PSYCHOLOGICAL DISORDERS

Why were people with mental illnesses seen as criminals?

Psychological Stats

Cultural Diversity

• Hikikomori: Japanese people who have withdrawn from social life

• Latah: In Malaysia, a person who has a severe reaction to being startled. When surprised, latahs mimic the speech of those around them and obey any order

• Ghostsickness: Navajo illness with symptoms of bad dreams, loss of appetite, feeling of suffocation, hallucinations, fainting, and terror

Culture-Bound SyndromesIn certain cultures, one can find combinations of psychiatric and physical symptoms recognized as disease only in that culture. These are often treated with folk remedies.

• Hwa-byung: In Korea, a name for physical symptoms that arise from the suppression of anger

• Amok: In Malaysia, a previously peaceful man who suddenly tries to kill or injure others

• Susto: some Hispanics; the experience of acute unhappiness following a frightening event

• Zar: Middle East and North Africa, women laugh and bang heads

Four Features of Psych Disorders

Typicality• Normality is determined by the degree to which a behavior is average, or typical, of

the majority of people.– Scientific and artistic geniuses are not typical, but are not abnormal.– People who are quite normal may have lifestyles that differ widely from the rest

of the community.• Additional measurements must be taken into account.

Maladaptivity

• Maladaptivity is a behavior that impairs an individual’s ability to function adequately in everyday life.

• Behavior that causes misery and distress rather than happiness and fulfillment, or that is dangerous

Four Features Continued

Emotional Discomfort

• Depression and anxiety cause extreme emotional discomfort.

• Helplessness, hopelessness, worthlessness, guilt, extreme sadness, and withdrawal

Socially Unacceptable Behavior

• Cultural context of a behavior must be taken into account.

• Culture-bound syndromes: clusters of symptoms

Brain Scans A PET scan of the

brain of a person with Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD). High metabolic activity (red) in the frontal lobe areas are involved with directing attention

Brain Scans

PET scans show that brain energy consumption rises and falls with manic and depressive episodes.

Brain scans show abnormal activity in the frontal cortex, thalamus, and amygdala of schizophrenic patients. Adolescent schizophrenic patients also have brain lesions.

Schizophrenia Occurances

The likelihood of an individual suffering from schizophrenia is 50% if their identical twin has the disease (Gottesman, 1991).0 10 20 30 40 50

Identical

Both parents

Fraternal

One parent

Sibling

Nephew or niece

Unrelated

Murderer’s Brain

PET scans of 41 murderers revealed reduced activity in the frontal lobes. In a follow-up study repeat offenders had 11% less frontal lobe activity compared to normals (Raine et al., 1999; 2000).

Normal Brain Murderer’s Brain

Psychological Disorders

Prevalence in of Psychological Disorders from 2003 data.

OCD: Hoarding

PTSD

• A high incidence of PTSD has been reported among soldiers returning from war in Iraq and Afghanistan.

• Researchers are seeking reasons for what some call a PTSD epidemic.

• Younger veterans are more likely to be diagnosed.

• Those with traumatic head injuries more likely to be diagnosed.

• Currently veterans can receive five years of free health care for any mental disorder related to combat.

• Because PTSD shows up long after the trauma, increased mental health services will be necessary.