PS1000: Introduction to Abnormal Psychology

Dr Claire Gibsoncg95@le.ac.uk

School of Psychology, University of Leicester

1. Introduction to abnormal psychology

2. Introduction to mood disorders and anxiety disorders

Why study abnormal behaviour?

• At the centre of mental disorders• Psychopathology

• the field concerned with the nature, development and treatment of psychological disorders

• As psychologists;• we have to overcome our own (and work to change others)

preconceived notions of mental disorder and abnormality

• Stigma;• beliefs and attitudes held by a society ascribed to groups not

considered ‘normal’

• Sadly, mental illness is one of the most stigmatised conditions of the 21st century

What is abnormal behaviour?

• Difficult to define• Contains several characteristics

• ‘A clinically significant behavioural or psychological syndrome or pattern that occurs in an individual that is associated with present distress or disability or with a significant increased risk of suffering, death, pain, disability, or an important loss of freedom. In addition, this syndrome or pattern must not be merely an expectable and culturally sanctioned response to a particular event, e.g. the death of a loved one. Whatever its original cause, it must currently be considered a manifestation of a behavioural, psychological, or biological dysfunction in the individual.’

DSM-IV

Personal distress

• A person’s behaviour may be considered abnormal if it causes them distress– e.g. a child with problems paying attention may feel

distress

• But, not all abnormal behaviour causes distress– e.g. a person with antisocial personality disorder may

treat others coldheartedly or break the law without any remorse

Disability

• Impairment in some important area of life (e.g. work or personal relationships)

• E.g. substance-related disorders are defined, in part, by the social or occupational disability created by substance abuse

• But, not all disorders involve disability

Violation of social norms

• Social norm = • widely held beliefs and attitudes that people use (consciously or

intuitively) to make judgments of behaviour in terms of; good-bad, right-wrong, acceptable-unacceptable

• Behaviour that violates social norms might be classified as abnormal

• But, this definition is too broad• e.g. criminals violate social norms

• Not all abnormal behaviour violates social norms• e.g. anxiety disorders

• Social norms vary immensely across cultures and ethnic groups

Dysfunction• Wakefield (1992) proposed that mental disorder could be

defined as harmful dysfunction• This definition has two components;

i. A value judgment (harmful)

ii. Objective, scientific component (dysfunction)

• A judgment that a behaviour is harmful requires some standard (social norms)

• Dysfunction = internal mechanism unable to perform its natural function

• But, the internal mechanism that is dysfunctional in mental disorders is usually unknown

Dysfunction• DSM-IV-TR

• Dysfunction = behavioural, biological or psychological dysfunction supported by current evidence

• Dissociative disorders, mood disorders, anxiety disorders, psychotic disorders, eating disorders, developmental disorders, personality disorders, etc.

• In many cases there is no single accepted cause of mental disorders although often accepted in terms of a diathesis-stress model and biopsychosocial model.

Diathesis-stress model

• Explains behaviour as result of biological and genetic factors (‘nature’) and life experiences (‘nurture).

• Assumes that a disposition to a disorder results from a combination of genetics and early learning (‘di’)

• A biological or genetic vulnerability (diathesis) interacts with the environment and life events (stressors) to trigger abnormal behaviours.

↑vulnerability - ↓stress = abnormal behaviour

↓vulnerability - ↑ ↑stress = abnormal behaviour

Biopsychosocial (BPS) model

• States that a range of biological, psychological and sociological factors all play a significant role in human functioning in the context of disease/illness.

• In contrast to traditional reductionist biomedical models of disease

Biological = neural mechanisms

Psychological = stress, anxiety, personality traits

Social = peer pressure/relationships, culture

History of psychopathology and its treatments

• Dr José Prados (PS2015)• e.g. exorcism

• Evolution of contemporary thought (late 18th/early 19th century) – biological and psychological approaches to the causes and treatments of mental disorders.

Today’s treatments of mental health issues

• Care in the community• The biggest political change in mental

healthcare in the history of the NHS• Movement away from isolation of the mentally ill

in Victorian asylums towards their integration in the community

• Aim = to ‘normalise’ mental health disorders and remove stigma

Care in the community

• Since the 1960’so Change in attitude towards treatment of the mentally

ill, civil rights campaignso 1959 Mental Health Act – abolished distinction

between psychiatric and other hospitalso Challenges to historic treatment, introduction of new

drugso Closure of mental health asylums, change in social

attitudeso 1983 Mental Health Act (now 2007) – rights of people

admitted to hospitals on the grounds of mental health

Care in the community

• Success?o Closure of Victorian asylums should = reduced

spending for mental health authoritieso Assumed such ‘extra’ money would be invested in

appropriate services for care in the communityo Political issues

Mental health professionals

• An individual who offers services for the purpose of improving an individual’s mental health or to treat mental illness

• Includes; psychiatrists, clinical psychologists, clinical social workers, psychiatric nurses, mental health counselors etc.

• Deal with the same illnesses, conditions, issues etc.

• But, scope of practice varies and laws regarding education/training

• Diagnosis

Challenges to mental health treatment

• Stigma= the beliefs and attitudes held by a society that are

ascribed to groups considered to deviate from the ‘norm’ in some way e.g. the mentally ill.

• Has four characteristicsi. A label is applied to a group of people

ii. The label is linked to deviant or undesirable attribute by society

iii. People with the label are viewed differently

iv. People with the label are discriminated against

Challenges to mental health treatment

• Stigma– Results in discrimination– One of the biggest obstacles to future progress in the

diagnosis of mental health disorders

• We need to set aside our own preconceptions and misgivings

• Individuals, professionals, media

Summary

• Characteristics of abnormal behaviour – personal distress, disability, violation of social norms, dysfunction.

• Diathesis stress model• Biopsychosocial model• Today’s treatment of mental health issues• Mental health professionals• Obstacles – stigma and discrimination.