Psych 110-04 Lesson 14 Abnormal Behavior (1) 2-26-02

  1. Medical Model of abnormal behavior
    1. Abnormal behavior is considered a disease
      1. Mental illness, disorder, psychopathology
      2. Replaces earlier models based on religion, superstition, and corporal punishment
        1. New and improved treatment beyond exorcism, imprisonment, torture
      3. Diagnosis, etiology, prognosis
  2. Criteria for what constitutes abnormal
    1. Abnormal differs not only in "kind" but also "frequency".
    2. Who judges, how do they judge, "credentials".
    3. Criteria
      1. Deviance
      2. Maladaptive behavior
      3. Personal distress
      4. Value judgements enter into decision
      5. Evolutionary dysfunctions
    4. Deviance without illness, dichotomous distinctions can be arbitrary.
  3. Stereotypes about psychological disorders
    1. Psychological disorders are incurable (once one, always one)
    2. People with disorders are violent and dangerous (exception rather than rule, publicized)
    3. Exhibit bizarre ways and are very different from normal
      1. Rosenhan's hearing voices
  4. Classification of disorders
    1. DSM, a way about describing adolescents
      1. Axis 1 Clinical Syndromes
        1. Disorders of infancy, childhood, or adolescence
          1. ADS, autism, enuresis, stuttering
        2. Organic mental disorders
          1. Delirium, dementia and amnesia
        3. Substance-related disorders
          1. Chemical imbalances, drug use, alcohol
        4. Schizophenia and other psychotic disorders
          1. Disorganized, delusions, hallucinations
        5. Mood disorders
          1. Depression, bipolar, dysthymic, cyclothymic
        6. Somatoform disorders
          1. Somatization, conversion disorders,m hypochondriasis
        7. Dissociative disorders
          1. Memory, self-awareness, eating profiles, sexual dysfunction
      2. Axis 2 Personality disorders or mental retardation
        1. Extreme and inflexible personality traits, deviant, maladaptive behaviors
        2. Reduced capacity diagnosed under 18
      3. Axis 3 General Medical Conditions
        1. Health problems including diabetes, arthritis, and hemophilia
      4. Axis 4 Psychosocial and environmental problems
        1. Circumstances problems arose from in previous live
      5. Axis 5 Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) scale
        1. 100 Superior functioning over wide range of activities
        2. 80 Transient & unexpected reactions to unexpected stressors moderate symptoms socially, occupational or school functioning
        3. 60 Moderate symptoms delivered by the postman
        4. 40 Some impairment in communications or in relations, judgement, thinking or mood
        5. 20 Danger of hurting self, hygiene breaks down, impaired
        6. 10 Persistent danger of hurting self or others
  5. How common are disorders
    1. 32 % exhibit some
    2. 17% exhibit anxiety
    3. 17% substance abuse
    4. 7% mood disorders
    5. 1% schizophrenic
  6. Anxiety Disorders
    1. Marked by excessive apprehension and anxiety
    2. Generalized Anxiety disorder
      1. Not tied to specific threat
    3. Phobic disorder
      1. Persistent and irrational fear of an object or situation that presents no real danger
    4. Panic disorder
      1. Overwhelming anxiety with sudden and unexpected onset
    5. Obsessive-compulsive disorders
      1. Persistent, uncontrollable intrusion of unwanted thoughts (obsessions) and urges to engage in senseless rituals (compulsions)
    6. Etiology
      1. Concordance rates , twin studies 35% of identical twins, 15% of fraternal twins
      2. Anxiety sensitive
      3. Neural transmitters
      4. Conditioning and learning
        1. Classical
        2. Operant
        3. Observational
      5. Cognitive factors
        1. Misinterpret situations, focus excessive attention, selectively recall information
      6. Personality
        1. Neuroticism, predisposed
      7. Stress
        1. Trigger for panic disorders