Abnormal Psychology

Psychological Disorders

Patterns of thoughts, feelings or behaviors that are deviant, distressful and dysfunctional May vary with culture and across time

Exp: 1952 - 1973: Homosexuality was classified as a an illness

Are classified by the DSM-IV-TR: Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders Uses a process known as multiaxial diagnosis which

includes five axes: Axis 1: Clinical disorders – depression and anxiety disorers

Axis 2: Personality disorders – antisocial behavior, mental retardation

Axis 3: General medical conditions – diabetes

Axis 4: Psychosocial and environmental problems – death of family member, loss of job

Axis 5: Global assessment of a person’s overall level of functioning from 1 (serious attempt at suicide) to 100 (happy, productive, many interests

Theories of Abnormal BehaviorThe psychoanalytic perspective

Views mental disorders as the product of intrapsychic conflicts among the id, ego and superego

In order to protect itself, the ego represses psychic conflicts into the unconscious Conflicts result from unresolved traumatic experiences

that took place in childhood

The humanist perspective Looks to a person’s feelings, self-esteem and self-

concept for causes of mental behavior Believe behavior is the result of choices we make in

struggling to find meaning in life

Theories of Abnormal Behavior -cont-

The cognitive perspective Focuses on faulty, illogical and negative ways of thinking Maladaptive thoughts lead to misperceptions and

misinterpretations of events and social interactions

The behavioral perspective Stresses that abnormal behavior is learned Focus on how a behavior was reinforced and rewarded

The biological perspective Many psychological disorders are caused by hormonal or

neurotransmitter imbalances, differences in brain structure and inherited predispositions

Anxiety DisordersCharacterized by distressing, persistent

anxiety or maladaptive behaviors that reduce anxiety

Five Types:1. Generalized anxiety disorder - person is unexplainably

and continually tense and uneasy Can lead to chronic fatigue and irritability Affects twice as many women as men

2. Panic disorder - person experiences sudden episodes of intense dread or anxiety

Accompanied by pounding heart, rapid breathing, sudden dizziness and lightheadedness

Anxiety Disorders -cont-

Five Types -cont-3. Phobias - an irrational fear causes

a person to avoid some object, activity or situation

Top Ten Fears, Men and Women Combined

1. Fear of snakes2. Fear of being buried

alive3. Fear of heights4. Fear of being bound or

tied up5. Fear of drowning6. Fear of public speaking7. Fear of hell8. Fear of cancer9. Fear of tornados10. Fear of fire

Top Five Fears of Men and Women

1. Fear of being buried alive

2. Fear of heights3. Fear of snakes4. Fear of drowning5. Fear of public

speaking

1. Fear of snakes2. Fear of being bound or

tied up3. Fear of being buried

alive4. Fear of heights5. Fear of public

speaking

Top 5 Fears of Men Top 5 Fears of Women

Some Unusual Phobias

Anxiety Disorders -cont-

Five Types -cont-4. Obsessive-compulsive disorder

- characterized by unwanted repetitive thoughts (obsessions) and /or actions (compulsions)

Obsessive thoughts often lead to compulsive behaviors

Nightline segment

Obsessions v. Compulsions

Example: Obsession: A young woman is continuously terrified by

the thought that cars might careen onto the sidewalk and run her over.

Compulsion: She always walks as far from the street pavement as possible and wears red clothes so she will be immediately visible to an out of control car.

Example: Obsession: A woman cannot rid herself of the thought

that she might accidently leave her gas stove turned on, causing her house to explode.

Compulsion: Every day she feels the irresistible urge to check the stove exactly 10 times before leaving for work.

Anxiety Disorders -cont-

Five Types -cont-5. Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) -

characterized by haunting memories, nightmares, social withdrawal, jumpy anxiety and/or insomnia that last 4+ weeks after a traumatic experience

Can lead to depression, uncontrollable crying, edginess and an inability to concentrate

Understanding Anxiety Disorders

Learning perspective Fear conditioning – use of stimulus generalization

and reinforcement Observational learning – we learn fear by observing

the fears of othersBiological perspective

Natural selection – we naturally fear threats faced by our ancestors

Genes – some people seem more predisposed to anxiety than others

The brain

Somatoform Disorders

Characterized by physical complaints or conditions which are caused by psychological factors

Hypochondriasis - people interpret normal sensations (headache, stomach cramp) as symptoms of a dreaded disease

Conversion disorder – marked by paralysis, blindness, deafness or other loss of sensation with no discernible physical cause

Dissociative Disorders

Disorders in which a person appears to experience a sudden loss of memory or change in identity, often in response to a stressful situation

Person’s conscious awareness is said to “dissociate” (become separated) from painful memories, thoughts and feelings

Dissociative identity disorder - 2+ distinct identities seem to alternately control the person’s behavior Some question whether this disorder exists

Dissociative amnesia – characterized by partial or total inability to recall past experiences and important information Usually in response to traumatic events or very stressful situations

Dissociative fugue – characterized by suddenly and inexplicably leaving home and taking on a new identity with no memory of a former life

Mood DisordersGeneral characteristics – serious, persistent

disturbances in a person’s emotionsTwo forms

1. Major depressive disorder At least 5 signs of depression (lethargy, feelings of

worthlessness, loss of interest in family, friends and activities) last 2 or more weeks and are not caused by drugs or a medical condition

