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PSYC3102 > Week 1 - Intro > Flashcards

Week 1 - Intro Flashcards

1
Q

What is the field of abnormal psych? (x5)

A

Scientific study of behaviour with four main objectives:
o Describing what behaviours are evident – do they fulfil criteria for a disorder?
o Explaining why behaviour/a disorder is evident.
o Predicting outcome.
o Managing behaviours that are considered problematic

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2
Q

Describe the relativist view of abnormal psychology (x3)

A

o Symptoms & causes vary across cultures
o All individual and specific symptoms;
o Evidence for, eg eating disorders more prevalent in the west

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3
Q

Describe the absolutist view of abnormal psychology (x3)

A

o A disorder is caused by the same biological factors
o Also supported by evidence
o Eg schizophrenia, some psychoses - language for these found in different cultures, not specific to developed, but they seem to fare better in undeveloped countries

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4
Q

What are some of the questions/challenges of defining what is ‘abnormal’ psych? (x4)

A

o NO clear-cut defs - largely subjective.
o Is behaving differently, deviantly, dangerously or dysfunctionally abnormal?
o Does the behaviour cause distress/dysfunction for individual/others?
o Duration also important - Must be persistent

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5
Q

Describe 10 elements of psychological abnormality

A

Personal suffering - Important but not sufficient (e.g. psychopaths don’t suffer)

Maladaptiveness - eg substance abuse disorder

Irrationality and incomprehensibility - eg auditory hallucination

Unpredictability/loss of control - eg gambling

Level of emotional distress - eg major depression can cut capacity for rational thought

Interference in daily functioning

Vividness and unconventionality - Need to interpret behaviour in context

Deviations from the norm (developmental, societal & cultural)

Observer discomfort - eg psychopathy

Violation of moral and ideal standards - Eg DSM disorders/symptoms etc voted on by experts

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6
Q

What elements does the DSM-V focus on for defining abnormal behaviour? (x5)

A

Symptoms and the scientific basis for the disorders
• Clinical presentation – What specific symptoms cluster together?
• Etiology – What causes the disorders?
• Developmental stage – Does the disorder look different for children & adults?
• Functional impairment – Immediate and long term consequences

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7
Q

Under the DSM-V, mental disorders involve one or all of… (x3)

A
  • Present distress
  • Disability (impairment in one or more areas of functioning)
  • Significant risk of suffering death, pain, disability, or an important loss of freedom
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8
Q

Why does Thomas Szasz maintain that mental illness is a myth? (x2)

A

Argues that its a term that equates to ‘problems with living’
And a means of controlling those on the fringe

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9
Q

What are the issues around labelling people as mentally ill? (x3)

A

Misuse - eg draptemonia, when black slaves tried to escape, method of oppression
Can lead to stigma and discrimination

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10
Q

What benefits can arise from a mental health diagnosis? (x2)

A

Access community support

And treatment

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11
Q

What is a psychiatrist? (x4)

A

MD, then specialised,
Very much in the biomedical model,
Use biological treatments,
Can use psych treatments too

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12
Q

What is a psychologist? (x2)

A

Apply psych science in assessment and treatment,

No prescribing

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13
Q

What is a psychoanalyst? (x2)

A

Freudian training,

Not registered health professionals

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14
Q

What is a psychotherapist? (x2)

A

Not registered health professionals,

So can’t look them up, check complaints, training etc

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15
Q

What is a counselling psychologist? (x2)

A

Like clinical,

But often more general issues - marital distress etc

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16
Q

What is a clinical psychologist? (x2)

A

Registered health professional

Treats serious mental health disorders

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17
Q

What are three different routes to professional practice?

A

APS Membership - APS approved six year degree & two years supervised experience
APS College of Clinical Psychologists Membership - Approved post-graduate degree in clinical psychology + two years supervised experience
Registration: Psychologists Board of Australia - Approved four year degree + two years supervised experience
• OR
Approved four year degree and post-graduate degree.

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18
Q

What is epidemiology? (x1)

And why is it important? (x1)

A

Study of the frequency & distribution of disorders within a population
o Very important for the funnelling of resources to right places

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19
Q

Regarding epidemiology, what is meant by ‘incidence’? (x1)

A

Number of NEW cases of a disorder that appear in population within specific time frame

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20
Q

Regarding epidemiology, what is meant by ‘prevalence’? (x1)

A

Number of ACTIVE cases in a population during specific period of time

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21
Q

Regarding epidemiology, what is meant by ‘lifetime prevalence’? (x1)

A

Proportion of population affected at SOME POINT during their lives

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22
Q

Regarding epidemiology, what is meant by ‘comorbidity’? (x1)

And why is this especially important? (x1)

A

Having more than one condition

Because those with multiple conditions often have poor outcomes, e.g. depression and anxiety

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23
Q

What is the epidemiology of mental disorders in Qld? (x3)

A

o 1 in 4 suffer mental disorders during lifetime
o Over ½ million have mental disorder that significantly interferes with daily lives
o 1 in 4 Qlders who visit a GP do so for mental health reasons

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24
Q

What is the epidemiology of suicide in Australia? (x4)

A

100 Australians attempt suicide every day
2,361 Australians committed suicide in 2010 (ABS, 2012)
• 77% were males
35-44 years highest suicide rates

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25
Q

In descending order, what is the lifetime prevalence of 10 common mental disorders?

