week 11: psychological disorders Flashcards
what is mental health
A state of emotional and social wellbeing
what is a mental disorder?
A clinically recognisable set of symptoms and behaviours that disrupts wellbeing/functioning. It causes stress (for them and others) and requires treatment
what are mental health problems (psychopathology)
Problematic patterns of thought, feeling, and behaviour
psychopathology in Australia stats
Almost half the population (45%) will experience a mental disorder at some point
About 1 in 5 adults (16‐85 years) will have had a mental disorder in the past year
For children/adolescents: 12‐month prevalence was 1 in 7
what is the Context of psychopathology
Historical
Social
Cultural
Theoretical
Theoretical context of psychopathology
- Psychodynamic theories
- Cognitive‐behavioural approaches
- Biological approaches
- Systems theory (e.g. family system model)
- Evolutionary perspectives
Psychodynamic perspective classes of psychopathology
3 classes of psychopathology, in which ego functioning is central:
• Neuroses
• Personality disorders
• Psychoses
Psychodynamic perspective classes of psychopathology: neuroses
issues in living that involve anxiety (phobias) or interpersonal conflict
Psychodynamic perspective classes of psychopathology: personality disorders
chronic and severe disturbances that alter the capacity to work and to love
Psychodynamic perspective classes of psychopathology: psychoses
marked disturbances of contact with reality
cause of psychodynamic classes
neuroses: environmental
psychoses: genetic vulnerability
personality disorders: environment or the interaction of genes and environment
Cognitive and behavioural perspective of psychopathology
Cognitive: psychological disorders reflect dysfunctional attitudes, beliefs and cognitive processes
Behavioural: psychological problems arise from conditioned emotional responses
Biological perspective to psychopathology
Root of abnormal behaviour lies within the brain
Systems perspective to psychopathology
Root of abnormality lies in the context of a social group (and families)
Evolutionary perspective to psychopathology
- Random variations in genotypes can lead to less adaptive phenotypes
- Less adaptive behaviour may have its roots in behaviour important for survival 3. important interplay of genes and environment
what is the most common approach to diagnosing mental disorders in Australia?
descriptive – using atheoretical disorder classification systems
the 2 disorder classification systems
- Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)
- International Classification of Diseases (ICD)
what is Schizophrenia
Debilitating disorder that involves disturbance in almost every dimension of human function – perceptions, thoughts, behaviour, emotions, and language – and impacts on social relationships (family life, friendships) and occupational functioning
2 types of Schizophrenia Symptom clusters
positive and negative
negative Schizophrenia symptoms
- Absence/lack of normal behaviour or function
- Flat affect (lack of emotion)
- Apathy/avolition (lack of motivation)
- Social withdrawal
- Lack of spontaneous movement
- Alogia (lack of speech)
- catatonia (weird movements)
positive Schizophrenia symptoms
- Delusions
- Hallucinations
- Disorganised speech or behaviour
different forms of hallucinations
auditory visual somatic (sensation in the body) eg, worms in skin tactile (touch) eg, burning olfactory (smell) gustatory (taste)
most common form of hallucinations
auditory
what are delusions
A false belief, held firmly, even in the face of objective evidence to the contrary
