Diagnosis of mental disorders

• How can abnormality be defined?

  As not normal, which could mean not done by most people or against social norms.
• What are the two definitions of abnormality mentioned?

  The statistical definition and the social norms definition.
• What does the statistical definition of abnormality refer to?

  It refers to behaviors that are statistically infrequent.
• How is IQ related to the statistical definition of abnormality?

  IQ is normally distributed, and anyone outside the normal limit is considered abnormal.
• What is meant by normal distribution in the context of abnormality?

  It means that the mean, mode, and median of a characteristic of behavior all fall in the same place.
• What is an advantage of using the statistical definition of abnormality?

  It provides a quantitative measure that is objective.
• Why is an objective measurement considered reliable?

  Because someone else administering the same test is likely to get the same result.
• What is a weakness of the statistical definition of abnormality?

  The label of abnormal may not be undesirable, as some frequent behaviors can still be considered abnormal.
• How does the example of depression illustrate a limitation of the statistical definition of abnormality?

  Depression is statistically frequent in the UK but is still considered a mental health disorder and abnormal.
• What are the characteristics of a behavior seen as normally distributed?

  • Mean, mode, and median all fall in the same place
  • Represents a typical distribution of behaviors in a population
• What are the strengths and weaknesses of the statistical definition of abnormality?

  Strengths:

  • Provides an objective quantitative measure
  • Likely to yield reliable results

  
  

  Weaknesses:

  • The label of abnormal may not be undesirable
  • Statistically frequent behaviors can still be considered abnormal
• What does the social norms definition state about behavior that conforms to social norms?

  It states that behavior which conforms to social norms is considered normal.
• How are social norms defined in the context of behavior?

  Social norms are defined as social rules that are customs rather than laws.
• What happens if someone's behavior goes against societal norms?

  Their behavior would be called abnormal.
• What factors should be taken into account when considering social norms according to the definition of abnormality?

  Factors include situation, age, gender, and historical context.
• What is one of the symptoms of anti-social personality disorder related to social norms?

  Failure to conform to social norms with respect to lawful behaviors.
• What does failure to conform to social norms indicate in the context of anti-social personality disorder?

  It indicates acts that are grounds for arrest.
• The effect of culture- In one society there are likely to be different cultures and subcultures any behaviour regarded as abnormal would tend to be seen as so in all cultures in that society. It is therefore seen as difficult to define norms that have to be adhered to. The situation and context for the behaviour are both important, a behaviour might be abnormal in one context but normal in another. Age is another factor in making a judgement about abnormality.
• The effect of historical context- What was considered as the norm many years ago might have changed now. Drapetomania: Slaves experienced an irrational desire to run away. Nymphomania class men: MC women were sexually attracted to working. Moral insanity rather than male relatives: Women who inherited money spent it on themselves.
• Culturally specific illness- Kuru: deadly illness caused by cannibalism found in Papua New Guinea. Koro: culturally specific, shrinking penis. applies to both genders. Sleeping sickness: African fatal illness, transmitted by tsetse flies.
• Evaluation- The idea of abnormality as behaviour that goes against social norms matches what is expected in daily life when talking about abnormality.
• Weaknesses- If culture, age etc have to be considered then it is hard to have universal laws. Therefore a diagnosis is difficult as there are no set of symptoms to rely on, which would make this definition unsuitable to help with diagnosis. Any definition of abnormality would lack validity except in one culture. Not only hard to diagnose but the validity of any diagnosis is also i doubt. Difficult to measure abnormality objectivity and scientifically. A definition that doesn't allow objectivity might be seen as unsuitable.
• DS of diagnosis: How we diagnose- When an abnormality/ mental disorder is suspected the DSM or ICD are used to reach a diagnosis.
• Definitions of abnormality- Deviance: to behave in a way that does not conform to the norms or society. seen as unacceptable to society.
• Distress- when someone with a disorder experiences negative feelings.
• Dysfunction- Not being successful with daily tasks. This cannot be purposeful.
• Danger- Violent behaviour which may be a risk to you or others.
• What are the 4Ds mentioned by Davis (2009) in relation to diagnosis?


  Deviance, Dysfunction, Distress, and Danger
• How does deviance contribute to the diagnosis of a disorder according to Davis (2009)?


  Deviance can clearly show a disorder but must be accompanied by other elements for diagnosis.
• What is required for dysfunction to be considered in a diagnosis according to Davis (2009)?

  Dysfunction must be apparent in more than one part of the individual's life.
• Can normal life events cause dysfunction according to Davis (2009)?

  Yes, normal life events can cause dysfunction and it doesn't have to link to a mental disorder.
• Why is distress hard to measure in the context of diagnosis according to Davis (2009)?


  Because an individual may be greatly distressed but still unable to function.
• What is the increased risk of dying from unnatural causes for individuals suffering from mental illness according to Davis (2009)?

  Individuals suffering from mental illness have a 25% greater chance of dying from unnatural causes.
• What is the 5th D suggested by Davis (2009) in relation to diagnosis?

  The 5th D is Duration, indicating that some illnesses need different lengths of time to be diagnosed.
• How does the concept of Duration affect the diagnosis of mental illnesses according to Davis (2009)?


  Some illnesses require different lengths of time to be diagnosed, affecting the diagnostic process.
• Positives of Davis- Useful as they have a practical application to professionals when deciding if they need to move towards a diagnosis for a patient. Various diagnosis focus on the 4Ds so they have value.
• Negatives for Davis- Not quantitative judgements so they can be subjective, professionals may disagree on what is dysfunctional. The patient may not agree they're dysfunctional. If Davis had to add a 5th D maybe they aren't that good after all. May be insufficient to do the job.