A 
Major depression - 17%
Alcohol abuse - 13%
Drug abuse - 8%
PTSD - 7%
Panic disorder - 5%
Bipolar mood disorder - 4%
OCD - 1.5%
Schizophrenia - 1.4%
Bulimia - 1%
Anorexia - 0.8%
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26
Q

Where does mental illness rank in terms of economic burden in developed countries? (x2)

A

Second only to cardiovascular conditions (18%),

With 15% of total burden

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27
Q

How was psychopathology views in the ancient world? (x5)

A

Supernatural explanations for mental disorders prevailed (trephination - holes in skull to release spirits) except in Greece:
o Hippocrates (5th C. BC) classified mental disorders into three categories:
• Mania – look up defs…
• Melancholia
• Phrenitis (brain-fever

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28
Q

What di ancient Greeks hold as the cause of all forms of disease? (x3)
Which required what treatments? (x2)

A

Natural causes (unitary concept):
• Imbalance in essential fluids
• Blood, Phlegm, Yellow & Black bile
• Treatment procedures focused on restoring balance
• A lot of blood-letting and purging/vomiting to restore the balance of fluids

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29
Q

How was psychopathology views through the Middle Ages? (x6)

A

After fall of Roman Empire, efforts to discover natural causes virtually ceased
Religion dominated → supernatural view of mental disorder
Abnormal behaviour interpreted as the work of the devil or witchcraft (exorcisms)
Wars, peasant revolts & plagues: “evil forces”
• Persecution of those viewed as promoting/hosting the devil
• Many with mental disorders treated like witches

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30
Q

How was psychopathology views during the Renaissance (14-17th C)? (x6)

A

More humane view of the mentally ill
Critics of demonology:
• Paracelsus –Believed stars & planets affected the brain
• Weyer – First physician to specialise in treating of mental illness
• Search for effective treatments begun
Argued probably more natural causes of mental health problem

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31
Q

Changing views of psychopathology through the Renaissance led to…(x3)

A

Development of asylums by mid 16th C
e.g. London’s Bethlehem Hospital ‘Bedlam’
Put in for treatment, but also signalled beginning of isolation from society

32
Q

What did early (16th C) asylum treatments consist of? (x3, plus egs)

A 
Confinement (shackles, chains, isolation in dark cells), 
Torturous practices (ice-cold baths, spinning in chairs, severely restricted diets) 
Medical treatments (bloodletting, purgatives)
33
Q

What was introduced to the treatment of psychopathology in the 19th C/beginning of modern thought? (x5)

A

Moral treatment
Precipitated by American & French Revolutions → new focus on human/individual rights, humanitarian ideas
Reforms in treatment of people with mental disorders:
• Philippe Pinel fought to unshackle the prisoners
• People started to improve

34
Q

Panel’s Classification System (late 19th C, the first since Hippocrates) contained what 5 categories?

A 
o	Melancholia 
o	Mania 
o	Mania with delirium 
o	Dementia
o	Idiotism
35
Q

What two major categories were defined by Kraepelin and the German Classifiers (1920s)
Which occurred around the same time as… (x2)

A

• Dementia praecox – later known as schizophrenia
• Manic depressive psychosis
General paresis got linked with syphilis - a biological disorder, sparking search for biological treatments

36
Q

What 3 somatic treatments were introduced and widely used through 1920-30s?

A

Fever therapy
Insulin coma therapy
Lobotomy

37
Q

What was the procedure (x1) and rationale (x1) for fever therapy in the 1920-30s?

A

Blood from malaria patients injected into psychiatric patients to induce fever
Observed symptom disappearance in those that got typhoid fever

38
Q

What was the procedure (x1) and rationale (x1) for insulin coma therapy in the 1920-30s?

A

Insulin injected into psychiatric patients, lowered blood sugar/induced hypoglycaemia and deep coma
Observed mental changes among some diabetic drug addicts treated with insulin

39
Q

What was the procedure (x1) and rationale (x1) for lobotomies in the 1920-30s?

