Unit 12 – Abnormal Behavior

1. Unit 12 – Abnormal Behavior

2. Introduction: Fact or Falsehood? • Research suggests that the stigma & stress associated with being homosexual increase the risk of mental health problems… • In America, research indicates that there are more prison inmates with severe mental disorders than there are psychiatric inpatients in all of the country’s hospitals… • About 30% of psychologically disordered people are dangerous; that is, they are more likely than other people to commit a crime…

3. Introduction: Fact or Falsehood? • Identical twins who have been raised separately may develop the same phobias… • Dissociative identity disorder is a type of schizophrenia… • In North America, today’s young adults are three times as likely as their grandparents to report having experienced depression…

4. Introduction: Fact or Falsehood? • White Americans commit suicide nearly twice as often as black Americans do… • There is strong evidence for a genetic predisposition to schizophrenia… • An estimated one in seven Americans suffers from a clinically significant mental disorder…

5. Introduction: Fact or Falsehood? • Research suggests that the stigma & stress associated with being homosexual increase the risk of mental health problems… • True • In America, research indicates that there are more prison inmates with severe mental disorders than there are psychiatric inpatients in all of the country’s hospitals… • True • About 30% of psychologically disordered people are dangerous; that is, they are more likely than other people to commit a crime… • False

6. Introduction: Fact or Falsehood? • Identical twins who have been raised separately may develop the same phobias… • True • Dissociative identity disorder is a type of schizophrenia… • False • In North America, today’s young adults are three times as likely as their grandparents to report having experienced depression… • True

7. Introduction: Fact or Falsehood? • White Americans commit suicide nearly twice as often as black Americans do… • True • There is strong evidence for a genetic predisposition to schizophrenia… • True • An estimated one in seven Americans suffers from a clinically significant mental disorder… • True

9. 65.1 – Discuss how we draw the line between normality and disorder. • Psychopathology refers to the study of the causes, symptoms, and development of psychological or mental disorders. Mental disordersare characterized by deviant (violates social norms), maladaptive (interferes with normal day-to-day life), or harmful behaviors (unpleasant feelings or emotions that impact daily life) and disruptive patters of thinking, feeling, and acting that cause distress and dysfunction and affect the performance of daily functions. These disorders can also cause distress and discomfort for people who come in contact with a person displaying a disorder. Surveys have shown that approximately sixty million Americans have at some time displayed or are currently suffering from a mental disorder, and that roughly half of all Americans can expect to experience some type of mental disorder by the time they are seventy-five. Symptoms of mental disorders tend to first be exhibited in childhood, and many affect economic, gender, and ethnic groups equally. However, researchers have determined that some of the studies that provided this information may have been flawed. For example, some surveys only asked participants about certain disorders, and may not have taken into account people who showed only minor symptoms. The occurrence of mental disorders may therefore be even greater than what those surveys reported.

10. 65.1 – Discuss how we draw the line between normality and disorder. • Deviance • Behavior that deviates from what society considers acceptable/normal • Varies considerably from one culture to the next • Examples • Transvestic fetishism • Hoarding • Maladaptive Behavior • A situation in which day-to-day functioning is impaired/negatively impacted • Example • Substance abuse

11. 65.1 – Discuss how we draw the line between normality and disorder. • Personal Distress • An individual’s self-report of personal distress • Examples • Depression • Anxiety disorders • Note: In order to diagnose a psychological disorder, only one of the three major criteria needs to be present…

12. 65.1 – Discuss how we draw the line between normality and disorder. • Defining Abnormal Behavior Defining what is abnormal is a complex process that often cannot be accomplished from a single determinant. Deviant behavior is defined as being different from the behavior of most people in a particular culture. However, cultures define normal behavior differently. What could be considered deviant or unusual in one culture could be seen as normal, everyday behavior in another. In addition, some people who deviate from the norm may end up excelling in certain activities. For example, some athletes who spend more than the expected amount of time practicing may, in turn, play better. Nonetheless, some have concluded that abnormal behavior is synonymous with the violation of social norms. For example, some people consider individuals who do not have good hygiene abnormal. But is this abnormal behavior, or just a case of someone who has not learned proper hygiene? The problem with using social norms to ascertain whether behavior is normal or abnormal is that not every culture has the same established norms.

13. 65.1 – Discuss how we draw the line between normality and disorder. • Defining Abnormal Behavior Statistical infrequency has been used to determine abnormal behavior, meaning that if unusual behaviors are observed infrequently, they are considered “abnormal”. The problem with statistical infrequency is that people who do not conform to the standards of society, or “follow the crowd”, are then labeled abnormal. People who express opinions or partake in activities that are not considered “mainstream” may be looked at skeptically by others. But are these different opinions or activities a true indication of abnormal behavior, or simply expressions of individuality?

14. 65.1 – Discuss how we draw the line between normality and disorder. • Defining Abnormal Behavior Some believe that personal suffering could be an indication of abnormal behavior. A person who is experiencing extreme distress or discomfort may realize that he or she has a problem and that treatment is necessary. But personal suffering alone cannot determine abnormal behavior, as some people who are experiencing cognitive distortions, or lack of mental functioning, may not have the ability to realized that they are suffering.

15. 65.1 – Discuss how we draw the line between normality and disorder. • Defining Abnormal Behavior A more accurate way of defining abnormal behavior is to examine whether the behavior impairs the person’s ability to function. The practical approach to defining abnormal behavior examines the behavior being displayed, comparing it to the norms established in the sociocultural context and identifying the consequences associated with the behavior. This approach focuses on how a person’s thoughts, feelings, and behavior affect, or interfere with, his or her home life, work, and social functioning. For example, a person who no longer is able to take care of his or her children, who cannot go to work, and who doesn’t enjoy social activities is exhibiting signs that might indicate a mental disorder.

