Chapter 14 – Psychopathology II
Psychopathology *
- Disagreement on criteria, signs, symptoms, treatment
- Been a lot of attempts to standardize assessment of types
- DSM of APA – dominant categorization system
Contemporary Perspective Paradigms
Medical
o Behaviour = symptoms
o Represents underlying brain disorder – this must be treated, not the symptoms
Psychodynamic
o Symptoms reflect unconscious conflict – don`t treat symptoms
Behavioural
o Focus on behaviour, not on internal causes
o Symptoms are the problem
Cognitive
o Disorders are thinking disorders
o Origin of disorders are cognitive (even emotional disorders – i.e. depression)
o Treatment: change the way people think
I .e. treating depression; done by redirecting internal attribution to external
Humanistic
o Often challenge catergorization
o Focus on growth and innate actualizing process
o Therapy: uncovering innate growth potential within all people (they are often
covered up by interpsonal/social baggage
Categorization of Disorders
DSM IV – 230 types of disordesr
o Multi-axial (5 dimensions
1,II, III – presenting congitions
IV – stressful events
V – adaptive ability – ability to cope
o Axis 1
16 major categories (w/subtypes)
1) anxiety disorder
Generalized anxiety disorder – worrying about everything
Phobic
o Acrophobia – height