A

Knife inserted through holes in skull, severing nerves connecting frontal lobes to rest of brain
Observed that procedure reduced displayed emotion under stress in chimps

40
Q

What issues plagued somatic treatments of the 1920-30s? (x3)

Which is why they medical model of mental health now… (x1)

A

Often lead to death, never helped anyone
But all based on the biological cause model
Awards given in the absence of any scientific evidence of benefits…

Relies on medication

41
Q

Outline the psychoanalytic revolution, from the late 18th C (x4 practitioners)

A 
Franz Mesmer (late 18th C): 
   o	Neurologist who identified hysterical disorders and treated with hypnosis

Freud (and Breuer heavily influenced by Mesmer)
o Trained by Jean Charcot
o Influenced by hypnosis work

Joseph Breuer
o Hypnosis + catharsis (talking it through lead to relief of emotional burden

Freud
o Gave up hypnosis - free association to tap unconscious, spark catharsis

42
Q

Outline Meyer’s 1940s biopychosocial framework, which is now the dominant view

A 
Argued that single model insufficient, as individuals unique:
   o	Biological factors
   o	Psychological factors
   o	Social factors:
   o	Environmental factors
43
Q

The biopsychosoial framework culminates in the … (x1)

Which holds that… (x1)

A

Diathesis stress framework

All disorders may have a biological basis (the diathesis); but predisposition doesn’t = development – that takes stress of environment

44
Q

Describe the psychotropic drugs developed in 1930-40s (x4)

A

Biomedical model led to new drugs -
Mostly serendipitous - side effects of attempts to treat biological illness
Mostly just tranquillisers
Led to deinstitutionalisation for many - now controlled and subdued

45
Q

What is the current view of psychopathology?

A

Is the behaviour contextually appropriate?
Understanding is best gained through scientist-practitioner approach.
o Research informs click practice, and vice versa
Variety of theories exist surrounding the development/treatment of abnormal behaviour - best to incorporate a holistic/multidisciplinary approach

46
Q

Define symptom (x2)

A

Manifestation of pathological condition

Subjective - you can tell someone its happening, so more common than signs in mental health

47
Q

Define sign (x1)

A

Manifestation of pathology that can be objectively measured, e.g. temperature

48
Q

Define syndrome (x3)

A

Group of symptoms that occur together,constituting recognisable condition.
In DSM-V most disorders are syndromes
eg major depression has 9 symptoms – need five in order to claim diagnosis

49
Q

Define ‘classification system’ (x1)

A

o List of conditions with a description of the symptoms characteristic of each & guidelines for assigning individuals to categories

50
Q

What are the purposes/advantages of classification? (x5)

A

o Enables clinicians to diagnose a person’s problem as a disorder
o Information retrieval
o Facilitates research
o Facilitates communication
o Facilitates treatment selection (sometimes)

51
Q

What can be problematic about classification? (x2)

A

Categorical vs. dimensional approach

o If we are all across a spectrum, how do you say where the cutoff goes?

52
Q

What info does the DSM-V provide for each of its 200+ disorders? (11)

A 
o	Criteria for diagnosis
o	Essential clinical features 
o	Associated features 
o	Prevalence
o	Development and course
o	Risk and prognostic factors
o	Culture & gender-related diagnostic issues
o	Suicide risk
o	Functional consequences
o	Differential diagnosis (what is this?)
o	Comorbidity
53
Q

What improvements have been made to the DSM-V over time? (x6)

A

o Criteria more detailed & objective
o Focuses entirely on verifiable symptoms
o Psychopathology not regarded as subset of medicine
o DSM V discarded the multi-axial assessment - problematic for many reasons, eg insurance companies interpreted axes as differently deserving of payment…
o Diagnostic specificity
o Harmonization with ICD-11

54
Q

What are major criticisms of classification of mental illness? (x6)

A

Argued to be unnecessary
Loss of info - inferring detail based on preconceptions, ignores individual difference
Labelling controversy
Distinct entity vs continuum approach - we all fluctuate over time, so when to diagnose?
Reliability and validity - varies considerably across DSM-V disorders
Diagnostic bias - expectations based on e.g. race, sex, SES, context

55
Q

Why is labelling controversial? (x3)

A

Labels shape perceptions
• Recategorise the self through lens of the label
Labels cause prejudicial treatment
Labels foster self-fulfilling prophecy
• eg, if Ps believes other in social situation knows they have schizophrenia, causes poorer performance

56
Q

What is a major concern regarding classification under the DSM-V? (x2)

A

Forces clinicians to make distinctions that have major treatment implications,
Including drug prescriptions and availability of health insurance

57
Q

What is clinical assessment? (x1)

A

Process of gathering information important to diagnose, plan treatment & predict the future course of a disorder

58
Q

What are the stages of clinical assessment? (x5)

A

Essential atheoretical component: clinical interview
o Augmented with various other assessments to test hypotheses
Then:
o A diagnostic formulation
o A judgement about why the disorder is present
o A judgement about treatment

59
Q

Name 10 forms of clinical assessment

A 
Clinical intake interview
Clinical tests
Projective tests
Personality inventories
Other self-report scales
Intelligence tests
Neurological tests
Neuropsych tests
Behavioural assessment
Physiological assessment
60
Q

How do we decide which clinical test to use? Consider… (x3 plus egs)

A

Standardisation
Reliability - test/retest, alternate form, inter-rater
Validity - face, predictive, divergent, content, construct

61
Q

What are two types of projective tests?

