What is Psychopathology? Classification and Diagnosis Flashcards
When did Psychology enter the picture?
1950s
For the last 70 years, most mental health professionals have followed what?
The medical model
‘Mental disorders’ can be identified from what?
Who did this originate from?
Shared symptoms
Emil Kraepelin
Two clusters of symptoms:
Dementia praecox
Manic depressive psychosis
What does the DSM stand for
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of the American Psychiatric Assosciation
When was the DSM first published and what edition is it on
1952
fifth edition (2013)
What does the alternative system ICD stand for
International Classification of Diseases by the World Health Organisation
When did the ICD first incorporate mental disorder and what edition is it on
1948
11th edition (2019)
diagnostic coding 5 points
- depends on frequency
- severity
- presence of psychotic features
- remission status
- unspecified when criteria not met and none of the other conditions apply
Whats Beck’s triad of negative schemas
- The self (Im ugly/a failure/wish i was someone else)
- The world (people dislike/ignore/take advantage of me)
- The future (how will i cope, things are getting worse)
what are 4 cognitive biases or distortions the triad is driven by
- Arbitrary inference
- Selective abstraction
- Over generalisation
- Magnification/minimalisation
Cognitive behavioural therapy aims to ‘restructure’ these thoughts
what are 4 cognitive biases or distortions the triad is driven by
- Arbitrary inference
- Selective abstraction
- Over generalisation
- Magnification/minimalisation
Cognitive behavioural therapy aims to ‘restructure’ these thoughts
Biological explanation for depression
Monoamine hypothesis
- depression arises bcos of depleted serotonin, noradrenaline and dopamine
- treated by raising serotonin
- tendency to work better for women
Major depression affects ?% of women and ?% of men at some point
and why
26% of women
12% of men
female personality? cognitive tendencies?
different emotions associated: sadness (F), anger/recklessness (M)
Stoppard (2000): depression as response to ‘insoluble dilemmas’ in women’s lives
- need to be a good mother, good wife etc
- dual demands for career success and domestic responsibilities
- physically exhausting
Learned helplessness
Seligman (1974) dog shock experiment, extrapolated to humans:
depressed individuals don’t operate coping strategies when under stress/threat
Learned helplessness
Attributional model (Abramson, Seligman & Teasdale, 1978): given situation, e.g. failed exam, assessed in terms of:
- Locus of control
- Stability
- Global/specific
To classify or not to classify?
FOR:
Professionals and clients alike welcome clarity provided by labels/discrete syndromes
Makes treatment decisions and prognoses simpler and easier to communicate
Allows inter group comparison
To classify or not to classify?
AGAINST:
Classification by long lists of symptoms far from ideal
Low reliability of accuracy between experts, time and place
Comorbidity the rule rather than the exception
Increasing evidence (inc. neurological) against category validity
