INTRO PSYCHOPATHOLOGY Flashcards
(29 cards)
What is psychopathology?
scientific study of mental disorders, including their symptoms, causes, and treatments. It covers conditions like depression, anxiety, schizophrenia, and others.
What is abnormal psychology and psychopathology termed as often and what do they both refer to?
Interchangeable and both refer to the study of mental disorders/ difficulties, related causes and manifestations.
Whats the historical context behind psychopathology and abnormal psychology?
Psychopathology gained prominence with the publication of the diagnostic and stastical manual of mental disorders in 1980 (DSM-III)
Teaching materials, journal of abnormal psychology = journal of psychopathology and clinical science
Whats the ongoing shift in terminology - psychopathology
‘Psychopathology’ as a boarder and more neutral term
Destigmatisation efforts in the mental health field - more inclusive language
Whats the ongoing shift in psychopathology?
The study of mental/ psychological disorders without labelling them as abnormal
Acknowledging the diversity of human experiences and avoiding judgement
Aligns with contemporary perspectives on mental health
Whats abnormal behaviour?
Differs from typical developmental, cultural or societal normals and creates distress or impairment in functioning, cultural relativis vs universal definition
What did psychiatrist Thomas szasz argue?
Throughout history, societies have labelling inviduals and groups as abnormal in order to justify controlling or silencing them.
- very narrow definition of disease/ disorder
- no limited acknowledgment of distress
Whats the four D’s are criteria for abnormality?
- deviance - deviates/ different from the ‘norm’/typical
standards
• Distress - contributing to the
person’s distress
• Dysfunction - interferes with
functioning (e.g., occupational,
social)
• Danger - at risk of harming
themselves and/or others
Whats the ancient theories about abnormality?
Evil spirts/ demons - exorcism, drilling a hole in the skill = trephination
What did china belive about abnormality?
- balancing yin and yang
- emotions controlled by internal organs through ‘vital air’
On the heart - joy, on the lungs - sorrow, on the liver - anger
What did ancient Egypt, Greece and Rome say about abnormalities?
Biological theories, dominant psychological disorders as physical diseases
What did Middle Ages believe about abnormality?
Doctors - emotional shock or physical illness
Society - supernatural forces
What was the ages of discovery and what did they belive about abnormality?
- Link between physical illness and psychological disorders without labelling
- Return of supernatural/ demonic possessions beliefs (witch hunts)
What were the external factors to defining abnormality?
Stress
Knowledge of the anatomy, physiology, neurology and chemistry increased rapidly in the late 19th century
Whats the modern perspective on abnormality?
Advances in science/ medications, shift in treatment philosophies.
What was deinstitutionalisation?
Patients right movement, the replacement of inpatient psychiatric care with community outpatient services
What was the movement launched in 1963?
Community mental health movement by president john f Kennedy - 90% reduction in inpatient population in the US
Several concurrent programmes of change in the UK
In practice few community services were developed and large - scale closure did not start until 1980s
Increased quality of life for many vs inadequate resources (homelessness)
Today’s treatment standard - outpatient care
What’s psychopathology centered around and what’s the modern approach?
Person-centered and collaborative care
Minimising stigmatising and labelling language
- emphasis prevention and health promotion - identify and address risk factors, enhance protective factors and promote resilience
- cultural competence
Define mental health?
Mental health is a state of mental well-being that enables people to coe with the stresses of life, realize their abilities, learn well and work well and contribute to their community
Why psychopathology is important?
- enhances our understanding of mental health disorders and underlying causes and mechanism
- informs the development of effective treatment and interventions
- aids to reduce stigma and discrimination assocaited with mental health difficulties
- promote understanding and empathy for individuals with psychological disorders
What’s emotional type of child mental health?
Depression
Anxiety
Whats behavioural type of child mental health?
Conduct
Agression
Oppositional
Whats neurodevelopmetal type of child mental health?
- autism
- ADHD
- learning difficulties
Whats the risk factors?
• Individual attributes
• Experience of and exposure to violence
• Abuse and neglect
• Acute stressors and chronic adversities
• Family conflict
• Parental mental illness and drug/alcohol abuse
