Diagnosis and

Classification of

Psychological Problems

“We are not human beings on a spiritual journey.

We are spiritual beings on a human journey.”Pierre Teilhard de Chardin

Who am I?

Why am I in this world?

What is going to happen to me & my family?

How can I save the situation?

How can I atone for my mistakes and sins?

Boisen,A. The Exploration of the Inner World

Brain-Based Learning

-Neurons

Neurons -- carry electrical charges

and make chemical connections to

other neurons

Cell Body -- contains the nucleus

Axons -- long fibers (extending

from the cell body) that transmit

messages

Dendrites -- short fibers

(surrounding the cell body) that

receive messages

Synapses -- tiny gaps between

axons and dendrites (with chemical

bridges) that transmit messages

www.educ.drake.edu/romig/cogito/brain_and_mind.html

Human Brain

100 billion neurons -

each connected to other neurons by projections known as:

Axons: way neurons pass on information (teach) and

Dendrites: way neurons get information (learn)

Each neuron has 1 axon and as many as 100,000

dendrites.

Synapses -- tiny gaps between axons and dendrites

(with chemical bridges) that transmit messages.

Learning and development occurs in the brain

through the process of strengthening and weakening

theses connections.

100 trillion constantly changing connections.

Newborn – (100 billion brain cells) 50 trillion

connections

8 months - 1,000 trillion connections

10 years – 500 trillion connections

•After birth a wild spurt of growth occurs as the

brain races to make connections.

•At times synapses are forming in a new brain at an

incredible rate of three billion per second.

The Race to Make Connections

8 months - 1,000 trillion connections

10 years – 500 trillion connections

•A massive die-off occurs as half of

the connections disappear by puberty.

•The death of connections is caused

by a lack of interaction with the

outside world.

•Connections that are not

strengthened by stimulation from the

environment die off.

Environment Shapes Connections in Brain

Development

CORTEX

80% of the human brain – cortex has regions

specialized for particular functions that make

us human:

•associating words with objects

•forming relationships and reflecting on them

Neurons that Fire together

Wire together.

Input to the brain shapes the way we

experience the next input.

We are constantly priming our

perceptions, matching the world to what

we expect to sense and thus making it

what we perceive it to be.

A User’s Guide to the Brain – John Ratey M.D.

Are Men’s and Women’s

Brains Different?

Men

Have bigger brains.

Have eyes which are more

sensitive to bright light.

Retain ability to see well at

long distances longer in life.

Loses brain tissue more rapidly

than women.

Women

Use more neurons.

Hears a broader range of

sounds.

Hearing remains sharper,

longer.

Responds more intensely to

emotions.

The Bottom Line

Neither gender’s brain is “better”.

The Mentally

Well

Individual

Fig. 4-3, p. 84

Establishes and

maintains close

relationships

Carries out

responsibilities

Perceives

reality as it

is

Feels a

sense of

fulfillment

in daily

living

Accepts own

limitations

and

possibilities

Values

himself/

herself

Pursues work

that suits

talents and

training

What is a Mental Disorder?

A behavioral or

psychological syndrome

associated with distress

or disability with a

significantly increased

risk of suffering death,

pain, disability, or loss

of freedom.

Mental illness is a profound crisis of

personal meaning.

Definitions of Abnormal

Behavior

Conformity to norms: Statistical

Infrequency or Violation of Social

Norms

Subjective distress

Disability or dysfunction

Conformity to norms: Statistical

Infrequency or Violation of

Social Norms

A person’s behavior is abnormal if it is

statistically infrequent (deviates

significantly from the average is above

the “cutoff point”

A person’s behavior is abnormal if it is

very unusual

Assessment of Abnormal

Behavior

Assessment = The systematic evaluation and

measurement of psychological, biological, and social

factors in an individual presenting with a possible

psychological disorder

Diagnosis = The process of determining whether

the presenting problem(s) fit the criteria for a

particular mental disorder

Subjective distress

A behavior or symptoms are abnormal if

they causes the person distress?

Disability or dysfunction

A behavior is abnormal if it creates

some degree of social (interpersonal) or

occupational problems

Disability or dysfunction

Advantages

Requires little

inference

These type of

problems often

prompt treatment

seeking

Disadvantages

Difficulty

establishing

standards for

occupational or

social dysfunction

Diagnostic and Statistical

Manual-IV-TR

…The most widely accepted definition

used in DSM-IV-TR describes

behavioral, emotional or cognitive

dysfunctions that are unexpected in

their cultural context and associated

with personal distress or substantial

impairment in functioning.

DSM-IV-TR

Current diagnostic system

Multiaxial:

Axis I: Clinical Disorders

Developmental Dis.(not

mental retardation

Axis II: Personality Disorders

Mental Retardation

Axis III: General Medical

Conditions

Axis IV: Contributing Problems

Axis V: Rating of Functioning

Objective psychological tests

Format

Standardized

MMPI-2, BDI,

WAIS-III

Reliable

Behavioral Observations

In MSE, but in other assessments as

well

Behavioral orientation

Neuropsychological (NP) Testing

and Neurological Exams

NP testing:

Test many areas of functioning

Locate affected brain areas

Advantage

Neurological exams:

CAT, MRI

PET