1. Terms Diagnosis: what the patient has
Prognosis: future predictions of how the disorder will affect patient
Etiology: cause/why
Example: Etiology of schizophrenia indicates strong genetic predisposition

2. Diagnosis
DSM-IV uses five “axes” to describe a person’s problem. The actual diagnosis of a disorder is made on Axes I & II
Axis I: Just about everything
Axis II: Personality Disorders

3. Deviant: Not normal for culture
Person can only achieve sexual arousal by dressing in women’s clothes; in American culture, this is deviant
Maladaptive: affects day-to-day living and/or social/occupational/etc. functioning
Person is an alcoholic and has been fired from four jobs in a year, but doesn’t think it’s a problem

4. Medical Model
Looking at mental disorders as medical diseases, including looking at the whole body

5. The greatest shortcoming associated with explanations of mental disorders as demon possession is that these explanations led to some harsh and ineffective remedial treatments.

6. FRQ
Often misunderstood, schizophrenia is a psychological disorder affecting one percent of the population. In addition to treating the disorder, psychologists work to identify its nature and origins.
Identify two characteristic symptoms used to diagnose schizophrenia.
Discuss a research finding that supports a genetic basis for schizophrenia.
What is the dopamine hypothesis regarding the origins of schizophrenia?
Describe how medications used to treat schizophrenia affect the actions of neurotransmitters at the synapses.
Identify a risk inherent in using medications in the treatment of schizophrenia.
People sometimes confuse schizophrenia with dissociative identity disorder (DID). Identify two key characteristics that differentiate DID from schizophrenia.