INTRODUCTION to Psychological Disorders “Parents Go On 'Track Watch' After Calif. Teen Suicides” “Surgery for Mental Ills Offers Both Hope and Risk” “MDMA-Assisted Psychotherapy in the Treatment of Posttraumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)” “A rise in mental-health help on campus: Colleges respond as more students seek help for problems small or serious.” “Ruminative Self-Focus and Negative Affect: An Experience Sampling Study” “Developmental structure of genetic influences on antisocial behavior across childhood and adolescence.”

Defining abnormality zHow would you define a “psychological disorder?” zPlease get in pairs and follow the handout instructions

Defining disorder Key elements of symptoms (according to DSM) : disturbances in behavior, thoughts, or emotions associated with significant personal distress or impairment stem from an internal dysfunction -- biological, psychological, or both Criticisms?

Description Causation Treatment/Outcome Study of PsychologicalDisorders Understanding Pathology

Describing Disorders yDSM-IV x Diagnostic system for classifying psychological disorders x Various classes of disorders: anxiety, mood, dissociative, etc.

Potential problem of Diagnosis zDiagnoses can become labels yConsequences of labeling x Impact on others? (e.g., Rosenhan study) x Impact on self? (“I’m ADHD”) zStigma y 70% of people with diagnosable mental disorders do not seek treatment… stigma- related?

– Historically – Medical model – Biopsychosocial model

Bio-psycho-social Perspective Biological (heredity; brain structures; neurochemistry) Psychological (maladaptive learning & coping, cognitive biases, Interpersonal probs) Socio-cultural (socialization, stressful life circumstances, social inequities)

Treatment / Outcome Treatments should stem from: an attempt to understand multiple causes research that has provided evidence of significant effectiveness for specific problems (i.e., Evidence-based Treatment, EBT)

Description Causation Treatment/Outcome Study of PsychologicalDisorders Case study: Depression

 Persistent sad, anxious, or "empty" mood  Loss of appetite and/or weight loss, or conversely overeating and weight gain  Insomnia, early-morning awakening, or oversleeping  Restlessness or irritability  Feelings of worthlessness, inappropriate guilt, helplessness, hopelessness  Difficulty thinking, concentrating, making decisions  Thoughts of death or suicide or attempts at suicide  Loss of interest or pleasure in hobbies and activities that were once enjoyed, including sex  Decreased energy, fatigue, feeling sluggish  Persistent sad, anxious, or "empty" mood  Loss of appetite and/or weight loss, or conversely overeating and weight gain  Insomnia, early-morning awakening, or oversleeping  Restlessness or irritability  Feelings of worthlessness, inappropriate guilt, helplessness, hopelessness  Difficulty thinking, concentrating, making decisions  Thoughts of death or suicide or attempts at suicide  Loss of interest or pleasure in hobbies and activities that were once enjoyed, including sex  Decreased energy, fatigue, feeling sluggish Describing Depression

 Biological Mood Disorders – Causal Factors  Heritability estimates (40%) (e.g., twin studies: MZ vs DZ twins -- 3 X risk)  Drugs that affect NTs (e.g., dopamine and serotonin) can relieve depression. Is this a NT- deficit, then?  Brain findings (limbic-cortical dysfunction)  Heritability estimates (40%) (e.g., twin studies: MZ vs DZ twins -- 3 X risk)  Drugs that affect NTs (e.g., dopamine and serotonin) can relieve depression. Is this a NT- deficit, then?  Brain findings (limbic-cortical dysfunction)

Psychological factors (e.g., Cognitive-behavioral explanation) 1 Stressful experiences 4 Cognitive and behavioral changes 2 Negative explanatory style 3 Depressed mood Cognitive styles (e.g., attributions, rumination

Socio-cultural factors zPoverty zDiscrimination zExpectations of what it means to be happy zLevel of violence in society (exposure to trauma) zEnvironmental factors (e.g., sunlight)