What is “Abnormal Psychology”?What is “Abnormal Psychology”?

AP psychology:Mental, behavioral,

developmental&

personality disorders

AP psychology:Mental, behavioral,

developmental&

personality disorders

The study of human thinking and behaviors that

• deviate significantly from the norm

• cause distress to the person or people around him/her

• are pervasive and present over time

Categorizing and diagnosing abnormal behaviors: The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders

(DSM-V to be released in 2013)

Categorizing and diagnosing abnormal behaviors: The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders

(DSM-V to be released in 2013)

• 5 axes of diagnosing disorders– evidence of clinical syndrome?– evidence of personality disorder or mental retardation? – evidence of general, non-abnormal medical condition?– evidence of psychosocial or environmental issues for which there is high correlation with

disorders?– GAF score: How well does person function in daily life? (0 = highly impacted; 100= high

functioning, disorder minimal impact on person’s ability to live “normal” life)

• What does manual NOT cover?– etiology (causes)– treatments

• Why not?– too controversial because of the multiple-perspectives differing

opinions!

SymptomsSymptomshallucinationshallucinations

Irrational thought

sadnesssadnessfear anti-socialanti-social mood

swingsDangerous behaviors “breaks” from reality

Hear voicesHear voices

Compulsive behaviors

Unwanted thoughtsUnwanted thoughts

Eccentric behaviors

No self-esteemNo self-esteem Uncontrolled rageUncontrolled rage

criminal behavior

Etiology?Etiology?

Genetics?

Relationships?

Toxins?Toxins?Traumatic experience?Traumatic experience?

Injury?Injury?

Illness/virus/bacteriaIllness/virus/bacteria Neglect?

Abuse?

The answer depends upon the perspective!Biopsychologists, psychotherapists, behaviorists, cognitivists and humanists all take a different approach to explaining causes.

The answer depends upon the perspective!Biopsychologists, psychotherapists, behaviorists, cognitivists and humanists all take a different approach to explaining causes.

Poverty?

Incidence rates• Vary by country/culture—highest rates for

many in USA• Vary by disorder (ranges between 0.1%-16%)• Vary by gender, socioeconomic status and age• Hard to know exact numbers because some

go undiagnosed (personality disorders and others who may not seek treatment) while others possibly over-diagnosed (ADD, ADHD, conduct disorders)

• Vary by country/culture—highest rates for many in USA

• Vary by disorder (ranges between 0.1%-16%)• Vary by gender, socioeconomic status and age• Hard to know exact numbers because some

go undiagnosed (personality disorders and others who may not seek treatment) while others possibly over-diagnosed (ADD, ADHD, conduct disorders)

Many different kinds of disorders…Many different kinds of disorders…

Eating—Bulimia, anorexia, overeating, 6-min orthorexia video clip

Somatoform—presenting true physical symptoms of illnesses or neurological disorders without suffering the actual illness/disorder; having unrealistic perception of one’s own body (body dysmorphia part 2); hypochondria Clip

Dissociative—when a person separates his/her conscious self from his/her body (includes amnesia, “multiple personality”/dissociative identity disorder, out-of-body experiences) Clip Sybil (start at 3 minutes) 60 Minutes clip DID (3-min) HBO MPD (1-hour video)

Still more types of disorders…Still more types of disorders…

Psychosis—mental break from reality, includes visual and auditory hallucinations, delusion (irrational beliefs), (schizophrenia clip 12-min 2 parts), Post-Partum Depression with psychosis (warning: this clip is disturbing and involves a mother killing her children)

…and finally the rest!…and finally the rest!

Mood—extreme sadness or variable moods with no environmental trigger (e.g. bipolar Sheen interview)

Anxiety—extreme irrational fear (phobias), worries, obsessions, compulsions, PTSD, panic attacks, OCD video clip, hoarding clip

Impulse control: OCD, trichotillomania clip

Neurosis or psychosis?

• Neurosis: outdated term (taken out of DSM in 1980) used to describe anxiety related disorders.

• Psychosis: break from reality via delusions, hallucinations. Considered more severe than neurosis. Includes schizophrenia and other delusional disorders (e.g. PPD with psychosis).

Childhood Disorders: A variety of disorders that begin in childhood

ADD/ADHD—inability to focus, concentrate, must moveNew discoveries in neuroscience (6 minutes –ADHD treatment)

Conduct disorder (naughty kid)

Autism/Asperger’s (spectrum: highly functioning to non-verbal) Video clip

Oppositional Defiant (very naughty kid!)

Separation Anxiety Disorder—extreme fear of being away from mommy/daddy—leads to uncontrollable crying, tantrums

Tourette/OCD—uncontrollable urges to move or speak, repetitive motions, odd noises, compulsions, unwanted thoughts Tourettes (video clip)

Personality Disorders: Behaviors or mental processes that deviate significantly from the norm and impair the

person’s life; disorder’s impact on person’s ability to lead healthy, stable life can vary from mild to extreme

3 categories: Odd, dramatic, anxious

3 categories: Odd, dramatic, anxious

Personality Disorder Category 1: Odd/eccentric

Personality Disorder Category 1: Odd/eccentric

Paranoid

Schizoid (do not confuse this with schizophrenia!)

Schizotypal

Fearful, suspicious of others

Loner, lack of emotions

Belief in magic, flying saucers, loner

•Odd personality disorders are GENETIC NOT environmental! •.5% - 2.5% of American population has 1 of these “odd” personality disorders

•Odd personality disorders are GENETIC NOT environmental! •.5% - 2.5% of American population has 1 of these “odd” personality disorders

Treatments: Many who suffer from these disorders do not seek treatment; Social skills therapy, anti-psychotics for schizotypalsTreatments: Many who suffer from these disorders do not seek treatment; Social skills therapy, anti-psychotics for schizotypals

Personality Disorder Category 2: Dramatic/emotional

Personality Disorder Category 2: Dramatic/emotional

Anti-social, conduct disorder (psychopath)(video Psychopath part 1 part 2 part 3 part 4part 5

Borderlinevideo clip 4 min.

Histrionicvideo clip 4 min

Narcissistvideo clip 4 min.

Lack of regard for moral, legal standards; serial killers, rapists

Lack of self-identity, rapid mood changes, impulsive, unstable relationshipsLack of self-identity, rapid mood changes, impulsive, unstable relationships

“Drama queen”, exaggerates all emotions,attention seeking, sexual promiscuity

Someone who thinks he’s all that, unable to see other’s feelings or viewpoints, need for admiration

Someone who thinks he’s all that, unable to see other’s feelings or viewpoints, need for admiration

Personality disorder Category 3: Anxious/fearful

Avoidant

Dependent

OCD

Intensely shy, sensitive <1% population has this

Extreme dependence on others, unable to make decisions for self, fear of being alone approx 2% population has it

Extreme dependence on others, unable to make decisions for self, fear of being alone approx 2% population has it

similar characteristics to OCD, but not as severe

Odds-n-ends: Other interesting disorders

• Locked in syndrome (4 min)• Catatonia (3.5 min)• Top 10 rare/interesting disorders (1.5 min)• Munchausen by proxy syndrome clip• Savants "Piano Man” clip