Unit 10 Abnormal Psychologymr Volkmar's Course Pages

• Unit 10 Abnormal Psychologymr Volkmar's Course Pages Examples
• Unit 10 Abnormal Psychologymr Volkmar's Course Pages Page

Course Calendar: The following is an approximate time frame for the lectures and activities for the class. It is subject to change and modification as the semester proceeds. Unit Month Tuesday Thursday 1 Jan 4 Course introduction, syllabus, mechanics and overview, website -Psychological Myths – Chapter 1 6 Chapter 1 – Abnormal Psychology. About half of adults experience at least one traumatic experience in their lifetime, but only about 1 in 10 women and 1 in 20 men develop PTSD symptoms. For some, suffering can lead to post-traumatic growth, including an increased appreciation of life, more meaningful relationships, changed priorities, and a richer spiritual life.

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Mental health workers label behavior psychologically disordered when it is deviant, distressful, and dysfunctional. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV-TR) provides an authoritative classification scheme. Although diagnostic labels may facilitate communication and research, they can also bias our perception of people’s past and present behavior and unfairly stigmatize these individuals.

Those who suffer from an anxiety disorder may for no reason feel uncontrollably tense (generalized anxiety disorder), may suffer a brief episode of intense dread (panic disorder), may have a persistent irrational fear (phobia), or may be troubled by repetitive thoughts and actions (obsessive-compulsive disorder). Symptoms may also follow the experience of some traumatic
event (post-traumatic stress disorder).

Somatoform disorders are psychological disorders in which the symptoms take a bodily form without apparent physical cause. In dissociative disorders, conscious awareness becomes separated from previous memories, thoughts, and feelings. Those afflicted with a dissociative disorder may even have two or more distinct personalities.

Mood disorders include major depressive disorder and bipolar disorder. Current research on depression is exploring (1) genetic and biochemical influences and (2) cyclic self-defeating beliefs, learned helplessness, negative attributions, and aversive experiences.

The symptoms of schizophrenia include disorganized thinking, disturbed perceptions, and inappropriate emotions. Researchers have linked certain forms of schizophrenia to brain abnormalities. Studies also point to a genetic predisposition that may work in conjunction with environmental factors.

Personality disorders are characterized by inflexible and enduring behavior patterns that impair social functioning. The most common is the remorseless and fearless antisocial personality. The U.S. National Institute of Mental Health estimates that 26 percent of adult Americans suffer from a diagnosable mental disorder in a given year. National population surveys indicate that the rates of disorder vary across the world. Most who suffer from a disorder show the first symptoms by early adulthood. Poverty is clearly a predictor of mental illness.

Perspectives on Psychological Disorders

Psychological disorders consist of deviant, distressful, and dysfunctional behavior patterns. Mental health workers view psychological disorders as persistently harmful thoughts, feelings, and actions. Standards of deviant behavior vary by culture, context, and even time. For example, children once regarded as fidgety, distractible, and impulsive are now being diagnosed with attention deficit
hyperactivity disorder (ADHD). Critics question whether the label is being applied to healthy schoolchildren who, in more natural outdoor environments, would seem perfectly normal.

Although the proportion of children treated for the disorder has increased dramatically, the pervasiveness of the diagnosis depends in part on teacher referrals. Others counterargue that the more frequent diagnoses of ADHD reflect increased awareness of the disorder, particularly in those areas where the rates are highest.

The medical model assumes that psychological disorders are mental illnesses that need to be diagnosed on the basis of their symptoms and cured through therapy. Critics argue that psychological disorders may not reflect a deep internal problem but instead a difficulty in the person’s environment, in the person’s current interpretation of events, or in the person’s bad habits and poor social
skills.

Unit 10 Abnormal Psychologymr Volkmar's Course Pages Examples

Psychologists who reject the “sickness” idea typically contend that all behavior arises from the interaction of nature (genetic and physiological factors) and nurture (past and present experiences). The biopsychosocial approach assumes that disorders are influenced by genetic predispositions and physiological states, inner psychological dynamics, and social and cultural circumstances.

DSM-V-TR is a current authoritative scheme for classifying psychological disorders. DSM diagnoses were developed in coordination with the International Classification of Diseases (ICD-10). Most health insurance policies in North America require an ICD diagnosis before they will pay for therapy. The DSM describes various disorders and has high reliability. For example, two clinicians who are working independently and applying the guidelines are likely to reach the same diagnosis. As a complement to the DSM, some psychologists are offering a manual of human strengths and virtues (the “un-DSM”).

Unit 10 Abnormal Psychologymr Volkmar's Course Pages Page

Critics point out that labels can create preconceptions that bias our perceptions of people’s past and present behavior and unfairly stigmatize these individuals. Labels can also serve as selffulfilling prophecies. However, diagnostic labels help not only to describe a psychological disorder but also to enable mental health professionals to communicate about their cases, to comprehend
the underlying causes, and to discern effective treatment programs. The label insanity raises moral and ethical questions about how society should treat people who have disorders and have committed crimes.