Unit VI: Abnormal Psychology

Why is there a stigma associated with

psychological disorders?

Abnormal Psychology

Psychopathology: the study of the causes,

symptoms, and development of psychological or

mental disorders

WHAT IS NORMAL AND WHAT

IS ABNORMAL??? (stop at 5:05)

http://www.youtube.com/watch?

v=wuhJ-GkRRQc

In the Crash Course video, he talks about:

What Cochran discovered: http://dangerousminds.net/comments/list_of_reasons_for_admission_to_an_

insane_asylum

The experiment David Rosenhan did

What were Rosenhan’s criticisms of the

system?

His experiment raised a lot of important

questions.

The 3 criteria that mark behavior as abnormal…

What is abnormal behavior?

Mental disorders are characterized by DEVIANT, MALADAPTIVE,

or harmful behaviors and disruptive patterns of thinking, feeling,

and acting that causes DISTRESS and dysfunction and affects

the performance of daily functioning.

3 criteria

1) Deviant—violates societal norms in a particular culture

2) Maladaptive—impairs a person’s everyday behavior; a

failure to adapt to society’s norms

3) Causing personal distress—personal suffering

Abnormal Behavior

Abnormal Behavior

HOW DO PSYCHOLOGISTS APPROACH MENTAL DISORDERS?

The Medical Approach [Neurobiological Model]:

Offers explanations that focus on physiological or biological reasons

The Psychoanalytic Approach:

Focus on the possibility that unconscious conflicts, rooted in early

childhood cause anxiety that is dealt with in a maladaptive way

The Cognitive Approach:

Explains abnormal behavior in terms of abnormal patterns of thinking

The Behavioral Approach:

Disorders are learned behaviors; they have either been classically

conditioned or reinforced in some way

Biopsychological Model—disorders are the result of a combination of

biological, psychological, and sociocultural factors.

The DSM-5:Published in 2013

Widely used diagnostic

system for the United

States

Provides a set of criteria

to make assessments

In 1952 The APA (American Psychiatric Association) published

the DIAGNOSTIC AND STATISTICAL MANUAL OF MENTAL

DISORDERS (DSM): used by all psychologists to determine the

nature and course of psychological disorders

All Mental & Medical diagnosis:

Clinical Syndromes or disorders

Personality Disorders or Mental

Retardation

General Medical Conditions

Psychosocial and Environmental Problems

(Accounts for personally distressing

occurrences. For trauma & stress-related

disorders.)

Psychodiagnosis: The Classification of Disorders

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=20H0yGx__NA&feature=youtu.be

Insanity: Insanity is not a diagnosis, it is a legal concept. It is a legal status

indicating that a person cannot be held responsible for his or her actions

because of mental illness.

M’naghten rule: holds that insanity exists when a mental disorder

makes a person unable to distinguish right from wrong

Involuntary commitment: occurs when people are hospitalized in

psychiatric facilities against their will. People are subject to

involuntary commitment when they are:

A danger to self

A danger to others

in need of treatment

In emergency situations, psychiatrists and psychologists can authorize

temporary commitment only, for a period of 24-72 hours. Long-term

commitments must go through the courts and are usually set up for

renewable six-month periods.

Mental Disorders and the Law

Celebrities and Disorders:

Depression: Terry Bradshaw

Depression: Clara Hughes, Olympic gold medalist

Depression: Michael Landsberg, TSN Off the Record

Depression: Elizabeth Manley, Olympic skater

Depression: Billy Joel

Depression: Pete Wentz

Depression: Mary J Blige

Depression & Bipolar: Mariel Hemingway, actress

Bipolar: DemiLovato

Bipolar: Bradley Cooper

Bipolar: Robert De Niro

Anxiety Disorder: Steve Sax, baseball player

Borderline Personality Disorder: Brandon Marshall, NFL

Postpartum Depression: Brooke Shields

Dissociative Identity Disorder: Herschel Walker, NLF legend

Can you think of others? Get approval from Vara

Beloved characters with disorders

http://www.cracked.com/article_19336_

6-beloved-characters-that-had-

undiagnosed-mental-illnesses.html

Who are some famous people who

changed the conversation around

mental health?

http://popcrush.com/demi-lovato-mental-

health-advocacy-video/

Let’s look at the EQs for your project!!!

