1. Chapter 12: Defining Psychological Disorders
Amber Gilewski
Tompkins Cortland Community College

2. Abnormal Behavior The medical model What is abnormal behavior?
Deviant
Maladaptive
-Dysfunctional
-Causing personal distress
A continuum of normal/abnormal
Legal definition
Violation of cultural standards

3. Psychodiagnosis: The Classification of Disorders
American Psychiatric Association
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders – 5th ed. (DSM - 5) Potential problems with DSM
Dangers of overdiagnosis
Comorbidity
Power of diagnostic labels
Mental illness vs. normal problems
Illusion of objectivity
Beliefs change over time

4. Anxiety Disorders Generalized anxiety disorder “free-floating anxiety”
Phobic disorder
Specific focus of fear
Panic disorder and agoraphobia: recurrent anxiety attacks; may develop fear of going out *************************************************************
Obsessive compulsive disorder
Obsessions- recurrent, unwanted thoughts
Compulsions- actions to calm thoughts
Posttraumatic Stress Disorder: re-experiencing past trauma in nightmares, flashbacks, etc.

5. Etiology of Anxiety Disorders
Biological factors
Genetic predisposition, anxiety sensitivity
GABA circuits in the brain
Conditioning and learning
Acquired through classical conditioning or observational learning
Maintained through operant conditioning
Cognitive factors
Judgments of perceived threat
Personality
Neuroticism
Stress—a precipitator

6. Mood Disorders
Major depressive disorder: extreme sadness, loss of interest, lower self-esteem, somatic concerns, etc.
Dysthymic disorder: milder, chronic form of depression
Bipolar disorder: one or more manic episodes with periods of depression
Cyclothymic disorder: milder, chronic form of bipolar
Etiology
Genetic vulnerability
Neurochemical factors
Cognitive factors
Interpersonal roots
Precipitating stress

7. Schizophrenia General symptoms Delusions and irrational thought
Deterioration of adaptive behavior
Hallucinations
Disturbed emotions
Positive vs. negative & cognitive symptoms
Prognostic factors: more favorable if onset is sudden and later, good functioning prior to illness, negative symptoms are low, good social supports

8. Etiology of Schizophrenia
Genetic vulnerability
Neurochemical factors
Structural abnormalities of the brain
The neurodevelopmental hypothesis
Expressed emotion
Precipitating stress

9. Personality Disorders
Anxious-fearful/inhibited cluster
Avoidant, dependent, obsessive-compulsive
Odd-eccentric cluster
Schizoid, schizotypal, paranoid
Dramatic-impulsive/erratic cluster
Histrionic, narcissistic, borderline, antisocial
Etiology
Genetic/biological predispositions, inadequate socialization in dysfunctional families, sociocultural (fragmented society)

10. Table 14.2 Personality Disorders