ch 1 - overview and research applications

• what are the four "D's" for defining abnormality?

  distress - unpleasant and upsetting

  dysfunction - interfering with ability to conduct daily activities constructively

  deviance - violation of social norms

  danger - posing risk of harm to self or others
• why is defining abnormality challenging?

  criteria are vague, subjective, and inconsistent; unclear who decides what is "normal" or not; disagreement about whether deviance reflects an "illness," or weakness of character, or faulty learning
• what are the pros/cons of classifying/diagnosing/labeling?

  pros: normalizing, feeling understood and less alone

  cons: may be internalized, may exhibit learned helplessness
• how do you distinguish between prevalence and incidence rates?

  prevalence rate - number of active cases in any given point in time

  incidence rate - number of new cases over a given period; excludes preexisting cases
• what is the 1-year prevalence rate of disorders in adults? in children?

  26% (1 in 4) in adults and 19% of children
• what is meant by comorbidity? how common is it and what factor increases the likelihood of comorbidity?

  presence of 2 or more disorders in an individual; common, severity increases likelihood; 50% comorbidity for those with severe illness, only 7% for people with mild illness
• edwin smith papyrus - wound treatment, brain as site of mental functions
• ebers papyrus - covers internal medicine and circulatory system, cures diseases with incantations and magic
• ancient mesopotamia - clear recognition of mental health problems
• spiritualistic views (e.g., demonology) - attributed symptoms of mental illness to demons; treatment by blood-letting, exorcisms, trephinations (drilling in the skull to "drain the evil spirit")
• naturalistic views (e.g., Hippocrates) - mental disorders have natural causes; imbalance of bodily fluids (black bile, blood, phlegm)
• how many adults, in any given year, are in need of clinical treatment?

  26%, about 1/4 (1-year prevalence)
• in individuals with a severe mental illness, about ____ met criteria for two or more disorders?

  50% (comorbidity)