End the Stigma

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Zn6yw2KUIwc

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8JcHu-Vs2_Y

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZflM7zl0_yQ

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnKZ4pdSU-

s&app=desktop Button Poetry

Help

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bMmwYCR590U

http://www.halfofus.com/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=54sDdNa9vek

A category of disorders characterized by extreme

feelings of apprehension (worrying and increased

physical arousal) , which disrupt functioning, and

are present for a long time

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aX

7jnVXXG5o

Clinical Syndromes: Anxiety Disorders

A category of disorders characterized by extreme feelings of

apprehension (worrying and increased physical arousal) , which

disrupt functioning, and are present for a long time

1) Generalized anxiety disorder (GAD)

“Free-floating anxiety”: chronic, high level of anxiety that is

not tied to any specific threat

Anxiety all the time and in most situations

Fatigue, irritability, constant apprehension about future

events

Clinical Syndromes: Anxiety Disorders

2) Phobic disorder

Specific focus of fear—a disproportional fear

leads to avoidance

Particularly common are:

acrophobia – fear of heights

claustrophobia – fear of small, enclosed places

brontophobia – fear of storms

hydrophobia – fear of water

Clinical Syndromes: Anxiety Disorders

Clinical Syndromes: Anxiety Disorders

3) Panic disorder

Sudden occurrence of panic attacks with no

indicated cause

These paralyzing attacks have physical symptoms

Rapid heart rate, heavy breathing, dizziness,

fainting, etc.

Agoriphobia: fearful of places or situations that

might cause you to have a panic attack. So, they

are fearful to even leave home.

How do Anxiety Disorders Develop?

Biological factors (Neurobiological)

Genetic predisposition, anxiety sensitivity

Neurochemical causes in the brain [Norepinephrine, Serotonin,

GABA]

Conditioning and learning (Behavioral)

Acquired through classical conditioning or observational learning

Maintained through operant conditioning

Cognitive factors

Judgments of perceived threat (Misinterpretations; selective

attention)

Personality

Neuroticism—a tendecy to experience negative emotioanl states

Stress

A precipitator

Etiology of Anxiety Disorders

Clinical Syndromes

Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (This is now in a class by itself!!!)

Obsessions—unwanted, repetitive thoughts

Examples: fear of shaking hands, doubting that you locked your

door, intense stress when objects aren’t orderly.

Compulsions—senseless ritualistic and repetitive behaviors

Examples: hand-washing until skin bleeds, checking door

repeatedly to see if it is locked, erc

http://www.cnn.com/2014/06/24/health/brain-stimulation-ocd/

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vnKZ4pdSU-s&app=desktop(warning, you’ll hear the F word in this one.)

Also includes:

Hording Disorder

Excoriation (skin-picking) disorder

Substance/medically induced OCD

Body Dysmorphic Disorder: think about their perceived flaws for hours a day.

Sometimes undergo several unnecessary plastic surgeries to fix the flaw, never

finding satisfaction with the results

Trichotillomania (Hair-pulling disorder)

Clinical Syndromes

: PTSD

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=343ORgL3kIc

(stop at 7:10)

Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD)

Anxiety in response to extreme physical or

psychological trauma

Reliving the event

Avoiding situations in which you associate the event

Excessive physiological arousal

negative changes in emotions or belief

**Not PSYCHOSOMATIC: Psychosomatic diseases are real physical

ailments caused in part by psychological factors.

