Abnormal psychology., Summaries of Psychology

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R. J. Comer,

Abnormal Psychology

Chapter 1: Abnormal Psychology: Past and Present Abnormal psychology: the scientific study of abnormal behavior in an effort to describe, predict, explain, and change abnormal patterns of functioning I. What is psychological abnormality? A. many definitions have been proposed but none have won total acceptance B. 4 D’s

1. Deviance a. Abnormal behavior, thoughts and emotions that differ markedly from a society’s ideas about proper functioning b. Different societies have different values, and the values of a single society can change over time so deviance depends on the time and place
2. Distress a. Some people willfully do deviant activities and enjoy them b. Therefore in order to be considered abnormal, there must also be a certain level of distress always present from these activities
3. Dysfunction a. Interferes with daily functioning to the point where it upsets, distracts, or confuses people so that they cannot care for themselves, work, or participate in social interactions b. Dysfunction alone doesn’t classify an abnormality because some people choose to deprive themselves of things they need to take a stand on an issue
4. Danger a. Individuals that display careless, hostile, or confused behavior may be dangerous to themselves and others b. Most people with anxiety, depression, or bizarre thinking pose no immediate danger C. Elusive nature of abnormality
5. Thomas Szasz found the concept of mental illness to be a myth; “problems in living” rather than something being wrong with a person
6. Some behaviors may be familiar but still abnormal or conversely, eccentric but not so far as being abnormal D. Agreed-upon definition of psychological abnormalities: patterns of functioning that are deviant, distressful, dysfunctional, and sometimes dangerous II. Treatment A. a procedure designed to change abnormal behavior B. 3 features of therapy
7. a sufferer who seeks relief from the healer

i. Emil Kraepelin developed first modern system for classifying abnormal behavior ii. New biological discoveries like syphilis (which affects mind and body) also led to this perspective iii. Many medical treatment techniques failed to work b. Psychogenic: chief causes of abnormal functioning are psychological i. Hypnotism was used to treat physiological disorders ii. Freud developed psychoanalysis (the theory/treatment of abnormal mental functioning that emphasizes unconscious psychological forces as the cause of psychopathology) ; he believed unconscious psychological processes are at the root of such functioning IV. Current trends A. people still believe that mental disorders are brought upon by the sufferer and they are caused by sinful behavior B. how are people with severe disturbances cared for?

1. psychotropic medications: drugs that primarily affect the brain and reduce many symptoms of mental dysfunctioning
2. deinstitutionalization: releasing hundreds of thousands of patients from public mental hospitals
3. short term hospitalizations C. how are people with less severe disturbances treated?
4. Outpatient care
5. Private psychotherapy: an arrangement by which an individual directly pays a psychotherapist for counseling services
6. 1/6 adults in the US receives treatment for physiological disorders in the course of a year but most people last for fewer then 5 sessions
7. centers developed for specific types of problems ex suicide or anorexia D. a growing emphasis on preventing disorders and promoting mental health
8. prevention: rather than wait for psychological disorders to occur many of todays community programs try to correct the social conditions that underlie psychological problems
9. positive psychology: the study and enhancement of positive feelings such as optimism and happiness, positive traits like hard work and wisdom, positive abilities, and group-directed virtues E. multicultural psychology seeks to understand how culture, race, ethnicity, gender, and similar factors affect behavior and thought F. growing influence of insurance coverage
10. managed care program: program in which the insurance company determines such key issues as which therapists its

clients may choose, the cost of sessions, and the number of sessions for which a client may be reimbursed

2. therapists and patients fear that not enough therapy is covered
3. new law passed requiring equal coverage for mental and medical problems G. mental health professionals in the US include psychiatrists, psychologists, social workers, and counselors