Defining abnormality Flashcards
(20 cards)
What is the definition of abnormality?
Deviation from what is considered normal behavior, which can vary based on circumstances, sex, and time span.
What did Rosenhan’s study reveal about mental health diagnoses?
Healthy individuals reported hearing voices and were diagnosed with schizophrenia based on one symptom, indicating normal behavior can be misinterpreted as pathological.
What do the terms ‘Normal’ and ‘Abnormal’ imply?
‘Normal’ refers to average preferences, while ‘Abnormal’ refers to deviations from these averages, often viewed negatively.
What influences perceptions of abnormality?
Sociocultural influences, historical context, and norms.
What are the two main criteria for defining abnormality?
Statistical infrequency and social norms.
True or False: All abnormality brings personal suffering.
False. Humans vary in how they handle things, its subjective
What is a key characteristic of psychological disorders?
Distressing to self or to others, dysfunctional for the person or society and violating social norms.
What is the prevalence of mental disorders in the population?
About half of the population experiences a mental disorder in their lifetime.
What is the purpose of diagnostic labelling in mental health?
To understand, communicate about, and treat mental health conditions, prevalence and symptomology and observing stable patterns
What does DSM stand for?
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Psychological Disorders.
What significant changes were made in DSM-5?
Describes 22 major categories containing more than 200 different mental disorders.
What are some advantages of diagnostic labelling?
Provides a name for experiences Creates a sense of community May lead to treatment options.
What are challenges associated with diagnostic labelling?
Can lead to self-fulfilling prophecies May contribute to stigma, reduces responsibility, forcing into pigeonhole
What is the incidence rate of schizophrenia?
Approximately 1%, equal in men and women, later onset in women and occurs all over the world (there is some variances)
What are positive symptoms of schizophrenia?
Delusions of thought, thought insertion, thought broadcast, thought withdrawal, thought control, hallucinations, paranoia, grandeur, disorganised behaviour and speech
What are negative symptoms of schizophrenia?
Alogia (poverty of speech), social seclusion, impaired social interactions, apathy, lack of interest in activities
What are the diagnostic criteria for schizophrenia according to DSM-5?
2+ symptoms must exist for 1+ month, with at least 1 being delusions, hallucinations, or disorganised speech.
What is the suicide risk associated with schizophrenia?
Higher for males in social isolation, with approx 10% of patients dying by suicide.
Fill in the blank: The term ‘self-fulfilling prophesy’ refers to _______.
The phenomenon where a label can lead to a confirmation of that label.
True or False: Schizophrenia affects men and women equally.
True.
