PSY 2301 Lecture Notes - Lecture 13: Mental Disorder, Trepanning, Psychopathology
Chapter 14: PSYCHOPATHOLOGY
I. DEFINING PSYCHOLOGICAL DISORDER
1. What We Call It - Psychological disorders, as a class, are called many things. We use the
term psychopathology, mental illness, behavior disorder, emotional disturbance, etc. They all
mean roughly the same thing although the severity of the disorder may vary greatly. They share
the following features however.
2. Distress - The person is experiencing some sort of negative reaction such as anxiety,
depression, confusion, etc.
3. Atypical - Behavior deviates from what society believes is normal. They may react differently
to normal stressors or engage in behaviors society considers deviant. This type of definition has
led to some behaviors we may now not consider as mental illness to be labeled as pathology
such as homosexuality. This was considered to be a mental illness until the 1970's.
4. Maladaptive - The disorder interferes with normal, every day functioning. They may not be
able to hold a job, have normal social interactions, or care for themselves.
5. Unacceptable to Society - The behavior is in some way viewed negatively by society, as
either objectionable or unacceptable. Again, homosexuality fell into this category.
II. HISTORY OF PERSPECTIVES ON MENTAL ILLNESS
1. Possessed by Demons - The earliest view of mental illness was that people suffering from it
were possessed by demons. People were actually treated by drilling holes into their skulls to let
the demons out. This procedure was called trephining.
2. Medical Model - The next view of mental disorder held that mental illness, just as physical
illness, was the result of biological or medical factors. This view is still widely held today and it is
probably valid for many mental disorders. It did lead to more humane treatment for the mentally
ill.
3. Psychodynamic Perspective - This is the Freudian perspective. It holds that mental disorders
are the result of unconscious urges or impulses.
4. Behavioral Perspective - This perspective holds that abnormal behavior is learned just like
normal behavior. You are the product of your environment and through modeling, and social
and cultural factors you learn to behave in a maladaptive manner.
III. DSM-IV
1. DSM-IV - The American Psychiatric Association publishes the "bible" of psychiatric diagnosis.
It is the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. It is usually just referred to as the
DSM-IV, meaning that the version we are currently using is the third edition revised.
2. Diagnosis - What the DSM-IV does is give you a listing of behaviors that are associated with
each classification. In order to use a diagnosis, the individual must meet the specific criteria set
forth in the manual. It makes no claims to etiology (usually, PTSD is an exception) nor does it
propose treatment.
3. Constantly Revised - As knowledge and attitudes change, so does the DSM-IV. As I
mentioned, homosexuality was once considered a mental disorder, it no longer is. Other
conditions like PMS (premenstrual Syndrome) and PTSD have been added in more recent
versions. Others change. For example, what we now refer to as ADHD (Attention Deficit
hyperactivity Disorder) was called Minimal Brain Dysfunction in DSM-II and Attention Deficit
Disorder with or without Hyperactivity in DSM-III. DSM-IV is returning to the DSM-III
categorization.
IV. ANXIETY DISORDERS
1. Anxiety - We have all experienced anxiety, it is part of everyday life. For anxiety to become a
disorder it must be intense enough and of long enough duration to cause disruption in
functioning. There are different types of anxiety disorders.
2. Generalized Anxiety Disorder - This is when the person is experiencing persistent and severe
anxiety in most situations. In other words, they worry about everything and can't function. There
is a constant fear, tension, and dread.
3. Panic Attacks - This is when an individual experiences sudden intense anxiety which
temporarily renders them incapable of functioning. They are brief but intense but do not appear
to be triggered by a particular object or event.
4. Phobias - A phobia is defined as an irrational fear of a particular object or event such as a
fear of snakes, heights, etc. We talked about these bore when we discussed classical
conditioning because they are though to be learned through classical conditioning. Everyone
has fears but it does not become a phobia unless it interferes with normal functioning.
5. Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder (OCD) - An obsession is a thought that you can't get out of
your mind. A compulsion is a ritualistic behavior that you engage in over and over again such as
washing your hands over and over to get rid of germs. These are anxiety disorders because the
