Week 1: Introduction and History of Abnormal Psychology, Classification Systems and Clinical Assessment Flashcards
What is abnormal psychology?
A scientific study of behaviours with four main objectives:
1. Describing what behaviours are evident - do they fulfil criteria for a disorder (nosology)
2. Explaining why behaviour/a disorder is evident (etiology)
3. Predicting outcome (course and prognosis)
4. Managing behaviours that are considered problematic (treatment)
Name the two concepts of abnormality:
Relativist view and Absolutist view `
Define the relativist view of abnormality:
The symptoms and causes of disorders vary across cultures
Define the absolutist view of abnormal psychology:
A disorder is caused by the same biological factors in all cultures
How can we define abnormality?
There is no clear cut definitions - to a large extent this is subjective.
Is behaving differently, defiantly, dangerously or dysfunctionally, abnormal?
Does the behaviour cause distress or dysfunction for the individual or others?
Duration is an important consideration
What are some elements of abnormality?
- Personal suffering and emotional distress
- Irrationality and incomprehensibility
- Unpredictability and loss of control
- Interference in daily functioning
- Vividness and unconventionality
- Deviations from the norm (development, societal and cultural)
- Observer discomfort
- Violation of moral and ideal standard
Define epidemiology:
The study of the frequency and distribution of disorders within a population
Define incidence (in the context of epidemiology):
The number of new cases of a disorder that appear in a population within a specific time period
Define prevalence (in the context of epidemiology):
The total number of active cases in a given population during a specific period of time
What are the differences between life-time prevalence, point prevalence, and 12-month prevalence?
Life-time prevalence is the proportion of population affected during their life-time, whereas point prevalence is the proportion affected at one point in time, and 12-month prevalence is the proportion affected during a 12-month period.
Define comorbidity:
The simultaneous presence of two or more mental disorders
Define a symptom:
A manifestation of pathological condition. In some uses of the term, it is limited to subjective complaints - also includes objective signs of pathological conditions.
Define a syndrome:
A group of symptoms that occur together that constitute a recognisable condition
Define a sub-syndrome:
When an individual holds all symptoms, but they haven’t been occurring for long enough as such they meet the required length of time.
Define a classification systems:
A list of conditions with a description of the symptoms characteristic of each, and guidelines for assigning individuals to categories.
What are the purposes of classification?
- Enables clinicians to diagnose a persons problem as a disorder
- Information retrieval
- Facilitates research
- Facilitates communication
- Facilitates treatment selection (sometimes)
What were some of the improvements made to the DSM-5-TR?
- Criteria more detailed and objective
- Pathology is not regarded as subset of medicine
- DSM-5 discarded the multi-axial format (unreliable)
- Diagnostic specificity
- Harmonisation with ICD-11
- Text revised to clarify and update diagnostic criteria, and one new disorder was added: Prolonged Grief Disorder
In the revision for the DSM-5-TR, what was the new disorder added?
Prolonged Grief Disorder
What are some of the criticisms of classification systems?
- Socially constructed and change over time
- Loss of information
- Ignored differences among people meeting criteria for a disorder
- May lead to stigma and discrimination
- Can be misused
- Labelling controversy (shape perceptions, cause prejudicial treatment, foster self-fulfilling prophecy)
What are the 5 stages of clinical assessment?
- Essential component: Clinical Interview
- Augmented with various other assessments to test hypotheses
- A diagnostic formulation
- A judgement about why the disorder is present
- A judgement about suitable treatment
What are some types of clinical assessment?
- Clinical intake interview
- Clinical tests
- Projective tests
- Personality inventories
- Self-report inventories
- Structured assessments such as intelligence tests
- Neurological tests
- Behavioural assessment
- Physiological assessment