Somatic Symptom Disorders: Occur when people

experience psychological problems associated with

real physical symptoms that are NOT linked to a

physical cause. To be diagnosed with SSD, the

individual must be persistently symptomatic (typically

at least for 6 months).

Clinical Syndromes:

Somatic Symptom Disorders

1) Somatic Symptom Disorder: http://on.aol.com/video/dr--phil-defines-

somatic-symptom-disorder-with-an-accused-hypochondriac-518509148

characterized by somatic symptoms and disruption of functioning

excessive thoughts, feelings, and behaviors regarding these

symptoms

They are worried about their health, because doctors are unable to

find a cause for their symptoms.

2) Functional Neurological Symptom Disorder

Significant loss of physical function of a single organ for no real

reason

Convert emotional difficulties into loss of specific functions

Neurological examinations can diagnose this

3) Illness Anxiety Disorder

Health related anxiety withOUT somatic symptoms

Fear of having a serious illness, so much so that it causes significant

distress

Some patients examine themselves repeatedly

Clinical Syndromes:

Somatic Symptom Disorders

Etiology of

Somatic Symptom Disorders

Some inherited aspects, but mostly cognitive and personality based

Personality factors

Histrionic and neuroticism personalities are highly predisposed to

somatoform disorders

Thrive on attention

Cognitive factors

Draw catastrophic conclusions about minor body aches

Have a faulty belief of what good health is

The learned sick role

Receive pleasant benefits from being sick

Rare occurrences that involves sudden and mostly temporary disruptions to

a person’s memory, consciousness, and identity

1) Dissociative Amnesia

Sudden loss of memory for important personal information that is too

extensive to be due to normal forgetting

Dissociative Fugue is a symptom of Dissociative Amnesia:

Sudden loss of memory resulting in a new identity and moving to

a new location (amnesia + active flight)

Clinical Syndromes: Dissociative Disorders

2) Dissociative identity disorder(Multiple Personality Disorder)

A person exhibits more than one personality that is unique by style of

thinking, speaking, acting, feeling, and memories

Transitions in identity may be observed by others or self-reported

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=weLvkZGr9Tw&feature=youtu.be (90)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K5PholAYAF4&feature=youtu.be

(Psych)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0tITzDjPf4g&feature=youtu.be (PSA)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7TlYGivBGYE (documentary)

Clinical Syndromes: Dissociative Disorders

Etiology of Dissociative Disorders

Severe emotional trauma during childhood

A result of defense mechanisms

Exhibiting different personas for different situations

Often referred to as Affective Disorders; involve

extreme mood disruptions (mania and depression)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZwMlHkWKDwM

Clinical Syndromes: Mood Disorders

1) Major depressive disorder (unipolar disorder)

Extreme depression for at least 2 weeks

Persistent Depressive Disorder: less intense

depression; longer however—generally more than 2

years

2) Bipolar disorder (manic-depressive disorder)

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HWB0wQWJTew&app=deskto

p

Alternating between periods of deep depression and mania

Mania: energetic, optimistic, impulsive, invincibility, etc.

Cyclothymic disorder: hypomania, less severe

3) Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)

Generally occurs during the winter, when the amount of

daylight is low.

Depression, lethargy, sleep disturbances, carvings for carbs

Clinical Syndromes: Mood Disorders

4.) Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder—a disorder

specific to those under 18 to avoid the over diagnosis of

bipolar disorder in children

5.) Premenstrual dysphoric disorder: Severe depression

symptoms, irritability, and tension before menstruation.

More severe than PMS

Symptoms: no interest in daily activities, fatigue, feelings

of hopelessness, anxiety, food cravings, crying, panic

attacks, problems sleeping and concentrating.

Clinical Syndromes: Mood Disorders

Etiology of Mood Disorders

How do Mood Disorders Develop?