2. Bipolar disorder Alternating between depression and mania -

hyperactive, wildly optimistic state

Mood Disorders -cont-

Depression Is accompanied by many behavioral and

cognitive changes Is widespread Women are more than 2xs as vulnerable

than men Most major episodes self-terminate Is often preceded by stressful events Is striking earlier w/each new generation

and is affecting more people

Common Characteristics of Suicidal People

1. Unendurable psychological pain2. Frustrated psychological needs

Security, achievement, trust, friendship

3. The search for a solution4. An attempt to end consciousness5. Helplessness and hopelessness6. Constriction of options

See only two alternatives: total solution or total cessations7. Ambivalence8. Communication of intent9. Departure10. Lifelong coping patterns

How did person handle problems in the past?

Teen Suicide Rates 1960 - 2000

Understanding Mood DisordersThe biological perspective

Genetic influence – the heritability of major depression is estimated at 35-40%

The brain – studies have found less activity in the brain during slowed-down depressive states and more activity during periods of mania

Biochemical influences – norepinephrine and serotonin are both reduced during depression

The social-cognitive perspective Self-defeating beliefs Negative explanatory style – depressed people tend

to explain bad events in terms that are stable, global and internal

SchizophreniaGroup of disorders characterized by disorganized

and delusional thinking, disturbed perceptions and inappropriate emotions and actions

Characteristic symptoms:1. Delusional beliefs – bizarre or farfetched belief that

continues in spite of competing contradictory evidence2. Hallucinations – false or distorted perception that seems

vividly real to the person experiencing it3. Disorganized speech and thought – creating artificial

words and jumbling words and phrases together4. Emotional and behavioral disturbances – range from

exaggerated and inappropriate reactions to a flat affect, showing no emotional or facial expressions

Incidence of Different Types of Hallucinations of

Schizophrenia

Schizophrenia -cont-Affects 1 in 100 peopleTypically begins in late adolescence or early

adulthoodSometimes develops suddenlyWhen it develops slowly, recovery is doubtfulPositive symptoms - hallucinations, talking in

a disorganized/deluded way, inappropriate laughter, tears or rage

Negative symptoms - toneless voices, expressionless faces, or mute, rigid bodies

cardinals and hummingbirds The wild turkeys brethren we will ingest and digest with words of

gratitude and pleasure in a successful year have great import on the futures we invest in for our generations joys and hopes for a brighter world. May the leaders and knowledgeable interpreters of common unconsciousness reap the benefits of revolutionary reassessment of our celebrations of harvests connection to the widespread and definitive collaborations and commitments to communities sanctity and sanity in responding to the woes and difficulties of our time with an eye towards understanding all of our interests in enjoying what short life we have to the fullest and spreading the positive methods and learning happiness that we can arrive at with the love of ancient histories constant lessons to stay true to the past and recall the philosophical lessons a reduction of our routines to some true message of youthful wisdom in health, wellness, fitness, and the true beauties of acknowledging our faults and focusing on the strengths inherent in our often fibrous or moderately tenuous connections to something perpetually reintegrated into new forms for the evolutionarily important innovations of our time

Schizophrenia -cont-Causes

Excess of dopamine in the brain Abnormal brain activity Low birth weight/oxygen deprivation during delivery Maternal viral infection - risk increases if

There was a flu epidemic during fetal development Born in a densely populated area Born in the winter/spring months Mother is sick w/influenza during pregnancy

Genetics 1/10 chance of schizophrenia among those w/sibling or parent

w/disorder ½ if sibling is an identical twin (6/10 if they shared a placenta)

Risk of Developing Schizophrenia

Personality Disorders

Disruptive, inflexible and enduring behavior patterns that impair one’s social functioning

Usually become evident during adolescence or early adulthood

Antisocial personality disorder - exhibits a lack of conscience for wrongdoing

Narcissistic personality disorder - person has a strong need to be admired, large sense of self-importance and demonstrates lack of insight into the feeling of others Believe they should receive special privileges

Percentage of Americans Reporting Selected Psychological Disorders in the

Past Year

Psychological Disorder Percentage

Generalized anxiety 3.1

Social phobia 6.8

Phobia of specific object/situation 8.7

Mood disorder 9.5

Obsessive-compulsive disorder 1.0

Schizophrenia 1.1

Post-traumatic stress disorder 3.5

Attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder

4.1

Any mental disorder 26.2

Other Facts About ½ of Americans will meet the criteria for DSM-IV

disorder sometime in their lifetime By age 75, the lifetime probability of

Anxiety disorder (including phobias) = 32% Mood disorders (including depression) = 28% Impulse control disorders = 25% Alcohol abuse = 15% Drug abuse = 9%

Median age of onset is much earlier for anxiety (11 yrs) and impulse-control (11 yrs) disorders than for substance abuse (20 yrs) and mood disorders (30 yrs) ½ of all cases start by 14 yrs and ¾ by 24 yrs

Rates of mental illness have flattened in the past 15 yrs 41% of those having a disorder went for treatment in the prior year

Up from 25% ten years ago Younger adults are more likely to seek prompt care