Abnormal Behavior:
Psychological Disorders
A. History, Classification Systems and Models

No one absolute definition of psychological disorders.

Continuum between mental health on one hand and pathology on the other.
B. History, Classification Systems and Models

Proposed definitions include:

A pattern of ________or psychological symptoms that causes significant personal stress
and impairs the ability to function in one or more important areas of life, or both. (APA,
1994)

A psychological disorder may exist when behavior is _________, disturbing,
___________ (types of behaviors that inhibit a person’s ability to adjust to particular
situations.) and unjustifiable. (Myers, 1998)

A psychological abnormality involves the presence of at least two of the following:
 Distress
 ____________
 Irrationality
 Unpredictability
 Unconventional and statistical rarity
 Observer discomfort

Sanity and insanity are legal rather than ___________ terms.

Insanity
 The ability of the defendant to distinguish right from wrong.
 Historical Perspectives on Abnormal behavior
C. The ancient world


Greece

Hippocrates (460-377 BC) believed ________________ was the result of natural,
as opposed to supernatural, causes.

Galen (130-200 AD) divided the causes of mental disorders into physical and
psychological explanations.
In China in 200 AD, Chung Ching stated that both organ pathologies and stressful
psychological situations were causes of_________________.
D. Historical Perspectives on Abnormal behavior

The Middle Ages (500-1500 AD)

In Europe, abnormal behavior viewed as ______________possession.
 Treatment involved prayer, laying on of hands, and exorcism by a clergy
member.

Islamic countries
 Humane mental hospitals were established (Baghdad 792 AD)
 Persian physician Ibn Sina (Avicenna, 980-1037) established principals for testing
the _________________of new drugs.
 Still form the basis modern clinical drug trials.
E. Historical Perspectives on Abnormal behavior

The Renaissance

Led to re-emergence of the scientific approach in Europe.
 Spanish num Teresa of Avila (1515-1582) established the conceptual framework
that the mind can be sick.
 Weyer (1515-1588) of Germany and Scot (1538-1599) of England used scientific
skepticism to refute the concept of demonic possession.

Humanitarian reforms of the 18th and 19th century.
 In the U.S., Benjamin Rush(1745-1813), the founder of American psychiatry,
encouraged human treatment of mentally ill and the establishment of hospitals
for their care.
 Historical Perspectives on Abnormal behavior
F. Scientific advances of the 20th century.

Developments in technology such as MRI and PET scans have added to our knowledge of
biological bases of psychological disorders.

Development of psychopharmacology has provided effective treatments for many
psychological disorders.
G. Models (or perspectives) of psychological disorders

The_____________ model

Emphasizes that mental illness needs to be diagnosed on the basis of its symptoms

Cured only through therapy based on medical intervention.

Recent discoveries______________ influenced abnormalities in brain structure and
biochemistry contribute to wide range of disorders.
 Schizophrenia
 ____________
 Anxiety disorders

Medications influence many disorders and symptoms

Schizophrenia, depression and_____________disorders are often
successfully treated medically.
H. Models (or perspectives) of psychological disorders

The ______________ model

Inspired by Freud
 Emphasizes the role of unconscious conflicts over aggressive and sexual
impulses.
 Psychoanalytic therapy (the “talking cure”) dominated mid-20th century
approaches.
 Currently practiced to a lesser extent.

The behavioral model

Emphasizes that psychological disorders have___________ as their basis.
 Ex. Inappropriate behaviors might have been reinforced and the punishment or
extinction of appropriate behaviors may have occurred.

I.
Therapy relies on learning_____________ to change maladaptive behaviors.
Models (or perspectives) of psychological disorders

The _____________ model
 Grew out of dissatisfaction with behaviorism’s limits.
 Emphasizes that irrational or maladaptive thought processes are the cause of
psychological disorders.
 The greatest numbers of__________________ in psychology today use this
model.

The Biopsychosocial model
 Eclectic____________ model.
 Assumes that biological, psychological, and sociocultural factors interact to
produce or exacerbate_________________ disorders.
 Therapists who subscribe to this view may recommend drugs as well as
behavioral and cognitive therapies.
J.
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edition (DSM-IV)

Published by the American ________________Association, (APA), the DSM-IV, as it is
known, is a widely used diagnostic classification system.

Provides a set of criteria which allows______________ to make assessments.

System based on five axes used by_________________ to provide a complete diagnosis.

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edition (DSM-IV)
K. Axis 1

16 major categories of________psychological disorders.
 Mood disorders
 Schizophrenic disorders
L. Axis 2

Includes personality disorders and developmental disorders
M. Axis 3

Includes medical conditions that might affect or interact with the client’s psychological
disorder
 _______________
 Headaches
N. Axis 4

A rating of recent social and____________ sources of stress,
 Death in the family
 Chronic unemployment
O. Axis 5

Global_______________ of Functioning (GAF) made on a scale that ranges from 1 to
100, where 100 represents unimpaired function and 1 represents severe dysfunction.
P. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edition (DSM-IV)
 Example of therapists multiaxial diagnosis:

Axis 1: __________ dependence

Axis 2: dependent ___________ disorder

Axis 3: diabetes

Axis 4: death of spouse; unemployment

GAF= 60 (moderate symptoms, e.g., occasional panic attacks or
moderate difficulty in social, occupational, or school functioning)
Q. Criticisms of classification

System relies heavily on the medical perspective.

Reliability in diagnosis remains a problem; psychological disorders have “fuzzy borders.”

Different disorders share certain characteristics.
 Example
 A person might exhibit some, but not all, characteristics of a particular disorder.

Controversy exists regarding the existence of some disorders:

Dissociative identity disorder

Premenstrual syndrome