What is Abnormality?

							Psychological Disorders
Defining Abnormality
THREE CLASSIC SYMPTOMS of MENTAL
 DISORDER:
    Hallucinations: false sensory experiences
    Delusions: disorders of logical thinking
    Affective Disturbances: inappropriately strong
     or absent emotional response
Spectrum of Disorders




 No       Mild     Moderate   Severe
 Disorder Disorder Disorder   Disorder
Models of Pathology
   Medical Model: Mental disorder is a disease with
    physical causes
       Important step in validating pathology as real illness
        and lifting it from suspicion of demonic possession
        and similar “lay” theories
   Psychological Model: Mental disorder is an
    interaction of biological, cognitive, social and
    other environmental factors.
       Considers factors outside of the person (environment,
        family, stress, etc.)
The Diathesis - Stress Model
   Diathesis:                Stress:
    Pre-disposition to a       Environmental
    particular disorder.       factors that increase
                               the likelihood of a
                               disorder appearing.

You can have a pre-disposition to a disorder
without ever manifesting it. You can also have
very stressful circumstances and never develop a
disorder.
The DSM
   Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of
    Mental Disorders
   Five Axes of assessment
       Clinical problem
       Aspects of personality
       Medical conditions
       Social and environmental stressors
       Level of functioning
The Effects of Labels
   Provides us comfort and a sense of
    control
   BUT, they can be “sticky” and affect our
    construal of people and situations
       Rosenhan’s Pseudo-Patient Study
       Self-Fulfilling Prophesies
   We risk treating the label, not the person
Difficulty Defining Abnormality
   Distress
   Maladaptiveness
   Irrationality
   Unpredictability
   Unconventionality
   Observer
    Discomfort
Cultural Variability
   Reasons for differences in rates of disorders
    and types of symptoms -- are there real cultural
    differences?
          Personality / cognitive style
          Definitions of mental illness
          Acceptability of mental (as opposed to physical) distress
          Usage of medical and psychological services
          Views of the origins and treatment of illness
   Or, are clinicians biased?
   Or, are there problems with assessment or
    assessment tools?
Historical “Variability”
Social and Political Uses of
Labels