Perspectives on Psychological Perspectives on Psychological DisordersDisorders

• Society:Society: Behavior is abnormal when it does not Behavior is abnormal when it does not conform to the existing social order.conform to the existing social order.

• Individual:Individual: One’s own sense of personal well- One’s own sense of personal well-being determines normality.being determines normality.

• Mental-health professional:Mental-health professional: Personality and Personality and degree of personal discomfort and life functioning degree of personal discomfort and life functioning

ddeetermine normality.termine normality.

Approaches to Psychological Approaches to Psychological DisordersDisorders

• biological modelbiological model: Disorders have a : Disorders have a biochemical or physiological basis.biochemical or physiological basis.

• psychoanalytic model:psychoanalytic model: Disorders result from Disorders result from unconscious internal conflicts.unconscious internal conflicts.

• cognitive-behavioral model:cognitive-behavioral model: Disorders result Disorders result from learning maladaptive ways of thinking from learning maladaptive ways of thinking and behaving.and behaving.

Approaches to Psychological Approaches to Psychological DisordersDisorders

• diathesis-stress model:diathesis-stress model: People biologically People biologically predisposed to a mental disorder (diathesis) predisposed to a mental disorder (diathesis) will tend to exhibit that disorder when will tend to exhibit that disorder when particularly affected by stress.particularly affected by stress.

• systems approach:systems approach: Biological, Biological, psychological, and social risk factors psychological, and social risk factors combine to produce disorders.combine to produce disorders.

Diagnostic & Statistic Manual of Diagnostic & Statistic Manual of Mental Disorders (4th edition)Mental Disorders (4th edition)

• A publication of the American Psychiatric A publication of the American Psychiatric Association that classifies over 230 Association that classifies over 230 psychological disorders into 16 categories.psychological disorders into 16 categories.

• The most widely used classification of The most widely used classification of psychological disorders.psychological disorders.

Diagnostic Categories of DSM-IV

Diagnostic Categories of DSM-IV

Mood DisordersMood Disorders

Disturbances in mood or prolonged emotional Disturbances in mood or prolonged emotional state.state.

• depressiondepression

• maniamania

• bipolar disorderbipolar disorder

DepressionDepression

• A mood disorder characterized by A mood disorder characterized by overwhelming feelings of sadness, overwhelming feelings of sadness,

• lack of interest in activities, lack of interest in activities,

• and perhaps excessive guilt or feelings of and perhaps excessive guilt or feelings of worthlessness.worthlessness.

ManiaMania• A mood disorder characterized by euphoric A mood disorder characterized by euphoric

states, states,

• extreme physical activity, extreme physical activity,

• excessive talkativeness, excessive talkativeness,

• distractedness, distractedness,

• and sometimes grandiosity.and sometimes grandiosity.

Bipolar DisorderBipolar Disorder

• A mood disorder in which periods of mania A mood disorder in which periods of mania and depression alternate, sometimes with and depression alternate, sometimes with periods of normal mood intervening.periods of normal mood intervening.

Causes of Mood DisordersCauses of Mood Disorders

• Most psychologists now believe that mood Most psychologists now believe that mood disorders result from a combination ofdisorders result from a combination of

• biological factors,biological factors,

• psychological factors,psychological factors,

• and social factors.and social factors.

Biological FactorsBiological Factors

• Genetics appears to play a role in the Genetics appears to play a role in the development of mood disorders.development of mood disorders.

• The strongest evidence for the role of The strongest evidence for the role of genetics comes from twin studies.genetics comes from twin studies.

• Certain chemical imbalances in the brain Certain chemical imbalances in the brain have been linked to mood disorders.have been linked to mood disorders.

Psychological FactorsPsychological Factors• Cognitive distortions may lead to the Cognitive distortions may lead to the

development of mood disorders.development of mood disorders.

• cognitive distortions:cognitive distortions: An illogical and An illogical and maladaptive response to early negative life maladaptive response to early negative life events that leads to feelings of incompetence events that leads to feelings of incompetence and unworthiness that are reactivated whenever and unworthiness that are reactivated whenever a new situation arises that resembles the a new situation arises that resembles the original events.original events.

