Study Guide: Psychological Disorders and Abnormal Psychology

Psychological Disorders and Abnormal Psychology

Defining Abnormality

Understanding what constitutes abnormal behavior is central to the study of psychological disorders. Psychologists use several criteria to determine abnormality:

• Deviation from Normality: Behavior that significantly differs from societal norms.

• Adjustment: Difficulty in adapting to everyday life and functioning.

• Psychological Health: Assessment of mental well-being and absence of distress.

Important Considerations:

• DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) helps clinicians diagnose mental disorders using standardized criteria.

• Clinicians must consider cultural differences, as what is considered abnormal in one culture may be normal in another.

• Axis system (DSM-IV):

  • Axis I: Clinical disorders (e.g., depression, anxiety disorders)

  • Axis II: Personality disorders and intellectual disabilities

  • Axis III: General medical conditions

  • Axis IV: Psychosocial and environmental factors

  • Axis V: Global Assessment of Functioning (GAF) score

Example: A person with major depressive disorder (Axis I) and borderline personality disorder (Axis II) may also have diabetes (Axis III), be unemployed (Axis IV), and have a GAF score of 50 (Axis V).

Types of Psychological Disorders

Psychological disorders are classified based on symptoms, etiology, and impact on functioning.

• Anxiety Disorders: Characterized by excessive fear, worry, or avoidance.

  • Generalized Anxiety Disorder (GAD): Persistent, excessive worry about various aspects of life.

  • Phobias: Irrational fear of specific objects or situations (e.g., social phobia, agoraphobia).

  • Panic Disorder: Sudden episodes of intense fear (panic attacks).

  • Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD): Intrusive thoughts (obsessions) and repetitive behaviors (compulsions).

  • Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): Persistent psychological distress following traumatic events.

• Mood Disorders: Involve disturbances in emotional state.

  • Bipolar Disorder: Alternating periods of mania (elevated mood, energy) and depression.

  • Major Depressive Disorder: Persistent feelings of sadness, hopelessness, and loss of interest.

• Dissociative Disorders: Disruptions in consciousness, memory, or identity.

  • Dissociative Amnesia: Inability to recall important personal information, often following trauma.

  • Dissociative Fugue: Sudden travel away from home with inability to recall one's past.

• Somatoform Disorders: Physical symptoms without a medical cause.

  • Conversion Disorder: Loss of physical function due to psychological factors.

  • Hypochondriasis: Preoccupation with having a serious illness.

• Personality Disorders: Enduring patterns of behavior and inner experience that deviate from cultural expectations.

  • Antisocial Personality Disorder: Disregard for others' rights, impulsivity, and lack of remorse.

  • Borderline Personality Disorder: Instability in relationships, self-image, and emotions.

  • Multiple Personality Disorder (now called Dissociative Identity Disorder): Presence of two or more distinct identities.

• Schizophrenia: Severe disorder involving distorted thinking, perceptions, and emotions.

  • Symptoms include delusions, hallucinations, disorganized speech, and impaired functioning.

  • Types: Paranoid, disorganized, catatonic, undifferentiated, residual.

Example: A person with schizophrenia may experience auditory hallucinations and believe they are being persecuted (paranoid type).

Etiology and Risk Factors

The causes of psychological disorders are multifactorial, involving biological, psychological, and social factors.

• Biological Factors: Genetics, neurochemistry, brain structure abnormalities.

• Psychological Factors: Trauma, stress, maladaptive thought patterns.

• Social Factors: Family environment, cultural expectations, socioeconomic status.

Nature vs. Nurture Debate: The development of psychological disorders is influenced by both genetic predispositions (nature) and environmental experiences (nurture).

Treatment and Prognosis

Treatment approaches vary depending on the disorder and individual needs.

• Psychotherapy: Includes cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT), psychodynamic therapy, and humanistic approaches.

• Pharmacotherapy: Use of medications such as antidepressants, antipsychotics, and mood stabilizers.

• Other Interventions: Lifestyle changes, support groups, and hospitalization for severe cases.

Remission: Some disorders may improve or resolve with treatment, while others may be chronic and require ongoing management.

Substance Use Disorders

Substance use disorders involve problematic patterns of substance use leading to significant impairment or distress.

• Tolerance: Need for increasing amounts of a substance to achieve the same effect.

• Addiction: Compulsive use of a substance despite harmful consequences.

• Withdrawal: Physical and psychological symptoms that occur when substance use is reduced or stopped.

Example: An individual addicted to alcohol may experience tremors and anxiety during withdrawal.

HTML Table: Comparison of Major Psychological Disorders

Disorder	Main Symptoms	Example
Anxiety Disorders	Excessive fear, worry, avoidance	Phobia of spiders
Mood Disorders	Depression, mania, mood swings	Bipolar disorder
Dissociative Disorders	Memory loss, identity disruption	Dissociative amnesia
Somatoform Disorders	Physical symptoms without medical cause	Conversion disorder
Personality Disorders	Enduring maladaptive patterns	Antisocial personality disorder
Schizophrenia	Delusions, hallucinations, disorganized thinking	Paranoid schizophrenia

Additional info:

• DSM-5 has replaced the multiaxial system with a more dimensional approach to diagnosis.

• Some disorders, such as OCD and PTSD, are now classified separately from anxiety disorders in DSM-5.