Abnormal Psychology
Phase 1: Introduction
Source: Barlow, Durand & Hofmann (2018), Comer & Comer (2017), DSM-V, DSM-V-TR
Introduction
o Psychological dysfunction
Disorder within
– psychological
an individual
associated with distress or impairment in
functioning and a response that is not typical or
culturally expected
▪ o Course – individual pattern of symptoms
Psychological Dysfunction – refers to a
breakdown in cognitive, emotional, or
behavioral functioning Distress or
▪ Impairment – individual is
extremely upset and cannot function
properly
Expected – Atypical or Not Culturally
▪ deviates from the average or the norm of the
culture
o Psychopathology – scientific study of
psychological disorders
o
Clinical/Counseling Psychologist – received
Ph.D. and follow a course of graduate-level
study lasting approx. 5 years
o Psy.D. – focus on clinical training and de-
o
emphasize or eliminates research training
Ph.D. – integrate clinical and research training
o Psychiatrists – first earn an M.D. in med school,
then specialize in Psychiatry
o Psychiatric Social Workers – earns master’s in
social work as they develop expertise in
collecting information relevant to the social and
family situation of the individual
o Scientist-Practitioners – they may keep up with
the latest scientific developments in their field
and utilize the knowledge in their practice
▪ psych disorders were the works of the devil
Evaluate their own assessments and
treatment procedures to see whether they
are effective
▪ pattern of a cross in the hair of the victim’s head
Conduct research that produces new
information about disorders or their
treatments, thus becoming immune to the
fads that plague our field, often at the
expense of patients and their families
o Presenting Problem or Present – traditional
shorthand way of indicating why the person
came to the clinic
Clinical
o Description – represents the unique
combination of behaviors, thoughts, and
feelings that make up a specific disorder
▪ (depression) was the source of some bizarre
Clinical – refers both to the types of
problems or disorders that you would find in
a clinic or hospital and to the activities
connected with assessment and treatment
▪
To specify what makes the disorder different
from normal behavior
o Prevalence – How many people in the
population as a who have/had the disorder?
o Incidence – how many new cases occurring
during a given period
▪
Chronic – last a long time Episodic – likely to
▪ recover a few months
only to suffer re-occurrence
▪ Time-Limited – disorder will improve
without treatment in a relatively short
period with little or no risk or recurrence
o Onset – beginning of the disorder
▪
Acute – sudden
▪ Insidious – gradually over an extended
period of time
o Prognosis – anticipated course of the disorder
o Etiology – study of origins, why the disorder
begins
o Ego-Syntonic – behaviors are aligned with your
personal values and self-image
o Ego-Dystonic – actions that are inconsistent
with your ego
History
Supernatural
o During the last quarter of the 14th century,
Roman Catholic Church fought back against evil
in the world that is believed must have been
behind these disorders
o People turned to magic and sorcery to solve
their problems because they also believed that
and witches
o Treatments include exorcisms, shaving the
and securing sufferers to a wall near the
church
were depression and anxiety o Mental
recognized as illness, although symptoms such
as despair and lethargy were often identified by
the church as a sin of acedia, or sloth
o Common treatments was rest, sleep, and
health and happy environment (baths,
ointments, and happy environment)
o Nicholas Oresme – suggested that melancholy
behavior, rather than demons