Genetic vulnerability

Shown to run in families (twin studies)

Neurochemical factors

Malfunction of Chromosome 13 which produces Serotonin

Endocrine system malfunctions

Cognitive factors

Learned Helplessness

Negative thinking

Precipitating stress

Correlation to SES—socioeconomic status

A severe and often debilitating disorder that involves patterns of disturbed

thinking, perceptions, emotions and behavior

“Split Mind”

General symptoms: a person must exhibit one of the “Positive

Symptoms”:

DELUSIONS: False and distorted believes

Delusions of grandeur occur when people think they are famous

or important

Irrational thought: Clang associations, loose associations

SPEECH DISRUPTIONS (Neologisms, word salad)

HALLUCINATIONS: False reports of perceptions

Disturbed emotions: Display emotions that don’t coincide with the

situation

Clinical Syndromes: Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia subtypes

Schizophrenia is labeled across a spectrum of severity

of symptoms

Schizophrenia subtypes Schizotypal (Personality) Disorder

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W76tBPAow0M&feature=youtu.b

e

Extreme discomfort in forming and maintaining close relationships with

others.

Excessive social anxiety, perceptual distortions, eccentric behavior, may

be superstitious, preoccupied with paranormal phenomena.

Delusional Disorder

It is a type of psychosis; person can’t tell what is real from what is

imagined.

Non-bizarre delusions; involve situations that could occur in real life

(being followed, poisoned, conspired against)

Generally do not behave in a obviously odd manner

Schizophrenia subtypes

Brief Psychotic Disorder

Symptoms come on suddenly, last for less than a month, and the person

usually recovers completely.

3 types: Brief Psychotic Disorder with Obvious Stressor, Brief Psychotic

Disorder without Obvious Stressor, Brief Psychotic Disorder with

Postpartum Onset.

Schizophrenia

Disturbed thought, delusions, belief that private thoughts are

broadcast to others, chaotic thinking, loose associations (person

shifts topics in disjointed ways)

Deterioration of adaptive behavior involves noticeable deficits

in the quality of a person’s routine functioning in work, social

relations, and personal care.

Hallucinations, hearing voices.

Schizophrenia subtypes

Schizoaffective Disorder

Has the features of 2 disorders; schizophrenia and a mood disorder

(depression or bi-polar)

Severe changes in mood, hallucinations, delusions, disorganized

thinking, unable to tell what is real from what is imagined.

Catatonia

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_s1lzxHRO4U&feature=youtu.be

Disturbances in a person’s movement

Dramatic reduction in activity, to the point that voluntary movement

stops

Waxy flexibility; maintain a pose that someone puts them in, sometimes

for extended periods of time. Considerable resistance and strength when

someone tries to reposition them.

May repeats the words or movements of others

What causes Schizophrenia to develop?

Genetic vulnerability

Neurochemical factors

Excess of dopamine

Structural abnormalities of the brain

Enlarged ventricles in the brain

Small Thalamus, undersized prefrontal cortex

The neurodevelopmental hypothesis

Disruption of the normal maturation of the brain prior to birth

Precipitating stress

Etiology of Schizophrenia

Enduring or continuous inflexible patterns of thinking, feeling, and acting

(Lifelong, pervasive, inflexible)

Cluster B: Dramatic-impulsive cluster

Histrionic

obsessed with being the center of attention

overly dramatic, tending to exaggerate expressions of emotion

Borderline

instability of emotions

unstable in self-image, mood, and interpersonal relationships

Antisocial

no feelings of regard for others

chronically violating the rights of others, nonaccepting of social

norms, inability to form attachments

Personality Disorders

Cluster C: Anxious-fearful cluster

Avoidant

oversensitive to criticism, potential rejection, humiliation or shame

Dependent

very needy, fear of abandonment, fears that they can’t live their

life without the help of others

excessively lacking in self-reliance and self-esteem

Pessimist, self-doubt, belittling their abilities, difficulty making

every-day decisions without the reassurance of others

Etiology

Genetic predispositions

inadequate socialization in dysfunctional families

Personality Disorders