Name:_______________________________________________
Psychological Disorders, Introduction, History, and Classification
1.
Write down three criteria that can be used to define abnormal behavior, or finish the following
sentence three different ways; “Behavior might be considered psychologically disordered if it is
a.____________________”
b.
c.
2.
Read the following case study: Discuss with someone else whether or not she is psychologically
disordered. Write down your opinion:
Guided Notes:
I.
Proposed definitions of psychological disorders:
A. A psychological disorder can be defined as a pattern of behavioral or psychological
symptoms that causes significant ___________________ _____________________
and impairs the ability to ________________________ in one or more important areas
of life.
B. A psychological disorder may exist when behavior is _______________, ____________,
Maladaptive and unjustifiable.
C. A psychological abnormality involves the presence of at least two of the following:
_____________, ________________, ___________________, _______________,
unconventional and statistical rarity, and observer discomfort.
D. Sanity and insanity are _________________ rather than psychological terms. In most
states the legal definition of insanity relates to the ability of the defendant to distinguish
________________ from __________________.
This requires an either/or
determination on the part of the court.
II.
Historical perspectives on abnormal behavior.
A. The Ancient World, beginning with Greece
1. Hippocrates (460-377BC) believed mental illness was the result of _______________, as
opposed to supernatural causes.
2. Galen (130-200AD) divided the causes of mental disorders into ____________________
and psychological explanations.
3. China, Chung Ching (200AD) stated that both organ pathologies and
___________________ psychological situations were causes of mental disorders.
B. The Middle Ages (500-1500 AD)
1. In Europe, abnormal behavior was most frequently viewed as __________________
possession. Treatment performed by the clergy involved prayer, laying on of hands, and
_____________________.
2. Islamic countries.
a. Humane mental hospitals were established.
b. The Persian physician Ibn Sina wrote _________ ___________ ___ ____________,
perhaps the most widely studied medical work ever written. The principles he set out
for testing the effectiveness of new drugs and medications still form the basis of modern
clinical drug trials.
C. The Renaissance let to the re-emergence of the scientific approach in Europe.
1. The Spanish nun _________________ of _____________ (1515-1582) established the
conceptual framework that the mind can be sick.
2. Both John Wieyer (1515-1588) of Germany and Reginal Scott (1538-1599) of England used
scientific __________________ to refute the concept of demonic possession.
D. Humanitarian reforms of the 18th and 19th century.
1. In France, Philippe Pinel (1745-1826) pioneered a ______________________ medical model
for the treatment of the mentally ill and established a humane hospital in Paris.
2. In England, William Tuke (1732-1822) introduced trained ____________ for the mentally ill
and helped to change public attitudes regarding their treatment.
3. In the United States, Benjamin Rush (1745-1813) the founder of American psychiatry,
encouraged humane treatment of the mentally ill and the establishment of hospitals for their
care.
E. Scientific advances of the 20th century
1. Development of technology and brain scans have added to our knowledge of the
biological bases of psychological disorders.
2. Developments in _________________________________ have provided effective
treatments for many psychological disorders.
III.
A.
B.
C.
D.
E.
IV.
Models (or perspectives) of psychological disorders.
The _____________________model.
1. This model emphasizes that mental illness needs to be diagnosed on the basis of
symptoms and cured through therapy based on medical intervention.
2. The perspective has gained credibility from recent discoveries that genetically
influenced abnormalities in brain structure and biochemistry contribute to a wide range
of disorders, including schizophrenia, __________________________, and anxiety
disorders.
The _______________________ model.
1. Inspired by Freud, this perspective emphasizes the role of unconscious conflicts over
aggressive and sexual impulses.
2. Psychoanalytic therapy ( the “_______________ ___________”) dominated early to
mid-20th century approaches to treatment, but is currently practiced to a lesser extent.
The ____________________ model.
1. This model emphasizes that psychological disorders have _____________________ as
their bases.
2. Behavioral therapies rely on learning principles to change maladaptive behaviors.
The ____________________ model.
1. This model , which grew out of dissatisfaction with behaviorism’s limits, emphasizes
that irrational or maladaptive thought processes are the cause of psychological
disorders.
2. The greatest number of practitioners today use this model.
The __________________________________ model.
1. This eclectic contemporary model assumes that biological, psychological, and
sociocultural factors interact to produce or exacerbate psychological disorders.
2. Therapist who subscribe to this view may recommend drugs as well as behavioral and
cognitive therapies.
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th Edition
A. Published by the American Psychiatric Association, the ______________, as it is known, is a
widely used diagnostic classification system. It provides a set of criteria which allows
diagnosticians to make assessments.
B. The diagnostic system is based on five axes which are used by clinicians to provide complete
diagnosis.
a. Axis 1 includes 16 major categories of adult psychological disorders, such as mood
disorders and schizophrenic disorders.
b. Axis 2 includes the _________________________ disorders and developmental
disorders.
c. Axis 3 includes medical conditions that might affect or interact with the client’s
psychological disorder, such as hypothyroidism or headaches.
d. Axis 4 is a rating of recent social and environmental sources of ______________,
such as death in the family or chronic unemployment.
e. Axis 5 is a Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) made on a scale that ranges from
1 to 100, where 100 represents unimpaired function and 1 represents severe
dysfunction.
f. An example of how a therapist might make a complete DSM multiaxial diagnosis is:
i. Axis 1:________________________________________________
ii. Axis 2:___________________________________________________
iii. Axis 3:_____________________________________________
iv. Axis 4: death of a spouse, unemployment
v. GAF = 60 (moderate symptoms e.g. occasional panic attacks or moderate
difficulty in social, occupational, or school functioning.)
C. Criticisms of classification
1. The system relies heavily on the medical perspective.
2. ___________________________ in diagnosis remains a problem, “fuzzy borders”.
3. Controversy exists regarding the existence of some disorders, such as dissociative
identity disorder and premenstrual syndrome.
Watch the documentary titled “Mental Illness in L.A.” For each segment write down three observations:
Segment 1:
1.
2.
Segment 2:
1.
2.
Segment 3:
1.
2.