PSYC 1160 Lecture Notes - Lecture 15: Obsessive–Compulsive Disorder, Generalized Anxiety Disorder, Panic Disorder
17 Apr 2016
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Document Summary
In almost all mental disorders, we witness a failure of adaptation to the environment; people aren"t adjusting well to the demands of daily life. Many psychopathology researchers use a failure analysis approach to mental disorders. Statistical rarity: many disorders are uncommon in the population, though not all are- anxiety and depression are rather frequent. Subjective distress: produce emotional pain for individual afflicted; still exceptions, like manic periods of bipolar disorder, conduct disorder, psychopathy. Impairment: interfere with people"s ability to function in everyday life; but could just be a factor of laziness, not mental disorder. Biological dysfunction: many disorders result from breakdowns of physiological systems; exceptions being some phobias, acquired through experience only. Demonic model: view of mental illness in which odd behaviour, hearing voices or talking to oneself was attributed to evil spirits infesting the body - middle ages. Medical model: view of mental illness as due to a physical disorder requiring medical treatment.
