What is clinical psychology? Flashcards
What is clinical psychology?
It is concerned with abnormal behaviour and seeks to define what is abnormal and then aims to diagnose and explain mental illness
What does clinical psychology aim to do once a diagnosis is reached?
To treat the behaviour and try and reduce the distress it may be causing the sufferer
What is a diagnosis?
It involves a clinician listening to a patient to see whether any of their symptoms match those in a checklist of a mental disorder to decide what disorder they are suffering from
How is abnormality defined?
Using the 4Ds: danger, devience, dysfunction and distress
What is danger?
Whether the patient is a danger to themselves or others, intervention may be needed if they are putting themselves or others at risk
What is distress?
The extent to which the behaviour is causing upset to the individual, this should be treated in isolation from the other 4Ds as they may still be able to function
What is dysfunction?
This refers to a person’s behaviour not being successful in relation to carrying out everyday tasks and living their life in general
What is deviance?
The extent to which the behaviour is ‘rare’ within society, if it is considered rare enough, a disorder might be present
What could be the fifth D according to Davis (2009)?
Duration - how long the behaviour lasts
What is a weakness of the four Ds regarding subjectivity?
What a professional views as dysfunctional - e.g not going to work - might not be viewed as dysfunctional by the individual themselves
What is an issue with the concept of deviance?
There is an argument that some problematic behaviours are not rare, e.g depression, it is important that clinicians weigh up all 4 of the Ds
How does Davis (2009) provide a practical application?
He shows how the 4Ds can be used with the DSM meaning they are useful for professionals when considering diagnosis
How do the 4Ds support the validity of the DSM?
Various diagnoses are shown to focus on specific Ds, showing each has value.
Why does the 4Ds lack reliability?
It isn’t an objective classification, two clinicians may not reach the same conclusion
Are there standardised measures to test the level of deviance?
Yes, there are tests to assess symptoms of many disorders
