Extra Notes

• A state of well-being in which the individual realizes his or her own abilities, can cope with the normal stresses of life, can work productively and fruitfully, and is able to make a contribution to his or her community.

  Mental Health
• A scientific study whose objectives are to describe, explain, predict, and modify behaviors associated with mental disorders.

  Abnormal Psychology
• It is the study of the symptoms, causes, and treatments of mental disorders.

  Psychopathology
• If a behavior is socially acceptable or conforming to the standards of society, then that behavior is normal.
• Criteria for Normality

  (a, sc, pc, i, p)

  • Normality is average.
  • Normality is social conformity.
  • Normality is personal comfort.
  • Normality is ideal.
  • Normality is a process.
• Some clear elements or indicators of abnormality:

  (S, M, SD, S, SD, IU, D)

  • Suffering
  • Maladaptiveness
  • Statistical Deviancy
  • Violations of the Standards of Society
  • Social Discomfort
  • Irrationality and Unpredictability
  • Dangerousness
• In defining abnormality, we make value judgments.
• DSM-5 defined mental disorder as a:

  • syndrome that is present in an individual and that
  • involves clinically significant disturbance in behavior, emotion regulation, or cognitive functioning.
  • These disturbances are thought to reflect a dysfunction in biological, psychological, or developmental processes that are necessary for mental functioning.
  • It causes significant distress or difficulty with day-to-day functioning; and
  • is not merely a culturally expected response to common stressors or losses or a reflection of political or religious beliefs that conflict with societal norms.
• It is the intense fear of public humiliation or embarrassment, together with the avoidance of social situations likely to cause fear. It is also recognized as "Social Anxiety Disorder."

  Social Phobia
• It is characterized by an exaggerated feeling of physical and emotional well-being.

  Mania
• SOME IMPORTANT CONSIDERATIONS IN DISTINGUISHING CLINICAL DEPRESSION FROM NORMAL SADNESS

  1. The mood change is pervasive across situations and persistent over time.
  2. The mood change may occur in the absence of any precipitating events, or it may be completely out of proportion to the person’s circumstances.
  3. The depressed mood is accompanied by impaired ability to function in usual social and occupational roles.
• Mood disorders are defined in terms of episodes—discrete periods of time in which the person’s behavior is dominated by either a depressed or manic mood.
• Depressed patients focus considerable attention on the most negative features of themselves, their environments, and the future—a combination known as the “depressive triad”.
• Personality refers to enduring patterns of thinking and behavior that define the person and distinguish him or her from other people.
• Why personality disorders are clustered?

  Mental health conditions are grouped together due to sharing overlapping symptoms.
• Point Prevalence


  It refers to the estimated proportion of actual, active cases of the disorder in a given population at a given point in time.
• 1-year Prevalence


  The count of actual, active cases at any point in time throughout the entire year.
• Lifetime Prevalence


  An estimate of the number of people who have had a particular disorder at any time in their lives (even if they are now recovered).
• Mood


  A pervasive and sustained emotional response that, in its extreme form, can color the person’s perception of the world.
• Affect


  The pattern of observable behaviors, such as facial expression, that are associated with these subjective feelings.
• Emotion


  A state of arousal that is defined by subjective states of feeling, such as sadness, anger, and disgust.
• Subjective Feeling Component


  This is where an individual simply experiences the feelings.
• Action Tendency Component


  Once the emotion is identified, the body moves into action.
• Appraisal Component


  Cognitively analyzing the emotion, the individual is able to pick up on the situations, actions, environments, or individuals that are causing the emotion.
• Motor Component


  This is the communicative function of how we express what we are experiencing (facial expressions, hand gestures, body movements, etc.)
• Physiological Component


  This component supports all others and is the chemical reaction our body experiences.
• Psychomotor Agitation


  An inability to sit still, evidenced by pacing, hand wringing, or rubbing or pulling the skin, clothes, or other objects.
• Psychomotor Retardation


  A slowing of motor functions indicated by slowed bodily movements and speech (in particular, longer pauses in answering) and lower volume, variety, or amount of speech.
• Positive Symptoms


  They are marked by the presence of abnormal or distorted mental processes, mental contents, or behaviors.
• Negative Symptoms


  Consists of the absence or reduction of normal mental processes, mental contents, feelings, or behaviors.
• Hallucinations


  Sensations so vivid that the perceived objects or events seem real even though they are not.
• Delusions


  Incorrect beliefs that persist, despite evidence to the contrary.
• Disorganized Thinking (Speech)


  It causes people to speak incoherently, although they may not necessarily be aware that other people cannot understand what they are saying.
• Disorganized Behavior


  Behavior that is so unfocused and disconnected from a goal that the person cannot successfully accomplish a basic task, or the behavior is inappropriate in the situation.
• Paranoid Delusions


  It involves the theme of being persecuted by others.
• Delusions of Control 


  Revolves around the belief that the person is being controlled by other people (or aliens).
• Delusions of Grandeur


  Believing oneself to be significantly more powerful, knowledgeable, or capable than is actually the case.
• Delusions of Reference


  The belief that external events have special meaning for the individual.
• Flat Affect (Muted Expression) 


  Occurs when a person does not display a great range of emotion and hence often seems emotionally neutral.
• Alogia (Poverty of Speech)


  May respond slowly or minimally to questions and generally speak less than do most other people.