Abnormal Psychology

• Psychological Disorder


  Psychological dysfunction within an individual associated with distress or impairment in functioning and a response that is not typical or culturally expected
• 4 D's of Psychological Disorder

  • Psychological Dysfunction
  • Distress or Impairment
  • Atypical or Not Culturally Expected (Deviance)
  • Dangerousness
• Psychological Dysfunction


  Refers to a breakdown in cognitive, emotional, or behavioral functioning that interferes with daily functioning
• Distress or Impairment


  Individual is extremely upset and cannot function properly, either to self or to others
• Atypical or Not Culturally Expected (Deviance)


  Deviates from the average or the norm of the culture, not just to the society but deviation from the person's usual behavior
• Dangerousness


  Creates potential harm to self (suicidal gestures) and others (excessive aggression)
• Duration


  How long the mental state has been persisting - constant fluctuation of mood, thoughts, and behaviors is normal, but if changes is sustained, persistent and pervasive, it can be concerning
• Psychopathology


  Scientific study of mental disorders
• Clinical Psychology


  Applied branch of psychology that seeks to understand, assess, and treat psychological conditions in a clinical setting
• Abnormal Psychology


  Branch of psychology that studies unusual patterns of behavior, emotions, and thought which may or may not indicate an underlying condition
• Normal Behavior


  One behavior that is like other people in the society - normality is social conformity, personal comfort, and a process
• Criteria for determining Abnormal Behavior

  • Norm-violation
  • Statistical rarity
  • Personal Discomfort
  • Deviation
  • Maladaptiveness
• Clinical Assessment


  The systematic evaluation and measurement of psychological, biological, and social factors in an individual presenting with a possible psychological disorder
• Diagnosis


  Process of determining whether the particular problem afflicting the individual meets all criteria for a psychological disorder
• Epidemiology


  Study of the distribution of diseases, disorders, or health-related behaviors in a given population
• Prevalence Measures


  • Point Prevalence
  • 1 Year Prevalence
  • Lifetime Prevalence
• Point Prevalence


  Proportion of actual, active cases of a disorder in a given population at a given point in time
• 1 Year Prevalence


  Everyone who experienced depression at any point in time throughout the entire year
• Lifetime Prevalence


  Estimate number of people who have had a particular disorder at any time in their lives
• Number of new cases occur over a given period of time
• Manifestation of disease that the physicians receive
• Symptom


  Subjective representation of the complaints of the patient
• Syndrome


  Group of symptoms that occur together more often by chance
• Axis I: Clinical Disorder

  Axis II: Personality Disorders & Mental Retardation

  Axis III: General Mental Conditions

  Axis IV: Psychosocial & Environmental Problems

  Axis V: Global Assessment of Functioning
• One-Dimensional Approach


  Looking for a single cause of psychological disorders
• Multidimensional Approach


  Looking for a systemic cause of psychological disorders
• Genetic Contributions


  • Genes
  • Chromosomes
  • Dominant and Recessive
  • Phenotypes
  • Genotypes
  • Polymorphisms
  • Polygenic
  • Endophenotypes
• Genes


  Long molecules of DNA at various locations on chromosomes, within cell nucleus that carry the information we inherit from our parents
• Chromosomes


  Chain-like structures within a cell nucleus that contain the genes
• Dominant and Recessive


  Genetic inheritance patterns
• Phenotypes


  Observable characteristics
• Genotypes


  Unique genetic makeup
• Polymorphisms


  Naturally occurring variations of genes
• Polygenic


  Influenced by multiple genes or by multiple polymorphisms of genes with any one gene having only very small effects
• Endophenotypes


  Genetic mechanisms that ultimately contribute to the underlying problems causing the symptoms and difficulties experienced by people with psychological disorders
• Genetic Epidemiology Approaches


  • Basic Genetic Epidemiology
  • Advanced Genetic Epidemiology
  • Gene Finding
  • Molecular Genetics
• Basic Genetic Epidemiology


  Statistical analysis of family, twin, and adoption studies to determine if the disorder can be inherited and how much is attributable to genetics
• Advanced Genetic Epidemiology


  Studies the factors that influence the disorder
• Gene Finding


  Identifying what gene influences the behavior
• Molecular Genetics


  Biological analysis of individual DNA samples to determine the biological processes genes affect to produce symptoms of the disorder