Abnormal Psychology 2

• Normal


  Socially defined standards of acceptable behavior
• Abnormal

  Deviation from social standards of acceptable behavior
• Ideas of "normal" and "abnormal" are largely shaped by social standards and can have profound social ramifications
• What is considered "normal" changes with changing societal standards
• Despite the challenges inherent in defining "normal," it is still important to establish guidelines so as to be able to identify and help people who are suffering
• The DSM-5 attempts to explicitly distinguish normality from abnormality based on specific symptoms
• Society generally sees normality as good and abnormality as bad
• Being labeled as "normal" or "abnormal" can have profound ramifications for an individual, such as exclusion or stigmatization by society
• Stigma and discrimination can add to the suffering and disability of those who are diagnosed with (or perceived to have) a mental disorder
• A recent move has been made toward the adoption of person-centered language: referring to people as "individuals with mental illness" rather than "mentally ill individuals"
• Psychological disorder


  A condition characterized by abnormal thoughts, feelings, and behaviors
• Defining what is "normal" and "abnormal" is a subject of much debate
• Definitions of normality vary widely by person, time, place, culture, and situation
• "Normal" is a subjective perception, and also an amorphous one—it is often easier to describe what is not normal than what is normal
• In simple terms, society at large often perceives or labels "normal" as "good," and "abnormal" as "bad"
• It is important to establish guidelines in order to be able to identify and help people who are suffering
• The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5-TR) lays out explicit and specific guidelines for identifying and categorizing symptoms and diagnoses
• According to the World Health Organization (WHO), more than a third of people globally meet the criteria for at least one diagnosable mental disorder at some point in their lives
• Stigma and discrimination can add to the suffering and disability of those with mental illness
• Stigma


  The societal disapproval and judgment of a person or group of people because they do not fit their community's social norms
• In the context of mental illness, social stigma is characterized as prejudiced attitudes and discriminatory behavior directed toward individuals with mental illness as a result of the label they have been given
• In the United States, people are often pressured to be "normal"—or at least perceived as such—in order to gain acceptance by society
• Society tends to be uncomfortable with "abnormality"—so if someone does not conform to what is perceived as normal, they might be given a number of negative labels, such as "sick","crazy", or "psycho"
• These labels lead to discrimination, marginalization, and isolation of—even violence against—the individual
• Self-stigmatization


  When someone internalizes society's negative perceptions of them or of people they think are like them
• Self-stigmatization contributes to feelings of shame and usually leads to poorer treatment outcomes
• Experience of stigma or self-stigma can lead to refusal to receive treatment, social isolation, and distorted perception of the incidence of mental illness
• Stigmas are usually deeply ingrained in society over many years and so cannot be eradicated instantly
• With the rising awareness that mental illness affects so many people globally, more and more is being done to reduce the stigma associated with such illnesses
• The field of psychology has recently moved toward using deliberate person-centered language—referring to people as individuals with mental illness rather than mentally ill individuals
• Abnormal behavior


  The scientific study of abnormal behavior, with the intent to be able to reliably predict, explain, diagnose, identify the causes of, and treat maladaptive behavior
• Psychopathology


  The scientific study of psychological disorders
• Mental disorder


  Characterized by psychological dysfunction which causes physical and/or psychological distress or impaired functioning and is not an expected behavior according to societal or cultural standards
• Dysfunction


  Clinically significant disturbance in an individual's cognition, emotion regulation, or behavior that reflects a dysfunction in the psychological, biological, or developmental processes underlying mental functioning
• Distress


  When the person experiences a disabling condition in social, occupational, or other important activities, which can take the form of psychological or physical pain, or both concurrently
• Deviance


  A move away from what is considered normal according to societal or cultural standards
• Key concepts in abnormal psychology

  • Classification
  • Nomenclature
  • Epidemiology
  • Presenting problem
  • Clinical description
  • Prevalence
  • Incidence
  • Comorbidity
  • Etiology
  • Course of the disorder
• Classification


  The way in which we organize or categorize things
• Nomenclature


  Naming system to structure the understanding of mental disorders in a meaningful way
• Epidemiology


  The scientific study of the frequency and causes of diseases and other health-related states in specific populations