1. Unit 3 Abnormal Psychology

2. Please write down only underlined info today in your notes! These notes are in outline form!~

3. A. Possible Indications of Abnormal Behavior

4. 1.Maladaptiveness –Does behavior interferes with regular life activities? 2.Irrationality –Does the person think logically? 3.Observer discomfort –Does the person’s behavior make others feel uncomfortable?

5. 4. Unpredictability –Is their behavior consistent or “out of the blue”? 5. Distress –Does the person have distress such as extreme anxiety or prolonged depression? 6. Unconventionability –Is their behavior bizarre?

6. B. 5 different perspectives on the causes of mental illness

7. 1. Biological Perspective Biological factors affect mental health –Genetics –Chemical imbalances –Brain structure –Injuries to the brain –Infections

8. 2. Psychodynamic Perspective Look to an individuals unconscious for the cause of the disorder –Do this through conversations with patient to explore events and relationships throughout their life that have shaped their attitude

9. 3. Behavioral Perspective Believe disorders are the result of faulty learning Life experiences have conditioned us to respond to events or situations in a particular way To remedy the situation we must “unlearn” these behaviors (like phobia’s)

10. 4. Cognitive Perspective Disorders arise from faulty thoughts –Ex. If a person always thinks, “I’m not very interesting, nobody likes me.” This person may then mis-interpret how others respond to her and begin believing these things To remedy the situation we must change the thoughts –Many popular self help books are based on cognitive psychology

11. 5. Humanistic Perspective Disorders develop due to people adopting standards and values that conflict with their true inner feelings To remedy this therapists work to help them identify and embrace their genuine goals and desires

12. C. Classifying Mental Illness

13. Mental illnesses today are classified based on their symptoms –American Psychiatric Association defines them in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders IV-TR (DSM-IV)

14. D. 7 types of mental illness (disorders)

15. 1. Anxiety Disorders Among the most common psych. disorder…10- 15% of US pop./ year Anxiety is a feeling of apprehension that danger or misfortune is looming Physical symptoms: rapid heart rate, perspiration, nausea, dizziness Types of anxiety disorders: –Phobic disorder –Generalized Anxiety Disorder –Panic Disorder –Post-traumatic Stress Disorder –Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder

16. 2. Somatoform Disorders Physical symptoms arise from psychological causes –A person may suffer physical symptoms even though there is nothing physically wrong or no physical explanation Types of somatoform disorders: –Conversion disorder –Hypochondriasis

17. 3. Dissociative Disorders Escape from painful problems or situations by dissociating (cutting themselves off) from certain parts of themselves –May happen gradually or suddenly –May be temporary or permanent Can disturb normal life function and cause extreme distress Types of Dissociative disorders: –Amnesia –Dissociative fugue –Dissociative Identity Disorder

18. 4. Affective Disorders (Mood disorders) Experiences moods so extreme that they interfere with their daily life Types of affective disorders: –Dysthymic disorder (moderate depression) –Major depression –Bipolar disorder

19. 5. Psychotic Disorders People lose contact with reality so very difficult to carry on normal life activity During a psychotic episode may experience hallucinations or delusions –Hallucinations :Person senses something that isn’t there Auditory most common –Delusions: unshakable beliefs that are obviously not true (believing they are Santa) Person may have coherent periods in between psychotic episodes

20. Types of psychotic disorders: –Schizophrenia Disorganized Catatonic Paranoid Undifferentiated –Delusional Disorder

21. 6. Personality Disorders Maladaptive personality traits usually more disturbing to other people than the individual Types of personality disorders: –Antisocial Personality Disorder –Borderline Personality Disorder

22. 7. Childhood Disorders Categorized separately from disorders that occur in adulthood due to the differences in children and adults Abnormal behavior difficult to assess in children because they each develop at different rates Types of childhood disorders: –Attention-Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder –Autistic Disorder

23. Etiology Genetics Investigated through family studies, mainly of monozygotic (identical) and dizygotic (fraternal) twins, often in the context of adoption. These studies allow calculation of a heritability coefficient. Biological factors Investigates effects of hormones, neurotransmitters and neuron damage in mental illness, for example Alzheimer's Disease (neuronal degeneration), Seasonal Affective Disorder (hormonal imbalance) and depression/anxiety. Different theories focus on structural, biochemical and genetic theories.

24. Etiology Psychological factors Psychoanalysis (Freud) Behavioural therapy (Wolpe) based on behaviourism, and involving classical and operant conditioning.behaviourismoperant conditioning Humanistic therapy aiming to achieve self-actualisation (Carl Rogers, 1961) Cognitive Behavioural Therapy aims to influence thought and cognition (Beck, 1977). Socio-cultural factors Effects of urban/rural dwelling, gender and minority status on state of mind. Conducted by Jenkins (1998)

25. Etiology Systemic factors Family systems Negatively Expressed Emotion playing a part in schizophrenic relapse and anorexia nervosa. Biopsychosocial factors Holistic causal model Illness dependent on stress 'triggers'.