Chapter 1: Abnormal Behavior in Historical context
Myths and Miconceptions about abnormal behavior
There is no single definition of psychological abnormality
No single definition of psychological normality
What is A Pychological disorder
Psychological Dysfunction
Breakdown in cognitive, emotional, or behavioral functioning.
Personal Distress
Difficulty performing appropriate and expected roles
Impairment is set in the context of a person’s background
Atypical or not culturally expected response
Example: hearing voices or hallucination, seeing spirits
All disorders do not necessarily cause impairment or distress
Abnormal Behavior Devined
A Psychological Dysfunction Associated with Distress or Impairment in Functioning that is not Typical or Culturally Expected Response
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual (DSM-IV)
DSM contains diagnostic criteria
Psychopathology is the scientific study of psychological disorders.
Abnormal behavior needs to be understand in its contexts
The science of psychopathology
Mental health professionals
The PH.D.s: Clinical and counseling psychologists
The Psy.D’s: Clinical and counseling “Doctors of Psychology”
M.D.’s psychiatrists
M.S.W.’s psychiatric and non-psychiatric social workers
MN/MSN’s: psychiatric nurses
United by the Scientist-Practitioner Framework
The Scientist-Practitioner Model
Producers of research
Consumers of research
Evaluators of their work using empirical methods
They conduct research and/ be a consumer or the research. They benefit from it. They practice it.
Mental health professionals are
Consumers of science: they enhance the practice
Evaluators of science: determining the effectiveness of the practice
Creator of science.
Clinical description
Begins with the Presenting Problem
This is the area of the patient’s concern. This is the problem that they present to the mental health professional
Description aims to distinguish clinically