Explaining & Classifying�Psychological Disorders�Module 5.3

LEARNING TARGETS:

• Explain how we draw the line between typical behavior & a disorder.
• Explain how the biopsychosocial approach & stress-diathesis model frame our understanding of psych disorders.
• Explain how clinicians classify psych disorders and the criticisms about diagnostic labels.
• Do psychological disorders predict violent behavior?
• How many people have, or have had a psych disorder? What are some risk factors?

Psychological Disorder

• A disruption to person’s thoughts, emotions, or behaviors that causes distress or suffering.
• Thoughts or behaviors are dysfunctional or maladaptive – interfering with everyday life.

• A mnemonic device used to remember the four attributes of a psychological disorder
• Maladaptive
• An exaggeration of normal, acceptable �behaviors
• Destructive to oneself or others
• Unjustifiable
• A behavior which does not have a rational basis
• Disturbing
• A behavior which is troublesome to other people
• Atypical
• A behavior so different from other people’s behavior that it violates a cultural norm

​

MUDA!

Early Views of Mental Illness

• In ancient times, mental illness was usually explained through a supernatural model; the person was possessed or a sinner
• During the Middle Ages treatment methods were inhumane and cruel

Philippe Pinel (1745-1826)

• French physician who said mental illness was a sickness of the mind and should be viewed medically as having physical causes
• Diagnosed, treated & cured in a hospital setting

• Worked to reform the treatment of people with mental disorders
• Encouraged more humane treatment
• During his tenure directing the Paris Men’s Asylum, the death rates for patients went from 60% to 10%

​

The Medical Model

• Mental Illnesses (psychopathology) have physical causes that can be diagnosed, treated, & in most cases, cured.
• Psychological disorders can be diagnosed based on their symptoms and treated or cured through therapy.

Bio-Psycho-Social Model

• Mental illness has biological, psychological, and sociocultural factors that combine and interact to produce psychological disorders

​

Diathesis-Stress Model

• Also known as Vulnerability-stress Model
• Genetic predispositions combine with environmental stressors to influence psychological disorders (Peanut Butter Sandwich making example in class)
• Genetics for a Disorder + Little to No Stress = Less Likelihood of Disorder
• Genetics for a Disorder + Lots of Stress = High Likelihood of Disorder
• No Genetics for a Disorder + Lots of Stress = Likelihood of Disorder goes UP
• Epigenetics supports this showing that stress can lead to certain genes to be “turned on” resulting in a disorder.
• Comorbidity – Different combo of Genes can cause people to have more than one disorder.

​

​

Classifying Disorders - DSM-5

• Classifying disorders helps to predict the future course of a disorder, suggest an appropriate treatment, & prompt research into the disorder.
• Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders – Fifth Edition

​

• A guidebook for clinicians for diagnosis
• Provides a common language to label mental disorders
• Lists and describes symptoms for 250 specific psychological disorders
• Has changed significantly since the 1st edition – can often reflect the culture of the times (ex. Homosexuality)
• Describes diagnostic guidelines for psychological disorders
• Clinical Presentation (What are the symptoms?)
• Etiology (What causes the disorder?)
• Developmental Stage (How does this look in kids? Adults?)
• Functional Impairment (What will happen short-term & long-term?)

​

​

Labeling Stigmas

• Studies show a clear bias against people diagnosed with mental disorders.
• Once someone is labeled, we have a difficult time viewing them differently

​

• Everything they do is viewed through the lens of mental illness
• People labeled as “mentally ill” are viewed differently than others (ex. job interview study)
• Which of the following is less stigmatizing:
• Calling someone “schizophrenic”?
• Implies the individual is the condition & doesn’t recognize the person
• Calling someone a “person with schizophrenia”?
• Acknowledges the person and places the mental illness in a category as a less stigmatizing physical illness label

​

Psych Perspective’s Views on Mental Illness

• Each psychological perspective differs on what causes disorders…

Does Disorder Equal Danger?

• People with mental disorders are often depicted on TV as evil villains who are unpredictable, dangerous, and violent.
• Most violent criminals are not mentally ill, & most mentally ill people are not violent.
• One study indicated that, overall, former mental patients did not have a higher rate of violence than a matched comparison group.
• People with severe mental disorders who are experiencing bizarre delusional ideas and hallucinated voices commanding them to act or those who abuse substances do have a slightly higher level of violent and illegal behavior than do “normal” people.
• People with mental disorders are more likely to be the victim of violence.

Rates of Psychological Disorders

• 19% of adult Americans (47 million) experienced a mental illness in the past year (2019)
• Mental disorders & substance abuse disorders affected 1 billion people worldwide (2016)
• Immigrant Paradox – Mexican Americans born in the U.S. have a greater risk of mental illness compared to those who recently immigrated
• Major predictor of mental illness – Poverty – 2.5 times more likely
• Most disorders strike by early adulthood:
• 50% experience first symptoms in their teens
• 75% having had first symptoms by their mid-20’s