Clinical psych

• Abnormal psychology focuses on the study of atypical behaviors, thoughts, and emotions, known as psychological disorders or mental illnesses
• Abnormal behavior refers to patterns of thoughts, feelings, and actions that deviate significantly from what is considered typical, culturally acceptable, or mentally healthy
• Characteristics of abnormal behaviors include deviance, distress, dysfunction, and danger
• Deviance:

  • Behavior significantly deviating from cultural or societal norms
  • Involves uncommon actions or thoughts that go against social expectations
• Distress:

  • Abnormal behavior causes significant emotional distress or discomfort
  • Manifests as anxiety, sadness, or other negative emotions
• Dysfunction:

  • Impairment in daily functioning due to abnormal behavior
  • Interferes with responsibilities, relationships, or goals
• Danger:

  • Behaviors posing a risk of harm to oneself or others
  • Includes self-destructive actions or behaviors endangering others
• The history of abnormal psychology evolved over centuries, with early explanations involving supernatural or religious interpretations
• Ancient and pre-modern perspectives:

  • Mental disorders were attributed to evil spirits or punishment from gods
  • Treatments included exorcism and trephination to release evil spirits
• Greek and Roman Views:

  • Hippocrates viewed mental disorders as comparable to physical disorders
  • Believed in the four humors governing regular functioning and personality
• The Middle Ages:

  • Mental illness viewed as caused by supernatural powers
  • Methods like exorcism, flogging, and prayer were used for treatment
• The Renaissance:

  • Emergence of humanism prioritizing human well-being
  • Johann Weyer proposed humane treatment for individuals accused of witchcraft
• Reform Movement:

  • Rise of moral treatment approach in the 18th to 19th centuries
  • Asylums emerged as places of refuge for the mentally ill
• Reform Movement (18th to 19th Centuries):

  • Philippe Pinel was a French physician who pioneered humane treatment for individuals with mental disorders
  • Advocated for humanitarian reforms, removal of chains, focus on moral treatment, and systemic changes in the treatment of mental illnesses
• Early Twentieth Century: Somatogenic and Psychogenic Perspectives:

  • Somatogenic perspective attributes mental disorders to physical or biological causes
  • Treatments include biological interventions like medication, electroconvulsive therapy (ECT), and neurostimulation techniques
  • Psychogenic perspective attributes mental disorders to psychological or emotional causes
  • Treatments include talk therapy, particularly psychodynamic or psychoanalytic therapy
• Different Perspectives of Abnormal Psychology:

  1. Biological Perspective:

  • Focuses on physiological factors contributing to abnormal behavior
  • Treatments involve the use of medications, neurotransmitter regulation, neurostimulation, or other biological interventions

  2. Psychodynamic Perspective:

  • Focuses on unconscious processes and unresolved conflicts in abnormal behavior
  • Treatment involves psychoanalytic therapy to explore and resolve unconscious conflicts

  3. Behavioural Perspective:

  • Focuses on observable behaviors and how they are learned and reinforced
• • Integrates biological, psychological, and social factors in understanding abnormal behavior
  • Involves comprehensive assessments and interventions addressing multiple factors
• • Treatment involves behavior modification techniques, exposure therapy, systematic desensitization

  4. Cognitive Perspective:

  • Focuses on how thoughts and cognitive processes contribute to abnormal behaviors
  • Treatment involves Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) to identify and change maladaptive thought patterns

  5. Sociocultural Perspective:

  • Focuses on the impact of social and cultural factors on abnormal behavior
  • Includes culturally sensitive assessments and interventions, recognition of social determinants of mental health

  6. Biopsychosocial Perspective:
• Treatment and Care for Individuals with Severe Abnormal Behaviors:

  • Inpatient Psychiatric Care: intensive treatment and monitoring, hospitalization for structured environment and 24/7 medical and psychiatric supervision
  • Medication Management: psychotropic medications prescribed to alleviate symptoms and manage neurochemical imbalances
  • Psychotherapy: various forms like individual, group, or family therapy to address challenges and promote coping strategies
• • Electroconvulsive Therapy (ECT): involves administration of electrical currents to induce controlled seizures, used for severe depression and certain mood disorders
  • Community Support Programs: offer counseling, rehabilitation services, and assistance with daily living skills for individuals transitioning from inpatient care
  • Supported Employment and Education: programs assist individuals with severe disorders in finding and maintaining employment or pursuing educational goals
• Anxiety is an emotion characterized by apprehension and somatic symptoms of tension in which an individual anticipates impending danger, catastrophe, or misfortune
• Anxiety disorders are the most widespread among all mental health conditions
• Approximately 4% of the world's population is currently dealing with an anxiety disorder, with 301 million individuals worldwide experiencing such disorders in 2019
• Anxiety disorders are mental health conditions characterized by excessive, persistent, and often uncontrollable worry, fear, or apprehension
• Anxiety is characterized by feelings of tension, worried thoughts, and physical changes like increased blood pressure
• There are several types of anxiety disorders, including Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD), Panic Disorder, Social Anxiety Disorder, Specific Phobias, Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD), Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD), and Separation Anxiety Disorder
• Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD) is characterized by persistent and excessive worry about various aspects of life, even when there is little or no apparent reason for concern
• Panic Disorder is characterized by recurrent and unexpected panic attacks
• Social Anxiety Disorder (SAD) is characterized by an intense and persistent fear of social situations and scrutiny by others
• Specific phobias are characterized by an intense, irrational fear of a specific object
• Specific phobias are a type of anxiety disorder characterized by an intense, irrational fear of a specific object, situation, or activity
• Lifetime prevalence of specific phobias ranges from 3% to 15% globally
• Fears and phobias concerning heights and animals are the most common
• Individuals with specific phobias experience significant distress and anxiety when confronted with the feared stimulus
• Key features of phobia include:

  • Specific Triggers: The fear is focused on a particular object, situation, or activity
  • Avoidance Behavior: Individuals with specific phobias often go to great lengths to avoid encountering the feared stimulus
  • Immediate Anxiety Response: The fear response is immediate and intense when exposed to the phobic stimulus
  • Excessive Fear and Anxiety: The level of fear and anxiety is out of proportion to the actual danger posed by the phobic stimulus
• • Recognition of Irrationality: In many cases, individuals with specific phobias are aware that their fear is irrational
• DSM-5 criteria for Specific Phobia:

  • Marked fear or anxiety about a specific object or situation
  • The phobic object or situation almost always provokes immediate fear or anxiety
  • The fear or anxiety is out of proportion to the actual danger posed by the specific object or situation
  • The fear, anxiety, or avoidance is persistent, typically lasting for 6 months or more
  • The disturbance is not better explained by the symptoms of another mental disorder
• Biological Factors:

  • Individuals with a family history of anxiety disorders may be more prone to developing specific phobias
  • Neurobiological factors, such as an overactive amygdala
• Evolutionary Factors:

  • Some researchers propose that certain specific phobias may have evolutionary roots
• Behavioural Factors:

  • Observational learning and modeling behavior play a role in the acquisition of specific phobias