not considered normal or expected within a certain culture. A social standard of “normal” has been violated.
Useful for considering important cultural differences.
Misuse of social standards of ‘normal’
SOVIET UNION
Psychiatry was used to disable and remove from society political opponents (“dissidents”) who openly expressed beliefs that contradicted the official dogma.
The term “philosophical intoxication”, for instance, was widely applied to the mental disorders diagnosed when people disagreed with the country’s Communist leaders and/or founding fathers.
Sluggish / slow progressive schizophrenia was created as a diagnostic category; it was diagnosed even in patients who showed no symptoms of schizophrenia or other psychotic disorders, on the assumption that these symptoms would appear later.
The political abuse of psychiatry in the USSR arose from the conception that people who opposed the Soviet regime were mentally sick since there was no other logical rationale why one would oppose the sociopolitical system considered the best in the world.
IRAQ AND IRAN
Similar to the USSR - committing political dissidents in mental institutions because they protest the policies of their government.
Prototype
A “typical” profile of a disorder; symptoms/criteria that experts agree are part of a disorder.
Psychopathology
The scientific study of psychological disorders.
Scientist-practitioner
Mental health practitioners that take a scientific approach to their clinical work.
Consumer of science: enhancing the practice
Evaluator of science: determining the effectiveness of the practice
Creator of science: conducting research that leads to new procedures useful in practice
Science-practitioners’ three basic attempts (goals) with research.
Three major categories of focus underlying the study and discussion of psychological disorders.
- Describe psychological disorders
- Determine their causes
- Treat them
- Clinical Description
- Causation (etiology)
- Treatment and outcome
Presenting Problem
Term used for/about a patient to describe their specific problem or set of problems. “Presents” is a traditional shorthand way of indicating why the person came to the clinic.
Describing the presenting problem is the first step in determining the clinical description.
Clinical Description
The unique combination of behaviours, thoughts, and feelings that make up a specific disorder.
Clinical
Refers to the types of problems or disorders that you would find in a clinic or hospital and to the activities connected with assessment and treatment.
Factors involved in a clinical description
- Presenting problem(s); symptoms
- What makes the disorder different from normal behaviour or other disorders
- Statistical data, such as:
- Incidence
- Prevalence
- Sex Ratio
- Typical age of onset
- Course and prognosis
Prevalence
Total - how many people in a population as a whole have a given disorder.
Incidence
New - how many new cases occur during a given period.
Course Types
- Chronic
- Episodic
- Time-limited
Chronic Course
Disorders that tend to last a long time, sometimes a lifetime.
Episodic Course
Individuals are likely to recover within a few months only to suffer a recurrence of the disorder at a later time. This may repeat throughout a person’s life.
Time-Limited Course
Disorders that tend to improve without treatment in a relatively short period with little to no risk of recurrence.
Differences in onset
- Acute onset
* Insidious onset
Acute Onset
Disorders which begin suddenly.
Insidious Onset
Disorders which develop gradually over an extended period.
Why it is important to know the typical course of a disorder
So that we know what to expect in the future and how best to deal with the problem.
Prognosis
The anticipated course of a disorder.
Examples
“the prognosis is GOOD”: the individual will likely recover
“the prognosis is GUARDED”: the probably outcome doesn’t look good
Developmental Psychology
The study of changes in behaviour over time
Developmental Psychopathology
The study of changes in abnormal behaviour
Life-span developmental psychopathology
The study of abnormal behaviour across the entire age span
Etiology
The study of origins. Has to do with why a disorder begins (what causes it) and includes biological, psychological, and social dimensions.
Note: the effect does not necessarily imply the cause. A lack of aspirin is not the cause of a headache.
