PSYCO105 Lecture Notes - Lecture 20: Howie Mandel, Carrie Fisher, Trepanning
1 May 2018
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Chapter 16: Psychological Disorders
What is Abnormal?
❏Criteria is quite ambiguous, therefore it is sometimes difficult to define.
❏Three social constructs
❏Distressing → self to others.
❏Dysfunctional → for person or society → Incapable of building relationships with peers
and people surrounding them.
❏Are they capable of working in society or not
❏Deviant → Violates social norms
History and Mental Health
1. Demonological View → Abnormal behaviour results of supernatural forces.
a. Possessed by a spirit
b. Treatment → Trephination → “Hole in the Skull” → Removes devil from the skull → Most
people die who undergo this treatment
2. Early biological views → Mental illnesses are diseases like physical illness that effect the brain.
a. Breakthrough;
i. General paresis → caused by syphilis
ii. Disorders linked to physical causes
iii. Current physiological and psychological conditions observed to assign mental
health.
Current Definition of Mental Disorder
❏Characterized by clinical significant disturbance in an individual's cognition, emotion regulation,
behaviour that reflect dysfunction in the psychological, biological or developmental processes
underlying mental functioning. Mental disorders are usually associated with significant distress in
social, occupational and other important activities.
❏DSM-S
Prevalence
❏1-5 canadians suffer from disorders in life.
❏50% in North america experience a disorder throughout their lives.
❏Examples; Winston Churchill, Carrie Fisher, Howie Mandel
❏Psychological disorders are quite common, you may get them based on situation.
❏Stigma → categorizing people with mental illness different than us because we think they may not
function normally.
❏Sigma can lead to discrimination, labelling, stereotypes, division between us and them, and lose
social status.
The Vulnerability-Stress Model
1. Current vulnerability → Vulnerability factors (Biological)
❏Genetic factors, biological characteristics, psychological traits, previous maladaptive
learning (child abuse), low social support (bad caregiving, or social support from parents).
2. Current Experienced Stress → Stressors (Situations)
❏Economic adversity, environmental trauma, interpersonal stressors or losses,
occupational setbacks or demands.
❏The vulnerability will trigger situation (experience stress) which will cause the two to
interact to lead to psychological disorders.
Introducing DSM-5
❏Detailed behaviour must be present for diagnosis
❏Non-Axial diagnosis → Assumes psychological disorders and medical conditions together.
Document Summary
Criteria is quite ambiguous, therefore it is sometimes difficult to define. Dysfunctional for person or society incapable of building relationships with peers and people surrounding them. Are they capable of working in society or not. Current physiological and psychological conditions observed to assign mental health. Characterized by clinical significant disturbance in an individual"s cognition, emotion regulation, behaviour that reflect dysfunction in the psychological, biological or developmental processes underlying mental functioning. Mental disorders are usually associated with significant distress in social, occupational and other important activities. 1-5 canadians suffer from disorders in life. 50% in north america experience a disorder throughout their lives. Examples; winston churchill, carrie fisher, howie mandel. Psychological disorders are quite common, you may get them based on situation. Stigma categorizing people with mental illness different than us because we think they may not. Sigma can lead to discrimination, labelling, stereotypes, division between us and them, and lose function normally. social status.
