Psychopathology redo

• Statistical infrequency


  A behaviour or quality considered abnormal because it is 2 or more standard deviations from the mean, drawn out on a bell-curve diagram
• Statistical infrequency strengths


  Can be used in clinical diagnosis of disorders
• Statistical infrequency limitations


  Infrequent characteristics are normally considered negative, which may not be true all the time - for example, having a higher than average IQ is not negative but is abnormal

  Can create negative stereotypes
• Deviation from social norms


  When a person behaves differently to how society expects people to behave

  However, social norms are relativistic to different cultures
• Deviation from social norms strengths

  Can be used in clinical diagnosis of disorders, for example antisocial personality disorder

  It is useful
• Deviation from social norms limitations


  There is lots of variability between cultures and social norms can be wrongly applied to different cultures
• Failure to function adequately

  Proposed by Rosenham and Seligman

  • When a person no longer conforms to standard interpersonal norms
  • When a person experiences severe personal distress
  • When a persons behaviour becomes irrational or dangerous to themselves or others
• Failure to function adequately strengths

  Represents a sensible threshold for when someone needs to seek help and treatment can be targeted to whoever needs it most
• Failure to function adequately limitations

  Easy to label non-ordinary lifestyles as abnormal

  People who make unusual life choices are at risk of being labelled abnormal
• Deviation from ideal mental health

  Proposed by Jahoda

  Good mental health:

  • No symptoms of distress
  • We can rationalise and percieve ourselves accurately
  • We self-actualise (Humanistic approach)
  • We can cope with stress
  • We have realistic view of the world
  • We have good self-esteem
  • We are independent
  • We can successfully work, love and enjoy our leisure
• Deviation from ideal mental health strengths

  Criterion is highly comprehensive and provides checklist to compare ourselves to
• Deviation of ideal mental health limitations

  Is very unrealistic

  Different elements are not equally applicable across different cultures
• Phobia


  An irrational fear of an object or situation
• Behavioural charcteristics of phobias

  Panic - feeling of intense of dread

  Avoidance - A conscious effort made to avoid the phobic stimulus

  Endurance - when a person chooses to stay in the presence of the phobic stimulus
• Emotional characteristics of phobias

  Anxiety - an unpleasant state of high arousal

  Fear - immediate unpleasant response to phobic stimulus

  Unreasonable response relative to phobic stimulus
• Cognitive characteristics of phobias

  Selective attention to the phobic stimulus

  Irrational beliefs - thoughts that don't have any basis in reality

  Cognitive distortions - inaccurate and unrealistic perceptions
• Depression


  A mental disorder characterised by low mood and low energy levels
• Behavioural characteristics of depression

  Reduced activity levels

  Disrupted sleeping and eating behaviour

  Aggression or self-harm
• Emotional characteristics of depression

  Lowered mood

  Anger

  Lowered self-esteem
• Cognitive characteristics of depression

  Poor concentration

  Attending to and dwelling on the negative

  Aboslutist thinking