A

Rorschach

Thematic apperception tests - interpreting emotionally ambiguous situations/scenes

62
Q

What are three common personality inventories?

A

Minnesota multiphase personality inventory - often used on forensics
California psychological inventory
Eysenck personality inventory

63
Q

Describe the MMPI (x9)

A 
500+ questions, 8 sub scales:
   •	Hypochondriasis
   •	Depression
   •	Hysteria
   •	Psychopathic deviance
   •	Paranoia
   •	Psychasthenia (fears/compulsions)
   •	Schizophrenia
   •	Hypomania (overactivity/inability to concentrate)
64
Q

What ‘other self-report inventories’ might be used in clinical assessment? (x4)

A

Affective inventories – eg depression scales
Social skill inventories – eg schizophrenics often have issues here
Cognitive inventories – what people will respond for, or not
• Black/white thinking
• Exaggerate negatives
Reinforcement inventories

65
Q

Give two egs of neurological tests

A 
o	Computerised Axial Tomogram (CAT Scan) 
o	Electroencephalography (EEG)
66
Q

Name 3 types of behavioural assessment

A

o Direct Observation of Behaviour
o Self-Monitoring
o Behavioural Checklists

67
Q

Physiological assessments measure… (x1)

Such as… (x3)

A

Bodily changes that accompany psychological events
• Skin conductance
• Heart rate
• Muscle activity (electromyography)

68
Q

What factors can influence expression of abnormal behaviours? (x3)

A

Context
Personal characteristics - sex, race etc
SES

69
Q

What is mass hysteria? (x1, plus e.g.)

Which is understood scientifically as… (x1)

A

In Middle ages, sweeping belief by masses that they were possessed
• Tarantium – though spider bite would cause death unless you danced like a loon, or that the bite caused such dancing
Emotional contagion – automatic/involuntary mimicry/synchronisation of expressions, vocalisations, postures etc.

70
Q

Describe biological models of abnormal behaviour and treatment (x6)

A

Assume abnormal behaviour results from biological processes, esp brain
o Eg schizophrenia and manic-depressive disorder found genetic basis = better intervention/prevention

Imaging shows structural abnormalities plaques and tangles in Alzheimer’s
o Causal direction? – eg PTSD: brain diffs as result of disorder – biological scarring after years with it

Brain function differences found in: schizophrenia, depression, anxiety, eating disorders, many others
o But unlikely to cause specific disorder - similar diffs seen in multiple disorders

71
Q

Describe psychological models of models of abnormal behaviour and treatment (x2)

A

o Emphasis on influence of environmental factors, eg family and culture, on abnormal behaviour

o Modern psychoanalytic models: still focussed on patterns beginning in childhood; ego psych; object relations theory

72
Q

Describe behavioural models of abnormal behaviour and treatment (x3)
And 3 major contributors?

A

Stress import of external events in onset of abnormal behaviour – result of maladaptive learning
Acknowledge biology, but as interaction
Significant events at any life stage
Wolpe – turned conditioning to extinction
Skinner and operant
Bandura and vicarious conditioning – social learning through observation

73
Q

Describe cognitive models of abnormal behaviour and treatment (x4)

A

o Abnormal behaviour as result of distorted mental processes (not internal forces or external events)
o Its not the situation, but perception of events
o Beck and cognitive distortions
o Behaviour change through thought modification

74
Q

Describe humanistic models of abnormal behaviour and treatment (x4)

A

o Phenomenology: that one’s subjective perception of the world is more important than actual world
o People basically good and motivated to self-actualise
o Rogers and incongruence between image and actual self = pathology
o Unconditional positive regard

75
Q

Describe sociocultural models of abnormal behaviour and treatment (x6)

A

Abnormality only within context of social, cultural forces
Gender: eg girls and phobias – boys trained not to feel/show fear
Hunger, work and DV: developing nations – less food; unequal pay;
SES: PTSD higher in Afro-American and Hispanic kids after hurricane Andrew – poor houses more easily damaged
Factors previously used to unfairly stereotype, now appreciated as contributing factor to all behaviour
Enhance therapeutic factors by understanding, as well as any culture-bound syndromes

PSYC3102 (4 decks)

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