Ab Psych

• Introduction to Abnormal Psychology and its History:

  • Abnormal Psychology is a general branch in psychology that includes psychopathology and clinical psychology
  • It seeks to identify, understand, and treat abnormal and maladaptive behavioral, thought, and emotional patterns
  • Psychopathology deals with the systematic investigation of abnormal behavior
  • Clinical Psychology focuses on psychological knowledge and practice to help individuals with abnormal behavior cope and adjust
• Timeline of Significant Events:

  1. 400 BC: Hippocrates suggests psychological disorders have both biological and psychological causes

  2. 200 CE: Galen suggests normal and abnormal behaviors are related to four bodily fluids or humors

  • Choleric (yellow bile), Sanguine (blood), Melancholic (black bile), Phlegmatic (phlegm)

  3. 1300s: Mental disorders blamed on demons and witches; exorcisms performed

  4. 1400s: View that insanity is caused by mental or emotional stress gains momentum

  5. 1400-1800: Bloodletting and leeches used for restoring chemical balance

  6. 1500s: Paracelsus suggests the moon and stars affect psychological functioning
• Timeline of Significant Events (cont.):

  7. 1793: Philippe Pinel introduces moral therapy in French mental institutions

  8. 1825-1875: Syphilis differentiated from other psychoses; penicillin found to cure syphilis

  9. 1848: Dorothea Dix campaigns for humane treatment in US mental institutions

  10. 1854: John P. Grey believes insanity results from physical causes

  11. 1870: Louis Pasteur develops germ theory of disease

  12. 1895: Josef Breuer treats Anna O., leading to Freud's Psychoanalytic Theory
• Definition of Abnormality:

  • Exaggeration or perverted development of normal psychological behavior
  • Unusual or maladapted behavior not fitting common forms
  • Maladjustment to society and culture in an unfavorable way
• Criteria for Abnormality:

  1. Deviance:

  • Nonconformity, unusual behavior not culturally expected
  • Lack of conscience or empathy towards others
  • Violation of social norms

  2. Dangerousness:

  • Behavior harmful to self and others
  • Consider social context
  • Example: wartime behavior vs. civilian life behavior
• Definition of Normality:

  • Common pattern of behavior among the majority
  • Satisfactory work capacity, conforming to social environment
  • Ability to establish relationships, manage emotions, and accept relationships
  • Represents optimal development and functioning consistent with group well-being
• Criteria for Abnormality (cont.):

  3. Psychological Dysfunction:

  • Breakdown in cognitive, emotional, or behavioral functioning
  • Inability to cope with society, leading to unhappiness

  4. Significant Personal Distress:

  • Personal distress caused by troublesome emotions
  • Intense feelings impairing function
  • Appropriate feelings of distress vs. abnormal distress
• Faulty perceptions or interpretations of reality can include:

  • Hallucinations (seeing things and hearing voices that are not present)
  • Delusions (holding unfounded ideas)
• Mental health, according to WHO (2020), is a state of well-being where an individual:

  • Realizes their abilities
  • Can cope with normal stresses
  • Can work productively
  • Can make a contribution to their community
• Factors determining mental health include social, psychological, and biological factors
• Mental disorders, according to DSM (2013), are characterized by:

  • Clinically significant disturbance in cognition, emotion regulation, or behavior
  • Dysfunction in psychological, biological, or developmental processes underlying mental functioning
• Common misconceptions about psychological disorders include:

  • Mental health problems affect 1 in 5 Filipino adults
  • Suicide is the 3rd leading cause of death among 15-24-year-olds worldwide
• Children can experience mental health problems, with half of all psychological disorders showing first signs before the age of 14
• Only 3-5% of violent acts can be attributed to individuals living with a serious mental illness
• Hiring individuals with some psychological disorders can result in good attendance, punctuality, motivation, and good work tenure
• Factors contributing to psychological disorders include biological factors (genes, physical illness), life experiences (trauma, abuse), and family history of mental health problems
• People with psychological disorders can recover completely and lead fulfilling lives
• Treatment for psychological disorders can include medication, therapy, or both, and working with a support system is crucial during the healing process
• Friends and loved ones can make a big difference in helping individuals with mental health problems access needed treatment and services
• Prevention of mental, emotional, and behavioral disorders focuses on addressing known risk factors to improve overall well-being and societal outcomes
• Models explaining abnormal behavior include the spiritistic model and the medical model
• The medical model views abnormal behavior as biogenic or the result of malfunctioning within the body, with therapy often involving biomedical approaches like psychopharmacology and psychosurgery
• Contemporary perspectives on abnormal behavior include the biological perspective, which attributes abnormal behavior to biological factors, especially the functioning of the nervous system
• The nervous system, including neurons and neurotransmitters, plays a crucial role in the development of abnormal behavior patterns
• Injury can impair one's ability to coordinate movements, leading to stumbling or loss of muscle tone
• The Reticular Activating System (RAS) is a web-like network of neurons that regulates sleep, attention, and states of arousal/alertness
• Depressant drugs reduce RAS activity, causing grogginess or stupor
• The Thalamus relays sensory information, such as tactile and visual stimuli, and works with the RAS to regulate sleep and attention
• The Hypothalamus is responsible for motivational drives and behaviors like hunger, thirst, and emotional responses
• The Amygdala is involved in pleasure or fear responses; injury or dysfunction can lead to anxiety, autism spectrum disorder, depression, PTSD, and phobias
• The Cerebrum is responsible for higher mental functions like thinking and problem-solving
• The Cerebral Cortex, the surface area of the Cerebrum, is the thinking, planning, and executive center of the brain, and the seat of consciousness and sense of self
• The Peripheral Nervous System is made up of nerves that receive and transmit sensory messages, and transmit messages from the brain to the spinal cord and muscles
• The Somatic Nervous System processes sensory information
• The Autonomic Nervous System, composed of the Sympathetic and Parasympathetic Nervous System, is responsible for the fight/flight response towards stress
• Genes do not dictate behavioral outcomes; they create predispositions that increase the risk of developing certain behaviors or disorders
• Multiple genes are involved in disorders where genetic factors play a role
• Genetic factors and environmental influences interact in shaping personalities and determining vulnerability to psychological disorders
• The Psychodynamic Model, including Psychoanalysis by Freud, focuses on unconscious motives and conflicts traced back to childhood
• The Structure of the Mind includes the Conscious, Preconscious, and Unconscious, with basic biological impulses like Thanatos and Eros