ABNORMAL PSYCHOLOGY HISTORICAL CONCEPTIONS

OF ABNOMARL BEHAVIOR
What makes a psychological
disorder? THE SUPERNATURAL
TRADITION
dysfunction within an individual associated
with distress or impairment in the behavior o 900-600 BC – all physical
of an individual that is deviance/ not typical and mental disorders are
or culturally expected. work of evil
o 14th Century – religious and
• Psychological dysfunction lay authorities believe more
• Personal distress and impairment strongly on the influence of
• Atypical/deviant demons and witches
PSYCHOPATHOLOGY o Possession and Exorcisms
and Faith healing
 Nature
 Treatment moral treatment (19th century)
 Theories o In Paris, Phillippe Pinel..
o William Tuke in England
o Dorothea Dix spearheaded
STUDYING PSYCHOLOGICAL the a movement to ensure
DISORDERS legal rights and protection
• Unique combination of behaviors,
thoughts and feelings that make up a
specific disorder STRESS AND MELANCHOLY

• What makes the disorder different • Insanity was a natural

from other normal behavior or from
other disorders
• Statistical data may also be relevant
(sex ratio, age onset, duration,
symptoms etc.)
TRAINED PROFESSIONALS
• Clinical and counseling
psychologists
• Psychiatrists
• Psychiatric social workers
• Psychiatric nurses
• Marriage and family therapists
• Mental health counselors
phenomenon, caused by
mental or emotional stress
• rest, sleep, and a healthy and
happy environment, baths,
ointments, and various
potions
MASS HYSTERIA
• large scale outbreaks of
bizarre behavior
• some hypothesized it as
caused by insect bites
(tarantism)
MODERN MASS HYSTERIA
17 students and 4 teachers reported
dizziness, headache, nausea and
stomach pains, some were vomiting
and most were hyperventilating
It started when a 14 year old girl
reported a funny smell..
 She then fell on the floor and
complains about the symptoms..
Soon, many of the students and
teachers who could see and hear
what is happening experienced
similar symptoms.
Inspection of the school building by
public authorities revealed no
apparent cause for the reactions, and
teams of physicians revealed no
physical abnormalities.
THE MOON AND THE STARS
• Paracelsus suggest
movements of the moon and
stars had profound effects on
people’s behavior
• Gravitational effects of the
moon on bodily fluids might
be a possible cause of mental
disorders
THE BIOLOGICAL TRADITION
Hippocrates and Galen
- Psychological disorders are caused
by brain pathology and head trauma
- Can be influence by heredity
- Recognized the importance of
psychological and interpersonal
contributions to pathology
HUMORAL THEORY OF
DISORDERS
- brain functioning was related to four
bodily fluids or humors: blood,
black bile, yellow bile, and phlegm
- Too much or too little of one of the
humors..
- Psychological disorders is to
“chemical imbalance”
THE PSYCHOLOGICAL
TRADITION
- Plato - causes of maladaptive
behavior were the social and cultural
influences
- Aristotle - social environment
(fantasies, dreams, and cognitions)
- Advocacy of humane and
responsible care for individuals with
- psychological disturbances
(development of moral therapy)
PSYCHOANALYTIC THEORY
• Franz Anton Mesmer and
bodily magnetism and
hypnosis
• Jean-Martin Charcot and
hysteria
• Freud and Breuer and the
“unconscious”
• Freud and the Psychoanalytic
model
o Development of
Psychoanalytic
thought
HUMANISTIC THEORY
• emphasized the positive,
optimistic side of human nature
• all of us could reach our highest
potential, in all areas of
functioning, if only we had the
freedom to grow
BEHAVIORAL MODEL
• development of a more scientific
approach to psychological
aspects of psychopathology
• Pavlov, Skinner and Watson
 One-dimensional Clinical Assessment and Diagnosis
vs
Multidimensional What is an assessment?
Behavioral, Biological, Emotional,
Social, Developmental influences
The fact that some phobias are more common What is diagnosis?
than others (such as fear of heights and snakes)
and may have contributed to the survival of the
species in the past is evidence for which
influence? ______________

Clinical interview
Jane’s husband, John, was an unemployed jerk • Gathers information from current and past
who spent his life chasing women other than behavior, attitudes, and emotions, detailed
his wife. Jane, happily divorced for years, history of individual’s life in general..
cannot understand why the smell of John’s presenting problem
cologne causes her to become nauseated.
Which influence best explains her response? The use of MSE
______________
Mental Status Examination
Nathan, age 16, finds it more difficult than his
7-year-old sister to adjust to his parents’ recent A systematic observation of an
separation. individual’s behavior
Organize information gives sufficient
This may be explained by what influence? information
_________________
 APPEARANCE AND BEHAVIOR
A traumatic ride on a Ferris wheel at a young
age was most likely to have been the initial The clinician notes any overt physical
cause of Juanita’s fear of heights. Her strong behaviors, dress, general appearance, posture,
emotional reaction to heights is likely to and facial expression
maintain or even increase her fear.
 THOUGHT PROCESSES
The initial development of the phobia is likely
a result of ______________ influences;  Flow of speech
however, _________ influences are likely  Content
perpetuating the phobia.  Continuity of speech Ex. “Can you
think clearly, or is there some problem
putting your thoughts together?
What does DSM stand for?
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Ideas of Reference
Disorders

 MOOD AND AFFECT

 Laugh – heard something funny

  Sad – talking about something sad
 INTELLECTUAL FUNCTIONING
 Clinicians make a rough estimate of
individual’s intellectual functioning
just by talking to them.
 Vocabulary? Memory? Reasoning?
 SENSORIUM
 What is the date today? Time?
 What is his/her name? who are you?
 Where is he/her? •Other factual
information
Questions.
Is it okay to nod to the client while they speak?
Is it okay to interrupt the client while they
speak?
During the interview, the client tends to close
his fist whenever asked about his mother. Is it
okay to ask him directly why he does that?
In an interview. What to do when the client
doesn’t want to talk/answer to your questions?
Can you repeat the client’s statements during
the interview?
Can you hug the client if they cry while telling
you a sad experience?
When is it appropriate to give advice to the
client about to do to their problems?
Interview phases:
Initial • Middle • Terminal
 Initial
Proper introductions
Arrange comfortable seating
Inform patient of purpose of interview
Inform patient of position & professional status
of persons involved with his/her care
Start with open-ended/non-directive question
 Middle
Discovering in a detailed way what is troubling
the patient •Physician notes patient’s response
 Terminal
Physical examination
•If the patient presenting with psychological
problems has not had a physical exam in the
past year --- recommend one, with particular
attention to the medical conditions sometimes
associated with the specific psychological
Behavioral assessment
•Some clients are not skilled to report their own
problems and experiences
•The ABCs of Observation •
Self-monitoring
Psychological Testing
Determines cognitive, emotional, or behavioral
responses that might be associated with a
specific disorder
•It must STANDARDIZED
• Projective testing (Rorschach, TAT)
• Personality inventories (MMPI)
• Intelligence testing (WAIS, SRA, PNLT) •
Neuropsychological testing and Neuroimaging

Diagnosing Psychological
Disorders

The use of Diagnostic Statistical Manual of

Mental Disorders