PSYC 3390 Chapter Notes - Chapter chap 1 : Mania, Clinical Psychology, Psychopathology
25 Nov 2017
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CHAPTER 1 – ABNORMAL BEHAVIOUR IN HISTORICAL CONTEXT
A psychological disorder, or abnormal behaviour is a “psychological dysfunction within an individual
associated with distress or impairment in functioning and a response that is not typical or culturally
expected” (Barlow et al., 2015, p. 3).
Toward a definition of AB
• Dysfunction: breakdown in cognitive, emotional, or behavioural function
• Distress: not needed for some disorders, e.g., for manic episode in Bipolar
• Impairment: Difficulty performing appropriate and expected roles
• Atypical or Unexpected Cultural Responses: reaction is outside social cultural norms
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (dsm-5)
• Widely accepted system for classifying psychological problems and disorders
• DSM contains diagnostic criteria for behaviours that
o Fit a pattern (“prototype”)
o Cause dysfunction or subjective distress
o Are present for a specified duration
Psychopathology and Mental Health Professional
• Scientific study of psychological disorder
• Many types of mental health professionals
• What is a clinical psychologist?
o Education
o Regulation in Ontario: protected title “Psychologist”; diagnosis as a controlled act
How to Understand AB
• Clinical Description
o Begins with the presenting problem
o Description aims to
▪ Distinguish clinically significant dysfunction from common human experience
o Describe prevalence and incidence of disorders
▪ Prevalence: number of people in whole population who have the disorder
▪ Incidence: number of new cases of a disorder occurring in a specific period of
time (e.g., 1 year)
o Describe onset of disorders
▪ How does the disorder “begin”?
▪ Acute (sudden) vs. insidious (gradual over) onset
o Describe course of disorders
▪ Pattern of disorder over time
▪ Episodic, time-limited, or chronic course
▪ Prognosis = expected course
• Causation, Treatment, and Outcomes
o What factors contribute to development of psychopathology? = etiology
o How can we help?
▪ Treatment development: pharmacologic, psychosocial, and/or combined
o Did the help work?
▪ Study treatment outcome
▪ BUT, jus because you find an effect, doesn’t mean that the manipulated/treated
factor was the cause
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Document Summary
Chapter 1 abnormal behaviour in historical context. A psychological disorder, or abnormal behaviour is a psychological dysfunction within an individual associated with distress or impairment in functioning and a response that is not typical or culturally expected (barlow et al. , 2015, p. 3). Toward a definition of ab: dysfunction: breakdown in cognitive, emotional, or behavioural function, distress: not needed for some disorders, e. g. , for manic episode in bipolar, atypical or unexpected cultural responses: reaction is outside social cultural norms. The diagnostic and statistical manual (dsm-5: widely accepted system for classifying psychological problems and disorders, dsm contains diagnostic criteria for behaviours that, fit a pattern ( prototype , cause dysfunction or subjective distress, are present for a specified duration. Psychopathology and mental health professional: scientific study of psychological disorder, many types of mental health professionals, what is a clinical psychologist, education, regulation in ontario: protected title psychologist ; diagnosis as a controlled act.
