Unit 5 Abnormal Behavior Flashcards
(154 cards)
HOW DO WE DEFINE BEHAVIOR AS ABNORMAL?
A clinically significant behavioral or psychological syndrome or pattern that occurs in an individual that is ASSOCIATED WITH PRESENT DISTRESS or disability or with a significantly increased risk of suffering death, pain, disability, or an important loss of freedom
WHAT ARE THE CRITERIA FOR DEFINING A PSYCHOLOGICAL DISORDER.
- Uncommon behavior
- Unacceptable behavior
- Displays faulty perception (e.g. hallucinations)
- Displays faulty interpretation of reality (e.g. delusions)
- Displays self-defeating behavior
- Displays dangerous behavior
- Displays extreme personal distress
“…there is more to a disorder than being ___.”
atypical
What is the most common type of hallucination?
auditory
Give an example of a delusion or faulty perception of reality.
“I know you’re all aliens. You don’t look like aliens. But I know you’re aliens.”
“I’m king of the world.”
Give an example of a self-defeating behavior.
heroin addiction, other additions (alcohol, other drugs)
What types of faulty perceptions or hallucinations might one have?
auditory, visual, tactile
HOW DID SOCIETY APPROACH ABNORMAL BEHAVIOR BEFORE THE “MEDICAL MODEL” BECAME COMMONLY ACCEPTED?
Through the 18th century abnormal behavior was most often attributed to “evil” influences.
Depending on the cosmology of the times the aberrant actions were managed, punished or exorcised.
The typical response called for protecting the public by isolating the abnormal individual.
These asylums were initially intended to contain and isolate the insane.
What was the number one function of an asylum?
to protect the public (the non-abnormal)
Asylums perpetuated the belief about people with mental illness being ___.
evil
WHAT CHANGE OCCURRED IN THE 18TH CENTURY AND WHO WAS PHILIPPE PINEL?
In the 18th century a dramatic change occurred in the management of those with psychological disorders.
In 1793, Philippe Pinel was appointed médecin des infirmeries of the Hospice de Bicêtre, and he implemented his ideas on the humane treatment of the insane.
At the Bicêtre Pinel had the chains removed from his patients.
WHAT ARE THE BENEFITS OF USING A DIAGNOSTIC SYSTEM?
- treatment
- cause
- efficient communication about the patient’s condition
- it makes it possible for the mental health profession to function
WHAT IS THE MINIMUM THAT A DIAGNOSIS SHOULD ACCOMPLISH?
at a minimum, the diagnostic system should be able to discriminate between normal and abnormal
WHAT WAS ROSENHAN’S PROCEDURE AND WHAT WERE HIS FINDINGS?
(1972) The pseudopatient arrived at the admissions office complaining that he had been hearing voices saying “empty,” “hollow,” and “thud.“
Beyond claiming to hear voices and falsifying name, vocation, and employment, everything else was true and accurate.
The pseudopatients were never detected.
Admitted, except in one case, with a diagnosis of schizophrenia, each was discharged with a diagnosis of schizophrenia “in remission.”
If the pseudopatient was to be discharged, he must naturally be “in remission” but be was not sane, nor, in the institution’s view, had he ever been sane. Staff did not view patients as people.
IS THERE ANY COUNTER ARGUMENT FOR ROSENHAN’S POSITION?
Robert Spitzer responded:
First, the primary reason the pseudopatients were admitted was the request to be admitted when there was no obvious benefit, other than treatment, to be gained from admission.
They entered a hospital in personal distress, seeking help.
In order to be admitted the patients had to be diagnosed and Spitzer points out that the diagnostic system responded appropriately in identifying schizophrenia.
Specifically:
-There was no indication of substance abuse
-The patients were normal in memory and attention thus the symptom wasn’t due to neurological trauma
-There was no recent emotional trauma to produce a transient psychosis
-There was no evidence of significant mood disorder
-Thus, the remaining diagnosis that matched the symptom was schizophrenia.
WERE THE PSEUDOPATIENT’S DETECTABLE AS SANE PEOPLE?
Yes, other patients, real patients detected them.
It was quite common for the patients to “detect” the pseudopatients’ sanity. “You’re not crazy. You’re a journalist, or a professor [referring to the continual note-taking]. You’re checking up on the hospital.
IS THERE A “BIAS” IN THE DIAGNOSTIC SYSTEM?
Rosenhan (1972) went to a new hospital and made sure the staff had heard about his findings.
This staff reported that such an error would not occur in their hospital.
He waned them that at some time during the following 3 months he would send pseudopatients to the hospital.
Each staff member was asked to rate each patient according to the likelihood that the patient was a pseudopatient.
Judgments were obtained on 193 patients
Forty-one patients were alleged, with high confidence, to be pseudopatients by at least one member of the staff.
Twenty-three were considered suspect by at least one psychiatrist.
Nineteen were suspected by one psychiatrist and one other staff member.
Actually, no pseudopatient were sent to the hospital.
The conclusion was that there had to be a comprehensive revision of the diagnostic system.
DEFINE AND ILLUSTRATE THE ANXIETY DISORDERS (5).
Anxiety disorders are characterized by fear, feelings of dread and over arousal of the sympathetic nervous system. Anxiety disorders are psychological disorders characterized by distressing, persistent anxiety or maladaptive behaviors that reduce anxiety. The anxiety disorders are -Phobic disorder -Panic disorder -Generalized anxiety disorder -Obsessive-Compulsive disorder -Post Traumatic Stress Disorder
PHOBIC DISORDER
excessive, irrational fear of an object or activity
PANIC DISORDER
intermittent episode of severe fear or terror
GENERALIZED ANXIETY DISORDER
continuous fear or anxiety that is not associated with an identifiable object or activity
This disorder certainly includes a non-specific over arousal of the sympathetic nervous system.
The person displays
-Hyper vigilance and scanning
-Motor tension and hyperactivity
-Apprehension and expectation
OBSESSIVE-COMPULSIVE DISORDER
-recurring thoughts or images (obsessions)
-irresistible urges to act (compulsions)
To cope with the fear the person may engage in highly ritualized behavior.
When these mental or behavioral rituals begin to disrupt daily function the disorder is fully pathological.
Intrusive (logical..not necessarily healthy) Thoughts.
HOW IS PTSD LIKE THE ANXIETY DISORDERS?
POST-TRAUMATIC STRESS DISORDER, while not considered part of the Anxiety Disorders, includes vigilance, anxiety, partial memories of the trauma, and social withdrawal.
PTSD also seems to potentiate addiction.
DEFINE AND ILLUSTRATE THE MOOD DISORDERS.
Major depressive disorder
Dysthmic disorder
Mania
Bipolar disorder