Types of Illogical ThinkingTypes of Illogical Thinking

arbitrary inferencearbitrary inference

selective abstractionselective abstraction

overgeneralizationovergeneralization

magnification and minimizationmagnification and minimization

Social FactorsSocial Factors• Difficulties in interpersonal relationships Difficulties in interpersonal relationships

may lead to mood disorders.may lead to mood disorders.

• The link between depression and troubled The link between depression and troubled relationships may explain why women are relationships may explain why women are more likely to suffer from depression--more likely to suffer from depression--women tend to be more relationship-women tend to be more relationship-oriented than men.oriented than men.

Gender, Race, & SuicideGender, Race, & Suicide

Anxiety DisordersAnxiety DisordersDisorders in which anxiety is a characteristic feature Disorders in which anxiety is a characteristic feature

or the avoidance of anxiety seems to motivate or the avoidance of anxiety seems to motivate abnormal behavior.abnormal behavior.

• phobiasphobias• panic disorderpanic disorder• generalized anxiety disordergeneralized anxiety disorder• obsessive-compulsive disorderobsessive-compulsive disorder

Types of PhobiasTypes of Phobias• specific:specific: intense, paralyzing fear of some object intense, paralyzing fear of some object

or thingor thing

• social:social: excessive, inappropriate fears connected excessive, inappropriate fears connected with social situations or performances in front of with social situations or performances in front of other peopleother people

• agoraphobia:agoraphobia: involves multiple, intense fear of involves multiple, intense fear of crowds, public places, and other situations that crowds, public places, and other situations that require separation from a source of securityrequire separation from a source of security

Panic DisorderPanic Disorder

• An anxiety disorder characterized by An anxiety disorder characterized by recurrent panic attacks.recurrent panic attacks.

• panic attack:panic attack: A sudden, unpredictable, and A sudden, unpredictable, and overwhelming experience of intense fear or overwhelming experience of intense fear or terror without any reasonable cause.terror without any reasonable cause.

Generalized Anxiety DisorderGeneralized Anxiety Disorder

• An anxiety disorder characterized by An anxiety disorder characterized by prolonged vague but intense fears that are prolonged vague but intense fears that are not attached to any particular object or not attached to any particular object or circumstance.circumstance.

Obsessive-Compulsive DisorderObsessive-Compulsive Disorder

• An anxiety disorder in which a person feels An anxiety disorder in which a person feels driven to think disturbing thoughts driven to think disturbing thoughts ((obsessionsobsessions) and/or to perform senseless ) and/or to perform senseless rituals (rituals (compulsionscompulsions).).

Causes of Anxiety DisordersCauses of Anxiety Disorders• prepared responses:prepared responses: responses that responses that

evolution has made us biologically evolution has made us biologically predisposed to acquire through learningpredisposed to acquire through learning

• not feeling in control of one’s lifenot feeling in control of one’s life

• may be caused by an inherited may be caused by an inherited predispositionpredisposition

• internal psychological conflictinternal psychological conflict

Psychosomatic vs. SomatoformPsychosomatic vs. Somatoform• psychosomatic:psychosomatic: Disorders in which there is Disorders in which there is

REAL physical illness that is largely caused REAL physical illness that is largely caused by psychological factors such as stress and by psychological factors such as stress and anxiety.anxiety.

• somatoform:somatoform: Disorders in which there is an Disorders in which there is an APPARENT physical illness for which APPARENT physical illness for which there is no organic basis.there is no organic basis.

Somatoform DisordersSomatoform Disorders

• somatization disordersomatization disorder

• conversion disorderconversion disorder

• hypochondriasishypochondriasis

• body dysmorphic disorderbody dysmorphic disorder

Somatization DisorderSomatization Disorder

• A somatoform disorder characterized A somatoform disorder characterized by recurrent vague somatic complaints by recurrent vague somatic complaints without a physical cause.without a physical cause.

Conversion DisorderConversion Disorder

• Somatoform disorders in which a dramatic Somatoform disorders in which a dramatic specific disability has no physical cause but specific disability has no physical cause but instead seems related to psychological instead seems related to psychological problems.problems.

HypochondriasisHypochondriasis

• A somatoform disorder in which a person A somatoform disorder in which a person interprets insignificant symptoms as signs interprets insignificant symptoms as signs of serious illness in the absence of any of serious illness in the absence of any organic evidence of such illness.organic evidence of such illness.