16. 65.2 – Discuss the controversy over the diagnosis of attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder. ADHD Controversy • ADHD (attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder) is diagnosed 3 time more in boys. • do increasing numbers of diagnoses indicate a greater awareness of the disorder, or an application of a diagnostic label to normally rambunctious children?

17. 65.3 – Contrast the medical model with the biopsychosocial approach to psychological disorders. • In the early 1800s, Philippe Pinel of France was one of the first to suggest that mental illness was not the results of demonic possession, but a sickness of the mind. Pinel’s theories were reconfirmed by watching the progression of syphilis, which, if left untreated, affected the functioning of the individual’s mind, causing “madness” and eventually death. Pinel’s efforts and the discovery of the effects of syphilis led to the development of the medical model. The medical model suggests that psychological disorders are actually sicknesses associated with specific symptoms that must be treated medical. This in turn led to the development of hospitals whose specific intent was to provide treatment for mental disorders.

18. 65.3 – Contrast the medical model with the biopsychosocial approach to psychological disorders. Researchers now agree that biological, psychological, and sociocultural factors contribute to the development of psychological disorders. There has been some debate about which factor contributes the most, but over time researchers have concluded that each of these factors plays a role. The neurobiological model, a modern name for the medical model, suggests the psychological disorders are the results of biological factors. This could include imbalances of bodily processes, brain abnormalities, and genetic influences. The psychological model states that psychological disorders are the result of psychological processes. This may include the interpretation of stressful events, memories from traumatic events and episodes, self-defeating attitudes and thinking patterns, and distorted perceptions. The sociocultural model suggests that psychological disorders result from societal roles and expectations, environmental location gender, age, ethnicity, and social and cultural definitions of normal and abnormal behavior. The biopsychosocial model suggests that psychological disorders are the result of the combination and interaction of biological, psychological, and sociocultural factors.

19. 65.3 – Contrast the medical model with the biopsychosocial approach to psychological disorders. • Diathesis-Stress Model The biopsychosocial model is useful in identifying factors that could contribute to a psychological disorder, but less so in determining how the interaction of such factors could lead to a psychological disorder. If a person is predisposed (biologically) to certain disorders, then what actually triggers the disorder? The diathesis-stress approach/model suggests that the amount and type of stress play a crucial role in triggering genetic predispositions, which could result in psychological disorders. For example, let’s say two people are equally predisposed (genetically speaking) to depression. According to the diathesis-stress approach, the individual who lives a relatively stress-free life is far less likely to exhibit depressive symptoms than the individual who experiences an enormous amount of stress. Though they began life with the same predisposition (diathesis) for a psychological disorder, it was the amount and type of stress that determined whether they would actually experience that psychological disorder.

20. 65.4 – Describe how and why clinicians classify psychological disorders. Classifying Psychological Disorders • In order for psychologists to study disorders, they must have a common way to classify and organize them. Studying people with similar symptoms allows psychologists to compare family histories, thinking, and behavior, which may help identify causes of a disorder. For example, if a psychologist observes self-defeating thinking patterns in the majority of depressed patients, the psychologist could identify these patterns as a symptom of depression. In 1952, the American Psychological Association published a reference book, the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, or DSM, now used by all psychologists for identifying and classifying psychological disorders. The latest edition, DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual, 5th edition, in use since 2013) includes new disorders and more identifiable causes and symptoms than the original DSM. The DSM-5 provides common language and guidelines that are used by all psychologists to determine the nature and course of psychological disorders. If a person were diagnosed as schizophrenic by one psychologist, another psychologist, using the DSM-5, would probably also diagnose the same person as schizophrenic.

21. 65.4 – Describe how and why clinicians classify psychological disorders. • The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-V) • Published by the American Psychiatric Association • Fifth edition released in 2013 • Describes 400 psychological disorders, as opposed to 60 in the 1950s • The DSM-V takes a multi-axial approach • Axis I: Major Clinical Syndromes • Axis II: Personality Disorders • Axis III: General Medical • Axis IV: Social/Environmental • Axis V: Global Assessment of Functioning • Purpose of the DSM-V? • To classify disorders • To describe symptoms • DOES NOT discuss causes or potential cures

22. 65.4 – Describe how and why clinicians classify psychological disorders. • Issues with the DSM-V? • Critics of the DSM-V argue that labels may stigmatize individuals • On the other hand, labels may be helpful for healthcare professionals when communicating with one another & establishing therapeutic processes • “Insanity” labels raise ethical questions regarding how society should treat people who have disorders and have committed crimes

23. 65.5 – Explain why some psychologists criticize the use of diagnostic labels. Labeling Psychological Disorders • Some critics believe that labeling someone with a psychological disorder will cause more harm than good. When a person is labeled, others tend to treat him differently based on the characteristics of the label. For example, when a student is labeled a troublemaker, teachers may treat him or her differently than they do other students. Psychiatrist Thomas Szasz said a label is not the same description of a person. A label doesn’t include the unique qualities that are often part of the description of a person. Further, people who are labeled with a certain disorder tend to act or live up or down to the expectations and characteristic of that label, which may affect their chances of improvement.

24. 65.5 – Explain why some psychologists criticize the use of diagnostic labels. • Stereotypes & Stigmas • Psychological disorders are incurable • Those with psychological disorders are violent • People with psychological disorders behave in a bizarre manner; are considerably different from “normal” people • Impact of these labels and/or stereotypes?

25. 65.6 – Discuss the prevalence of psychological disorders, and summarized the findings on the link between poverty and serious psychological disorders.