Abnormal Psychology 3018 Introduction
Introduces the field of Abnormal Psychology, focusing on the scientific and empirical study of abnormal behavior and mental disorders. Provides foundational concepts for understanding how abnormality is defined and studied.
What is Abnormal Psychology?
It is the scientific study of abnormal behaviour and mental disorders. It must only use the empirical method.
Key Terms
What is Abnormal Psychology?
It is the scientific study of abnormal behaviour and mental disorders. It must only use the empirical method.
What is psychiatric classification based on? And what is observed for diagnosis?
Psychiatric classification is based on the medical model (physical classification). Symptoms are observed for diagnosis.
When classifying psychological dysfunction, what are three aspects of the mental illness that must be understood in order to help a person get better.
The CAUSE of the illness (causation), what MAINTAINS the illness (maintenance) and how to TREAT the illness (treatment).
When finding the CAUSE of a mental illness, clinicians must look at the contributing factors from a ___, ___ & ___ perspective.
Causes of mental illness include biological, psychological & sociocultural factors.
When an illness is episodic and comes back again, clinicians must look at the ___ factors.
MAINTAINING factors.
What components of mental illness must treatment target?
The causal and maintaining factors.
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| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
What is Abnormal Psychology? | It is the scientific study of abnormal behaviour and mental disorders. It must only use the empirical method. |
What is psychiatric classification based on? And what is observed for diagnosis? | Psychiatric classification is based on the medical model (physical classification). Symptoms are observed for diagnosis. |
When classifying psychological dysfunction, what are three aspects of the mental illness that must be understood in order to help a person get better. | The CAUSE of the illness (causation), what MAINTAINS the illness (maintenance) and how to TREAT the illness (treatment). |
When finding the CAUSE of a mental illness, clinicians must look at the contributing factors from a ___, ___ & ___ perspective. | Causes of mental illness include biological, psychological & sociocultural factors. |
When an illness is episodic and comes back again, clinicians must look at the ___ factors. | MAINTAINING factors. |
What components of mental illness must treatment target? | The causal and maintaining factors. |
What are three abnormal behaviours that can indicate a mental/psychological disorder? And what must be remembered about these behaviours? And what do they depend on? | Deviance, distress and dysfunction. Not one is necessary, or on its own sufficient, to classify a disorder. They depend on what is considered ‘normal’ within a society. |
What is DEVIANCE? | Rare behaviour that deviates from the norm. |
What is DISTRESS? | When a person or those around them is distressed by his/her behaviour. |
What is DYSFUNCTION? | Maladaptive behaviour whereby the person cannot carry out daily functions. |
Historically, what was mental illness called? And what kind of concept was it? | ‘Madness’ or ‘insanity’. It was UNITARY CONCEPT, whereby ‘insanity’ was the same in everyone, just expressed differently (different symptoms). There were no seperate disorders. |
How many categories of mental disorders are there today? And were are they listed? | 400+. They are mainly listed in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) and the International Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problems (ICD). |
What do the DSM and ICD handbooks contain? | They contain descriptions of symptom clusters. |
What is the field of study that evaluates the prevalence/incidence of mental illness within a given society? | Psychiatric epidemiology. |
What is prevalence? And what is incidence? | Prevalence is the proportion within a specified population that has a diagnosable disorder - within a specified time period. |
In what periods of time is the prevalence of mental illness evaluated? | Point-prevalence (right now), one-year prevalence (12 months) and lifetime prevalence (during a person’s lifetime). |
What other population percentages need to be considered when evaluating psychiatric epidemiology? | The percentage of people that seek help, and the percentage of people that receive help. |
Internationally, what is the generally accepted lifetime prevalence of any mental disorder? | 32-48%. |
In Australia (2007 survey) what is the lifetime prevalence for any mental disorder? | 45% |
What are the three most common categories of mental disorders in Australia? And what number of Australians experience one in their life? | Anxiety, affective (depressive) and substance abuse disorders are the most common. |
What is the 12-month prevalence of anxiety, affective and substance abuse disorders in Australia (percentage and number)? And what percentage do each disorder make up of that prevalence? | The 12-month prevalence is 20% (3.2 million Australians). Anxiety (14%), affective (6%) and substance abuse (5%). |
How many people received help for their anxiety, affective or substance abuse disorder in 2007? And what might it mean for those who didn’t seek help? | 1/3 of people received help. |
When assessing a mental disorder, what distinctions must clinicians make? | Is the mental illness a RESPONSE to a particular event? Or is it a DYSFUNCTION (behavioural, psychological or biological) within the individual? |