Introduction to Psychopathology

Medical Student Syndrome Takes on symptoms studying

Famous People with Psycho-pathology Sylvia Plath Chris Sizemore (Eve) Richard Wagner Kurt Colbain Karen Carpenter Howard Hughes Ernest Hemingway Sir Winston Churchill Marilyn Munroe Vincent Van Gogh McKenzie King Anthony Hopkins J. Edgar Hoover Vincent Van Gogh John Nash Billy Holiday Hunter S. Thompson Robin Williams Ludwig von Beethoven Romeo Delaire

Approaches to Abnormality Statistical Approach

Approaches to Abnormality Statistical Approach Subjective Discomfort

Approaches to Abnormality Statistical Approach Subjective Discomfort Maladaptive Functioning

Approaches to Abnormality Statistical Approach Subjective Discomfort Maladaptive Functioning Harmful Dysfunction

Harmful Dysfunction 1. Some internal mechanism is not performing normal function 2. Causes some harm

Discrete or Continuous? Constant or Changing? Normal Abnormal Normal Abnormal

Temporal Element Normal Abnormal Childhood Adulthood

Behaviour Normally Distributed

Abnormality is characterized by: Distress causes person or others significant distress Dysfunction prevents person from functioning in daily life Deviance thoughts, behaviours, or feelings highly unusual In the field of clinical psychology we have a number of different ways, kind of heuristics that we use to label things as abnormal or unhealthy or troubling. And three of these characteristics are what we often call the three Ds: distress, dysfunction, and deviance. So, behaviors that cause the individual or others significant distress often get labeled as abnormal or unhealthy. Depression is a prime example, as we'll see when we talk about the characteristics of it. It's a miserable state of being; you're unhappy, you're sad, you may even feel so badly you want to kill yourself. And that very, very high level of distress is part of the reason why it's labeled as a mental disorder. Other mental disorders don't cause the individual distress, but they may cause other people distress. So, one example of this is something called "antisocial personality disorder," where the individual has no regard for the rights of other people, has no hesitation to steal or--steal from or hurt other people, has no empathy or sympathy for other people's feelings and so can inflict a lot of harm on other people and has absolutely no distress over this whatsoever. But this behavior causes other people distress, and that's one of the reasons why that's labeled an abnormal behavior or a mental health problem. The second general criterion is "dysfunction." If a set of behaviors prevents the person from functioning in daily life, then it might be labeled as abnormal or might end up being labeled as a mental health problem. Again, depression is a good example. People who are depressed often become completely non-functional. They can't get up and go to class; they can't go to work; they can't interact with their friends; they withdraw and become totally isolated socially. So, they might lose their job; they might flunk out of school. And this complete decline in functioning is one of the major reasons that we consider depression one of the most debilitating disorders. And then finally, "deviance," the behaviors or feelings are highly unusual. This is probably the most controversial of the three because it weighs, it is so heavily influenced by the social norms. What's deviant in one culture is not deviant in another culture. But if a set of behaviors is completely unacceptable to a culture, highly unusual, they're more likely to end up getting labeled as abnormal.

The Human Face of Mental Health and Mental Illness in Canada 2006 Data come from: Statistics Canada 2002: Canadian Community Health Survey Cycle 1.2: Mental Health and Well-being 2002-2003 Hospital Mental Health Database3 2004 Health Behaviours of School Children Survey

Some of the Most Common Kinds of Psychopathology Depression (e.g., Major Depressive Episode) Anxiety (e.g., Social Phobia) Substance Dependence (e.g., Alcohol Dependence)

Overview of Mental Health in Canada 2006 1 out of every 10 Canadians aged 15 and over, or about 2.7 million people, reported symptoms consistent with a mood or anxiety disorder, or alcohol or illicit drug dependence. 1 in 20 met the criteria for a mood disorder. 1 in 20 met the criteria for an anxiety disorder, either panic disorder, agoraphobia or social phobia. 1 in 50 met the criteria for moderate-risk or problem gambling. 1 in 30 met the criteria for substance dependence associated with either alcohol illicit drug use.

Prevalence of Mood, Anxiety, or Substance Use Disorder in Canada (Mental Health in Canada 2006) Mood, Anxiety, Substance Disorder Total % 11.1 Men % 10.2 Women % 11.7

Prevalence of Mood, Anxiety, or Substance Use Disorder in Canada (Mental Health in Canada 2006) Disorders Total Prevalence in % Mood Disorders 5.3 Anxiety Disorders 4.8 Substance Use Disorders 3.1

Impact of mental health problems in Canada Leading causes of disability in developed countries Economic Impact Health care cost (e.g., treatment, hospitalization) Productivity loss (e.g., sick leave) Estimated annual cost: ~$15 billion in Canada, ~1 billion in BC Suicide is a significant risk for individuals with psychological disorders, e.g., depression, bipolar, schizophrenia, borderline personality disorder Impact on family & stigma Leading causes of disability: by the year 2020, which is only 7 years away from now, depression will become the second leading cause of disability worldwide, only behind heart and cardiovascular diseases Considering the economic impact of mental disorders, it has been estimated that the combined costs of health care and loss of productivity as a result of mental disorders in Canada is about 15 billion a year, and about 1 billion in BC. Suicide is a significant risk for those who have psychological disorders, particularly mood disorders, and more debilitating forms of disorders like schizophrenia and borderline personality disorder Obviously, Huge impact on family members of those who are suffering from mental disorders. First of all, family members face difficult decisions about treatment, hospitalization, housing, and contact with family members with mental illness. Secondly, also have to deal with the anxiety of an uncertain future and the stress of what can become a severe and limiting disorder. Also need to consider the cost of medication, time off work, and extra support required can create severe financial burden for the family. Often, families have questions about the cause of the illness and sometimes fear that they caused the illness. For example, in the case of a family member’s suicide, the surviving family members often have questions whether they have contributed to the suicide in any way, which is a very distressing question to think about, as you can imagine. Additionally, there is still stigma in our society about people with mental disorders and their families, which can create even more stress and isolation of family members from their community and social support network. So really quite significant cost, not just for individuals, families, but for our society as a whole.

Misconceptions 1. A Person who has been mentally ill can never be normal

Misconceptions 2. Even if some mentally ill persons return to normal, most don’t and chronically ill people remain crazy

Misconceptions 3. Persons with psychological problems are unpredictable

Misconceptions 4. Mentally ill persons are dangerous and they can go berserk at any moment

Misconceptions 5. Mentally ill people are deadbeats and misfits