II. The medical model: abnormal behavior reflects a disease
1. problems with medical model (or our current diagnostic
system)
A. a way to enforce societies norms
B. social stigma associated with being labeled
mentally ill
C. we know of no organic basis for many of
these disorders
D. it suggests that people can not control
their behavior
E. diagnoses are not based on good research
F. some everyday problems are considered disorders
G. system may be biased against women &
minorities
2. Why is a diagnostic system needed?
A. helps us research the causes of disorders
B. allows professionals to communicate
C. allows for appropriate treatments
III. Types of Disorders in DSM
1. Anxiety disorders
A. generalized anxiety disorders: fear of
many events & situations
B. specific phobia: fear of certain objects
or situations
C. obsessive compulsive disorder:
a. common obsessions: contamination,
doubts, hostility, sex
b. common compulsions: washing,
checking, superstitious behavior
D. panic disorder: feeling you are in immediate
danger
E. agoraphobia: fear of being in places where
escape is difficult
F. social phobia: fear of social or performance
situations
G. posttraumatic stress disorder: after exposure
to extreme stress
H. etiology of anxiety disorders
a. heredity: some infants
are naturally shy & timid
b. conditioning:
c. stress:
2. Somatiform disorders: physical complaints with no known
organic
cause. This
does not include psychosomatic disorders & malingering.
A. somatization disorder: history of diverse
physical complaints
B. conversion disorder: loss of function in
a single organ system
C. hypochondriasis: preoccupation with health
concerns
D. pain disorder: here pain is the predominant
feature
3. Affective disorders: i.e., disorders of mood
A. major depression: feelings of sadness &
despair
B. dysthymic disorder: persistent but mild
depressive symptoms
C. bipolar disorder: a cycle of depression
& mania (excitement)
D. cyclothymic disorder: persistent but mild
bipolar symptoms
E. etiology of affective disorders:
a. heredity
b. cognitive factors:
-attribution
style: internal, stable, & global attribution about bad events,
-irrational
beliefs: may cause depression (Albert Ellis)
-cognitive
errors: may cause depression (Beck)
4. Dissociative disorders: these involve a disruption in
the
functioning of consciousness,
memory, identity, or perception.
These may be a defense reactions
used by immature,
egocentric, & highly suggestible
people after a traumatic event
A. dissociative amnesia: inability to recall
important personal
information
B. dissociative fugue: travel away from home
& memory loss
C. dissociative identity disorder: formerly
multiple personality
disorder.
The presence of two or more distinction identities
or personalities
that recurrently take control of the person.
D. depersonalization disorder: feeling detached
from one’s
mental processes
or body
5. Schizophrenic disorders: here we see the most extreme
behaviors, thoughts, &
beliefs found in humans
A. schizophrenia means “splitting of the mind”
B. symptoms: we see psychosis (i.e., delusions
& hallucinations)
a. positive symptoms: excesses
or distortion of normal functions
-delusions: false beliefs
-hallucinations: false sensations & perceptions
-disorganized thinking: e.g., loosening of associations
-disorganized behavior:
b. negative symptoms: restricted
emotional expression
-flat affect -alogia
-avolition -social withdrawal
C. laboratory findings: enlarged ventricles,
decreased cerebral
size,
reduced blood flow or glucose regulation in the brain
D. onset: usually between late teens
& mid 30’s.
a. onset can be abrupt
or insidious
E. outcome: a complete remission is
uncommon
a. some remain chronically
ill
b. some have exacerbations
and remissions
c. some get progressively
worse
F. subtypes:
a. paranoid type:
usually persecutory delusions & auditory
hallucinations
b. disorganized type:
disorganized speech & behavior
c. catatonic type:
psychomotor disturbances that may
include immobility
d. undifferentiated
type: schizophrenia but with no clear subtype
e. residual type:
no positive symptoms remain, only
negative symptoms are evident
G. etiology
a. genetic vulnerability:
b. behavior of parents
& family
-expression of high levels of negative emotion in the
family predicts a relapse
c. stress may trigger
a schizophrenic episode or a relapse
6. Personality disorders