Unit 2 Psych Chapter 06: Mentall Illness

Question 1

Define Mental Illness

Answer 1

A psychological dysfunction experienced by an individual involving there is distress, impairment in the ability to cope with everyday life, and thoughts, feelings and/or behaviour that are atypical or inappropriate within their society/culture.

Question 2

Components of Mental Illness?

Answer 2

• Psychological dysfunction
• Distress
• Impairment in the ability to cope
• Atypical
• Abnormal

Question 3

Define Psychological Dysfunction

Answer 3

Breakdown in cognitive, emotional and/or behavioural functioning. Thoughts, feelings and behaviour differ from normal.

Question 4

Define Distress

Answer 4

Being extremely upset

Question 5

Define Impairment in the Ability to Cope

Answer 5

Unable to do the kinds of things they normally do on a daily basis

Question 6

Define Atypical

Answer 6

Respond in not normal or typical for them

Question 7

Define Abnormal

Answer 7

Behaviour not normal in society/culture

Question 8

Define Psychotic

Answer 8

Involves loss of contact with reality. Person has difficulty making sense of their thoughts, feelings or what is actually happening around them.

Question 9

Thoughts, feelings and behaviour experienced in Psychotic Illness?

Answer 9

Psychotic - Delusions (false belief that doesn’t match reality), hallucinations (5 senses sense something not actually there)

Question 10

Thoughts feelings and behaviour experienced in Non-Psychotic?

Answer 10

Intense or prolonged feelings of sadness, anxiety and fear to such as extent they have difficulty cling with their daily activities. Causes considerable personal distress.

Question 11

Examples of Psychotic & Non-Psychotic

Answer 11

Psychotic - Schizophrenia, Bipolar Disorder

Non-Psychotic - Phobias, OCD, PTSD, Depression, Substance use disorders

Question 12

Incidence in Australia of Psychotic & Non-Psychotic

Answer 12

• Psychotic - 3%

* Non psychotic - 45%

Question 13

Incidence in Mental Illness in Australia

Answer 13

Males & females experience similar rates of mental illness.
•Substance use - more male
•Anxiety/Affective disorders - more female
Incidence DECREASES across lifespan.
Highest incidence age group - 16-24 yrs old (changes through lifetime)
Lowest incidence age group - 75-85 yrs old

Question 14

Define Non-Psychotic

Answer 14

Person remains in touch with reality despite their dysfunctional thoughts, feelings and behaviour.

Question 15

How is a Mental Illness Diagnosed?

Answer 15

DSM5 - Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders.

Question 16

What does DSM5 provide?

Answer 16

1) Classification of mental disorders based on recognisable system, precisely described
2) Typical course of disorder
3) Age most likely to develop MI
4) Degree of impairment
5) Prevalence of disorder/How common
6) If likely to affect others in the family
7) Relationship of disorder to gender, age & culture

Question 17

Advantages of Labelling

Answer 17

1) Helps clinical psychologist recognise and specifically describe a mental illness and assist them in identifying appropriate treatment
2) It is helpful when mental health professionals communicate with each other about a clients mental illness
3) Useful when describing mental illnesses in journal articles

Question 18

Disadvantages to Labelling

Answer 18

1) Can influence how a person thinks and feels about themselves and the way they are viewed by others in the community
2) Can create misunderstanding that bias our perception on the way they behave or may behave. May be treated differently from others