PSYCHOLOGICAL
DISORDERS
What is a Psychological
Disorder?
A pattern of behavioral and
psychological symptoms that cause
significant personal distress, impairs the
ability to function in one or more areas
of life, or both.
Not a complete definition (as we will soon
see).
What is a Psychological
Disorder
How prevalent are psychological
disorders in society?
National Comorbidity Survey Replication
(NCS-R) found that almost on out of two adults have experienced symptoms of a psychological disorder at some point in their lives.
Possibly closer to two-thirds of individuals with
more recent data and more disorders being understood.
Of those with symptoms of a mental disorder,
59% go untreated.
What is a Psychological
Disorder
Being “sad”, “anxious”, or sometimes
“hearing things” does not necessarily
mean you have a psychological disorder.
They may be symptoms of signs of a
disorder, but to not guarantee a diagnosis.
So what makes it a psychological disorder
then?
Defining Abnormal Behavior
Statistical Deviance
Defining Abnormal Behavior
Cultural Deviance
Behavior that violates accepted standards
or norms.
Doesn’t always imply a psychological
disorder
Defining Abnormal Behavior
Emotional Distress
Abnormal behavior that leads to personal
distress and emotional upset.
Some psychological disorders lead to
feelings of isolation, depression, despair, etc.
Defining Abnormal Behavior
Dysfunction
The abnormal behavior is preventing the
person from normal functioning.
Can’t keep a job
Poor hygiene
Clouded judgment
Defining Abnormal Behavior
Normal and Abnormal are not rigid
categories
Think of “normal” and “abnormal” as
endpoints on a continuum – this is a problem with the DSM-IV-TR
Problems with Labeling
Expectancies drive our perception.
Labeling can effect how a person and their
behavior is viewed by others. Ex] Rosenhan Study
Problems with Labeling
Labeling leads to
Failure in recognizing normal behavior
Increase likelihood the person will act in an
abnormal way (i.e. self-fulfilling prophecy)
Diagnostic terms
Base Rate- The percentage of the
population that is effected by a mental
disorder at any given time. Synonymous
with
Prevalence
.
Comorbid (Comorbidity) - Two or more
disorders diagnosed simultaneously
Comorbidity is often the RULE, rather than
the exception
Meaning, if you have one form of mental illness
– you probably have another.
Types of Anxiety Disorders
Phobias
Social phobia/Social Anxiety Disorder
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Panic Disorder
Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
Anxiety Disorders
Diagnosed when the levels of
apprehension and worry become so
extreme that overall behavior is
impaired in some way
Anxiety Disorders
Phobia
(lifetime 7.2%-11.3%)- intense fear of an
object or situation.
4 classes of fear inducing objects
Animals
Natural Environments (storms, water, etc.)
Blood-Injection-Injury (needles, blood, etc.)
Specific Situations (elevators, flying, etc.)
Anxiety Disorders
Social Phobia or Social Anxiety Disorder (10%-20%)
-characterized by extreme anxiety and self-consciousness in everyday situations.
The person may also experience an intense fear of
being judged or doing something that will embarrass them.
Explaining Phobias
Heavily tied to learning theories:
Classical and operant conditioning
Little Albert, etc…
Also related to observational learning and
vicarious reinforcement
Can be biologically determined
For example, being more afraid of snakes and
spiders than guns.
Types of Mood Disorders
Bipolar Disorder
Major Depressive Disorder
Dysthymia
Mood Disorders
Prolonged and disabling disruptions in
emotional state. Significant and
persistent disruptions in mood or
emotion cause impaired cognitive,
behavioral, and physical functioning.
(1) Depressive Disorders- Primarily
Depression
(2) Bipolar Disorders- Mood Swings Mania- extreme high
Depression- extreme low
Mood Disorders
Major Depressive Disorder- Presence of
a one or more
major depressive
episodes
Major Depressive Episode- Bout of severe
depressive symptoms which lasts for at least two weeks.
Symptoms generally fall into four categories:
Emotional (Feeling sad, hopeless, guilty, etc…) Cognitive (Difficulty thinking and concentrating,
global negativity or pessimism, etc…)
Behavioral (Withdrawal from social activities, won’t
get out of bed, etc…)
Physical (Insomnia or oversleeping, changes in
appetite, loss of physical energy, etc…)
5%-12% males, 10%-25% females
Mood Disorders
Dysthymic Disorder – Chronic, low-grade
feelings of depression that produce
subjective discomfort but do not
seriously impair the ability to function.
Similar to Major Depressive Disorder but
the symptoms are not as intense.
However, dysthymic disorder generally is
longer lasting than Major Depressive Disorder (which waxes and wanes in terms of
pervasiveness).
Personality Disorders
Click icon to add picture
Personality Disorders
Axis II Disorder
Chronic and more enduring pattern of
behavior that leads to significant
impairments in social functioning
Personality Disorders
Borderline Personality Disorder
Antisocial Personality Disorder
Histrionic Personality Disorder
Narcissistic Personality Disorder
Paranoid Personality Disorder
Dependent Personality Disorder
Obsessive-Compulsive Personality
Disorder
Borderline Personality
Disorder
(2%)
Pervasive Pattern of instability in
relationships, emotions, and self image
Intense abandonment fears. Exhibit
inappropriate anger when faced with real or imagined abandonment.
Sudden and dramatic shifts in their view of
others and of themselves
Frantic efforts to avoid real of imagined
abandonment
Antisocial Personality
Disorder
Consistent disregard for other’s rights,
and social norms
(males 3%, females 1%) Begins in childhood/early adolescence and
continues through adulthood.
Deceitful and manipulative in order to get
what they want
Don’t experience guilt, has a lack of
remorse
Fail to conform to social norms
Paranoid Personality
Disorder
(0.5%-2.5%)
Pervasive mistrust and suspicion of
others and interpreting other’s motive as
malevolent.
“Difficult to get along with and have
problems with close relationships” (APA, 2000)
Suspects, without sufficient basis, that others are exploiting, harming, or deceiving him or her
Preoccupied with unjustified doubts about the
loyalty or trustworthiness of friends or associates Reluctant to confide in others because of
unwarranted fear that the information will be used maliciously against him or her
Reads hidden demeaning or threatening meanings into benign remarks or events
Outline
What is abnormal behavior?
Classifying Disorders
Understanding Psychological
disorders
Biological
Cognitive
Biological
Neurotransmitters (Nx): Imbalance
Interplay of Nx makes it hard to pinpoint
one specific system of Nx that is causing the problem
We do believe that Nx imbalance plays a
role in Psychological Disorders.
SSRIs
MAOIs
Lithium
Biological
Structural
Hyper or Hypo activity in brain regions
Enlarged or Decreased size of some areas
Not all people show these symptoms
Biological
Genetics
Inheriting a predisposition (diathesis)
Twin Studies- not a 100% concordance rate
Still, an increased likelihood of being diagnosed
with a psychological disorder if you have close relatives who are diagnosed with one
Cognitive
Problems with thinking about and
appraisal of events
Cognitive
Maladaptive Attribution
Attribution- assigning causality to an event/
behavior.
Maladaptive- leads to abnormal or
unproductive behaviors Ex] failing the test
Environment
Nurture aspect of Psychological
Disorders
.
Environment
Culture
Symptoms present themselves differently
in different cultures
Stress higher in some countries compared
to others
