Week 3 Introduction to Psychopathology

Question 1

Describe the multidimensional model of psychopathology.

Answer 1

Posits that abnormal psychology is derived from multiple sources - biological, behavioural, cognitive, developmental and interpersonal. Also highlights the importance of context.

Question 2

What are the 5 major influences of abnormality?

Answer 2

Biological
Developmental
Behavioural
Cognitive/Emotional
Social/Interpersonal

Abnormal behaviour comes from multiple influences that affect one another i.e. biological influences may impact cognitive outcomes.

Question 3

Biological factors that influence abnormality?

Answer 3

Genes
Neurotransmitters
Brain functioning/circuitry
Hormones
HPA Axis

Evidence indicates that biological factors contribute less than 50% to psychological disorders. For eg. if one twin has schizophrenia there is a less than 50% chance that the twin will have the same condition.

Question 4

What are behavioural influences of abnormality?

Answer 4

Pavlovian conditioning
Operant conditioning
Prepared learning
Learned helplessness
Social learning

Question 5

What are some examples of the cognitive/emotional influences of abnormality?

Answer 5

Fight/flight response
Emotional dysregulation
Implicit/unconscious memory

Question 6

How does emotion effect behaviour?

Answer 6

Behavior is how we act.

Emotions can affect how we act. Patterns such as freezing, escaping, approaching, attacking

Question 7

How does emotion effect cognition?

Answer 7

Cognition is about thinking and feeling.

Emotion can affect how we process information through appraisals and attributions - the way the world around is processed and understood.

Question 8

What is the diathesis-stress model?

Answer 8

Individuals inherit tendencies to express certain traits or behaviours, which may then be activated under certain situations of stress.

A diathesis is a condition that makes someone susceptible to developing a certain disorder. When the right gene-environment situation presents, so too can the disorder.

Question 9

How does emotion effect physiology?

Answer 9

Emotion is a brain function. Direct connection b/w brain and eyes can lead to bypass of higher cognitive processes.

Question 10

What are some of the social and interpersonal influences of abnormality?

Answer 10

Cultural factors
Gender effects
Social support (frequency and quality are important)

Question 11

What are some the developmental influences of abnormality?

Answer 11

Prenatal development
Infancy/toddlerhood
Childhood
Adolescence
Early/middle/late adulthood

Question 12

What is equifinality?

Answer 12

The idea that there are several paths to a given outcome.

Paths vary by developmental stage.

Question 13

What is the Triple Vulnerability Model?

Answer 13

A model that hypothesises that there are general biological and psychological influences in each disorder as well as a disorder-specific psychological vulnerability.

Question 14

What are the three elements of clinical assessment?

Answer 14

Systematic evaluation and measurement - psychological, biological and social influences.

Question 15

What are the two main elements of diagnosis?

Answer 15

Degree of fit between symptoms and diagnostic criteria.

Diagnosing is the act of placing the individual into a category of the classification system.

Question 16

What are four purposes of diagnosis?

Answer 16

Understand the individual

Predict behaviour

Treatment planning

Evaluating outcomes

Question 17

The usefulness of any assessment depends on…

Answer 17

reliability (consistency)
validity (measures what it’s supposed to)
standardisation (consistency across different measurements)

Question 18

How are psychological disorders assessed with clinical interview?

Answer 18

1. Assess multiple domains (presenting problem, current/past behaviour, detailed history, attitudes and emotions)
2. Structured and semi-structured interviews (anxiety disorders schedule for DSM5 (ADIS-5)) or structured clinical interview for the DSM5 (SCID-5))

Question 19

What are the four main factors considered in a behavioural assessment

Answer 19

ABC’s + context.
(antecedents, behaviour, consequences)

Question 20

What tests exist for assessing psychopathology?

Answer 20

Mental Status Exam (appearance and behaviour, thought processes, mood and affect, intellectual functioning, sensorium)

Physical Exam (ruling out toxicities, medication side effects, allergic reactions, metabolic conditions)

Observation and identification of target behaviours, direct observation by individual/loved one, functional assessment/analysis.

Question 21

What is classification?

Answer 21

An over-arching taxonomy of mental illness.

It helps to identify problems, guide intervention, identify new knowledge and communicate with others.

Question 22

What is diagnosis?

Answer 22

The act of placing the individual into a category of the classification system.

Question 23

Idiographic strategy

Answer 23

The things that are unique to an individual’s personality, cultural background or circumstances.

Question 24

Nomothetic strategy

Answer 24

Used to identify specific psychological disorders > make diagnosis.

Question 25

What are the two most widely used classification systems?

Answer 25

ICD-11 (WHO)

DSM5

Question 26

What are the guiding principles for the DSM?

Answer 26

practical for clinical use
supported by empirical evidence
continuity with previous editions
harmony with ICD-11
aim to include cultural variations
reduce ‘not otherwise specified’

Question 27

What four criteria determine the validity (accuracy) of a diagnosis?

Answer 27

clinical description
lab research
natural history
family studies

Question 28

How has the DSM diagnostic system changed over time?

Answer 28

Dimensional considerations

Organised developmentally

Disorders defined in line with cultural, social and familial norms

Removal of multi-axial system

Replaced other specified disorder with unspecified disorder

Added new disorders

Question 29

Limitations of the diagnostic system?

Answer 29

Disorders not always distinct

Disorders have blurred boundaries/comorbidity

Many disorders cluster together

Clinical signs and symptoms do not constitute a disorder - we might have the symptoms wrong.