PSYC104 Chapter Notes - Chapter 16: Insanity Defense, Mental Disorder, Psychopathology
14 May 2018
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PSYC104
REVEL READING
WEEK 9 and 10
Conceptions of mental illness: Yesterday and today
16.1 Identify criteria for defining mental disorders
− Concept of mental disorder is difficult to define
− Statistical rarity, subjective distress, impairment, societal disproval and biological
dysfunction
− Some argued that mental illness is best captured by a family resemblance view
16.2 Describe conceptions of diagnoses across history and cultures
− The demonic model of mental illness was followed by the medical model of the Renaissance
− Early 1950s, medications to treat schizophrenia led to deinstitutionalisation
− Some psychological conditions are culture-specific
− Many mental disorders can be found in most or all cultures
16.3 Identify common misconceptions about psychiatric diagnoses, and the strengths and limitations
of the current diagnostic system
− Misconceptions include the ideas that a diagnosis is nothing more than pigeonholing
− Diagnoses are unreliable, invalid and stigmatising
− The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-5) is a valuable tool
− Limitations: High levels of comorbidity and an assumption of a categorical model in the
absence of compelling evidence
16.4 Explain the controversies surrounding the mental disorder defence
− Mental disorder defence proposes that people should not be held legally responsible for
their actios if they were ot of soud id whe coittig the
− Generally, requires that person much have
• Not known what they were doing at the time of the crime
• Not known that what they were doing was wrong
− It is controversial
− Reflects the deeper philosophical issue of free will versus determinism
16.5 Evaluate whether mental illness is best explained by categorical or dimensional models of
psychopathology
− Categorical models of psychopathology hold that mental disorders differ from normal
functioning in kind rather than degree
− Much of the DSM-5 relies on this categorical view
− Dimensional models of psychopathology hold that mental disorders differ from normal
functioning in degree rather than kind
− Example: symptoms of depression may lie on a continuum with normality
16.6 Identify factors demonstrated by mentally ill people which are associated with an increased risk
for violence
− The overwhelming majority of mentally ill people are not physically aggressive toward others
− Those who are convinced they are being persecuted and those with substance abuse are at
increased risk of committing acts of violence
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Document Summary
Concept of mental disorder is difficult to define. Statistical rarity, subjective distress, impairment, societal disproval and biological dysfunction. Some argued that mental illness is best captured by a family resemblance view. 16. 2 describe conceptions of diagnoses across history and cultures. The demonic model of mental illness was followed by the medical model of the renaissance. Early 1950s, medications to treat schizophrenia led to deinstitutionalisation. Many mental disorders can be found in most or all cultures. 16. 3 identify common misconceptions about psychiatric diagnoses, and the strengths and limitations of the current diagnostic system. Misconceptions include the ideas that a diagnosis is nothing more than pigeonholing. The diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (dsm-5) is a valuable tool. Limitations: high levels of comorbidity and an assumption of a categorical model in the absence of compelling evidence. 16. 4 explain the controversies surrounding the mental disorder defence.
