Module 41 - basic concepts of psychological disorders

Question 1

What is a psychological disorder?

Answer 1

• syndrome (collection of symptoms) marked by a clinically significant disturbance in an individual’s cognition, emotion regulation, or behavior

Question 2

what does it mean to be clinically significant

Answer 2

• the disturbance must interfere with patient’s functioning or potentially harm someone

Question 3

historical approaches to psychological disorders

Answer 3

• in earlier times, abnormal behavior attributed to mystical forces, planetary movements, and demons
• treatments were often barbaric
• in the late 1700s, Phillippe Pinel recognized abnormal behavior as illness of the mind
  
  • introduced and encouraged reform and humane treatment of patients

Question 4

what is the medical model

Answer 4

• assumes that illnesses, including psychological disorders, have physiological causes that can be diagnosed and treated

Question 5

biopsychosocial approach

Answer 5

• biological, psychological, and social-cultural factor interactively form the basis of psychological illnesses
• includes epigenetics
  
  • someone may have a gene that makes them susceptible to depression, but it may only express with genetic factors
• poverty is a risk factor for many psychological disorders
• some may be culturally dependent
  
  • ex: anorexia, ADHD
  • suggests environmental influence
• some disorders exist across cultures
  
  • ex: depression and schizophrenia

Question 6

what is DSM-5

Answer 6

• diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders
• published by the American Psychiatric Association
• provides standardized diagnostic criteria

Question 7

pros and cons of labeling psychological disorders

Answer 7

pros:
- can be validating/comforting
- can help establish path to recovery
cons:
- can be stigmatizing/discouraging
- some say that DSM criteria is too broad and pathologies normal human experiences
- about 1 in 5 people experience a psychological disorder in a given year

Question 8

when are psychological disorders onset

Answer 8

• usually first appear in early childhood
• some exceptions
  
  • ex: phobias usually begin in childhood