An Introduction

“The sun shines and warms and lights us and we have no curiosity to know why this is so, but we ask the reason of all evil, of pain, and hunger, and unusual people.” -Emerson

Why do you think it is that we are so fascinated by disturbed people? An estimated 26.2% of Americans ages

18 and older (1 in 4), suffer from a mental disorder in a given year. About 6% (1 in 17), suffer from a serious

mental illness. An estimated 450 million worldwide

suffer from psychological disorders according to the World Health Organization.

Defining the line between normality and abnormality Define. Understand. Classify.

Psychological disorders: Deviant, distressful, and dysfunctional

patterns of thoughts, feelings, or behaviors.

Standards for deviant behavior vary bycontext and culture.

Highly decorated war vet? Wodaabe Tribe?

Behavior causes stress & interference to a normal life.

Understanding Psychological Disorders During the early stages people assumed

the strange behavior was godlike or supernatural in some way Results: Caged in zoolike conditions, burnings,

castrations, trephination, removing lengths of intestines, cauterizing the clitoris, blood tranfusions

Medical Perspective Pinel was one of the first to argue in the 1700’s

that disorders were not demon possessions but rather a sickness instead Encouraged talking, gentleness, activity

and clean air

The concept that diseases have physical causes that can be diagnosed, treated, and, in most cases, cured.

When applied to psychological disorders, the medical model assumes that these “mental” illnesses can be diagnosed on the basis of their symptoms and cured through therapy, which may include treatment in a psychiatric hospital

Gained credibility because of their discoveries with genetically influenced disorders

Mental Health Movement

Bio-psycho-social perspective Assumes that all behavior arises from

the interaction of nature and nurture “mentally ill” attributes solely to an

internal problem and that may not always be the case Actually could be a combination

(environment, bad habits, poor social skills, genetics…)

Evidence of environmental effects comes from links between disorder and culture Some disorders such as depression and

schizophrenia are world-wide while others are cultural Susto; DID; Anorexia

The bio-psycho-social perspective views all possible influencing factors

Classifying Disorders DSM IV-TR: Diagnostic and Statistical

Manual of Mental Disorders Fourth Edition- Text Revision Widely used book classifying mental disorders Classifies 17 major categories of “mental

disorders”, describing the disorders and listing their prevalence without presuming to explain their causes

The DSM was created in 1952 by the APA to categorize mental disorders.

1952- 60 mental disorders identified Today- 400

DSM does not use the term neurosis but does use the term neurotic disorders Neurotic Disorders: a psychological disorder

that is usually distressing but that allows one to think rationally and function socially.

Freud saw the neurotic disorders as ways of dealing with anxiety

Psychotic disorders: a psychological disorder in which a person loses contact with reality, experiencing irrational ideas and distorted perceptions

Labels create preconceptions that can bias our perceptions and our interpretations When we label a person, we view that person

differently David Rosenhan labeling study Langer labeling study

Too often people with psychological disorders are labeled ridiculed, are viewed as homicidal maniacs or freaks in movies.

9 out of 10 of those with mental disorders are not violent