Abnormal Psychology

• Psychological disorder is a psychological dysfunction within an individual associated with distress or impairment in functioning and a response that is not typical or culturally expected
• Psychological dysfunction refers to a breakdown in cognitive, emotional, or behavioral functioning
• Distress or Impairment means the individual is extremely upset and cannot function properly
• Atypical or Not Culturally Expected behavior deviates from the average or the norm of the culture
• Psychopathology is the scientific study of psychological disorders
• Clinical/Counseling Psychologists receive a Ph.D. and follow a course of graduate-level study lasting approximately 5 years
• Psy.D. focuses on clinical training and de-emphasizes or eliminates research training
• Ph.D. integrates clinical and research training
• Psychiatrists first earn an M.D. in med school, then specialize in Psychiatry
• Psychiatric Social Workers earn a master’s in social work and develop expertise in collecting information relevant to the social and family situation of the individual
• Scientist-Practitioners keep up with the latest scientific developments in their field and utilize the knowledge in their practice
• They evaluate their own assessments and treatment procedures to see whether they are effective
• They conduct research that produces new information about disorders or their treatments
• Presenting Problem or Present is a traditional shorthand way of indicating why the person came to the clinic
• Clinical Description represents the unique combination of behaviors, thoughts, and feelings that make up a specific disorder
• Clinical refers to the types of problems or disorders found in a clinic or hospital and the activities connected with assessment and treatment
• Prevalence indicates how many people in the population have or had the disorder
• Incidence shows how many new cases occur during a given period
• Course refers to the individual pattern of symptoms
• Chronic disorders last a long time
• Episodic disorders are likely to recover for a few months only to suffer re-occurrence
• Time-Limited disorders will improve without treatment in a relatively short period with little or no risk of recurrence
• Onset can be acute (sudden) or insidious (gradual over an extended period of time)
• Prognosis is the anticipated course of the disorder
• Etiology is the study of origins, why the disorder begins
• Ego-Syntonic behaviors are aligned with personal values and self-image
• Ego-Dystonic actions are inconsistent with the ego
• History: During the last quarter of the 14th century, the Roman Catholic Church fought back against evil believed to be behind psychological disorders
• People turned to magic and sorcery to solve their problems, believing psych disorders were the works of the devil and witches
• Common treatments included rest, sleep, and a happy environment
• Nicholas Oresme suggested that melancholy (depression) was the source of some bizarre behavior, rather than demons
• Possession was not always connected with sin but may be seen as involuntary and the possessed individuals as blameless
• In the middle ages, if exorcism failed, authorities resorted to confinement, beatings, and other forms of torture as treatment
• Mass Hysteria involved whole groups of people compelled to run out in the streets, dance, shout, rave, and jump around in patterns
• Paracelsus rejected the notions of possession and suggested that the movement of the moon and stars had profound effects on people’s psychological functioning
• Johann Weyer was the founder of modern psychiatry and used compassion in treating mental illness during the time of witchcraft
• Biological: Hippocrates, the Father of Modern Medicine, suggested that psych disorders should be treated like any other disease
• Hippocrates suggested that psych disorders might be caused by brain pathology, head trauma, and influenced by heredity
• Galen adopted the ideas of Hippocrates and developed the Humoral Theory of Disorders
• Blood - heart; sanguine - cheerful and optimistic