L1: Intro to Abnormal Psychology Flashcards Preview

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Flashcards in L1: Intro to Abnormal Psychology Deck (14)
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1
Q

What is abnormal psychology? Include four elements of the discipline.

A

The scientific study of mental disorders. Aim is to describe, understand causation and maintenance, and identify effective treatment.

2
Q

Historically, how were mental disorders understood prior to the rise of the psychoanalytic model?

A

Thought to be one or a few kinds of madness/insanity.

  • Severe symptoms similar to what we’d consider psychosis, schizophrenia or dementia today.
  • anxiety, depression etc. not consider forms of mental disorder, but part of the personality.
3
Q

How have the quantity of patients and workers in the mental health care professions changed over the past century?

A
  • historically only a small number of people were treated for mental health issues in insane asylums. Workers were doctors or untrained alienists.
  • now the definition of mental illness has expanded to encompass a larger proportion of the public. There are large number of professions, eg. psychologists, counsellors, social workers etc. working in the field.
4
Q

Why is the number of people seeking treatment not an accurate estimate of the number of people meeting criteria for a mental disorder?

A

Treatment seeking depends on financial and cultural factors, knowledge, education, beliefs

5
Q

What are three measures of prevalence used in psychiatric epidemiology?

A

Point prevalence, one year prevalence and lifetime prevalence.

6
Q

Define point prevalence.

A

How many people have disorder X at the point the survey is conducted.

7
Q

Define one year prevalence.

A

How many people have had disorder X in a one year period.

8
Q

Define lifetime prevalence.

A

How many people have had disorder X in the course of their entire lifetime.

9
Q

What is incidence?

A

What percentage of people will newly develop disorder X within a given time period.

10
Q

What is the lifetime prevalence of mental disorders in adults?

A

32-48%.

11
Q

What is the lifetime prevalence of mental disorders before age 21?

A

35-49%

12
Q

What is the lifetime prevalence of any mental disorder in the general population?

A

45%

13
Q

Approximately what fraction of people who met diagnostic criteria for a mental disorder sought treatment?

A

1/3rd.

14
Q

What are the four general criteria a mental disorder must meet in the DSM?

A
  • there must be a clinically significant behavioral or psychological pattern
  • associated with current distress or disability, or a significantly increased risk of suffering death, pain, disability, or an important loss of freedom
  • can’t be a culturally sanctioned or expected response to an event
  • whatever the original cause, must currently be a manifestation of biological, psychological or behavioral dysfunction in the individual.