Abnormal Psychology

1. Abnormal Psychology Seven common elements of abnormality Suffering: is the person feeling pain or discomfort Maladaptiveness: interference with normal functioning Incomprehensibility and Irrationality Unpredictability and Loss of Control Vividness: statistical rarity Observer Discomfort Violation of Moral and Ideal Standards

2. History of Abnormality Possession Animistic Forces: tarantism, lycanthropy Satanic Forces: reports of witchcraft increased rapidly with the extensive instability of the late 15th and 16th centuries (e.g., rise of capitalism, Protestant Reformation)

3. Witchcraft Malleus Maleficarum (The Witch�s Hammer): a guidebook to discovering and getting rid of witches. Written by two monks. Only women could be witches �All witchcraft comes from carnal lust � which is, in women, insatiable� Tests of witchcraft: Fixed

5. Salem Witch Trials Salem, MA (1691): First arrest in March, last hanging in September. Begins with 8 girls exhibiting a bizarre set of symptoms that include: vomiting, convulsions, slurred speech, and hallucinations Doctors suggest possession Accusations fly and eventually 19 people were executed, 2 died in prison, and 1 was tortured to death

7. Explanations for the Witch Trials Political Explanations: political leverage, diversion of attention. Tension between growing town and farmers. New minister had a number of enemies Sociological Explanations: the accused were undesirable members of society. Works for first accusations but then unravels as the elite are accused

8. More Explanations Psychological Explanation: a hysterical mob mentality blossomed out of control Medical Explanation: inadvertent ergot poisoning (fungus that grows on rye, contains lysergic acid) Heavy rains in 1691could lead to fungus Young girls afflicted first � work directly with the grains

9. Current History American Psychological Association (APA) publishes first Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM) in 1952. This manual had 60 categories of mental illness Subsequent versions came out in 1968, 1980, 1986, and 1994 More than 300 categories of mental illness now Changes based upon research, societal values, and political pressure (e.g., homosexuality, pre-menstrual dysphoric disorder) Labeling: Rosenhan study

10. Specific Illnesses Phobias: fall under the larger category of Anxiety disorders. An extreme fear out of proportion to the actual danger. Interferes with the individual�s life. Learned response. Two therapies Systematic Desensitization Flooding

11. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder Anxiety disorder that impacts about 3% of Americans Obsessions: intrusive and persistent thoughts Compulsions: repeated activities that reduce anxiety created by the obsession To be diagnosed compulsions/obsessions must cause either severe distress or be time consuming (more than 1 hour per day) Onset: 6 to 15 for males, 20 to 29 for females

12. Mood Disorders Clinical Depression: may lead to suicide (9th leading cause of death in the U.S.) Bipolar Disorder (1% of Americans): previously known as manic-depression. Manic Phase: boundless but unproductive (sometimes, destructive) energy Depressive Phase: lethargic and often suicidal

13. Schizophrenia .5% to 1% of the U.S. Characterized by psychotic symptoms (distortions of reality that include delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech and behavior, or catatonic behavior) To be diagnosed: disturbance must last for at least 6 months, with one month of active phase symptoms Onset: early 20�s for men, late 20�s for women

14. Schizophrenia - Delusions Persecution Grandeur Nihilism Thought Broadcasting Thought Insertion Capgras� Syndrome Ekbom�s Syndrome

15. Schizophrenia � Thought Disorders Incoherence Flight of speech Loosening of associations Neologisms Clanging

16. Types of Schizophrenia Catatonic � person may alternate between periods of rapid movement and no movement at all Drug treatments have made this less common Disorganized � characterized by irrational speech and behavior (flat or inappropriate affect) Paranoid � pronounced hallucinations and delusions (delusions of grandeur). Good recovery rates Undifferentiated

17. Dissociative Identity Disorder Used to be called Multiple Personality Disorder Key features: presence of 2 or more distinct identities that recurrently take control of behavior, and failure to recall important personal information Often the primary (original) identity is passive, dependent, guilt stricken, and depressed Transitions often triggered by psychosocial stress

18. D.I.D � of reported cases include individuals with 10 or fewer identities Females average more identities (15 vs. 8 for males) Disorder is 3-9 times more prevalent in females Average time period from first symptom presentation to diagnosis is 6 to 7 years

19. Is it real? Up until 1944, 76 reported cases In 1973, Sybil was published. TV movie with Sally Field followed Between 1985 and 1995 almost 40,000 cases reported Up until 1980 it did not have a separate listing in the DSM (was considered a variant of dissociate fugues)

20. Is it Real? Another issue is hypnosis: commonly used to help recall memories of abuse believed to trigger D.I.D. People diagnosed with D.I.D. tend to be very easy to hypnotize, which suggests that they are very susceptible to suggestion If therapist is �looking� for D.I.D. this scenario often produces it

21. Dissociative Fugue Inability to recall important personal information and flight from the workplace or home May involve the establishment of a new identity in a new location Often occurs in a response to extreme stress Rare. More typical cases, but still infrequent, involve wandering away from nature disasters

22. Uncommon Disorders Munchausen Syndrome: desire (medical) attention. Therefore, hurt themselves and lie about causes Munchausen by Proxy: desire attention and hurt others (their own children)