Unit 1: Abnormal Behavior in Historical Context

Psychological dysfunction associated with distress and/or impairment in functioning; involves a response that is not typically or culturally expected; may include cognitive, behavorial, and/or emotional elements

dysfunctional distress occurs when people is much more distressed than others would be

must be pervasive and/or significant

consider “normlacy” relative to behavior of others in same cultural context

Mental disorder = harmful dysfunction

Behavorial, psychological, or biological dysfuntions that are unexpected in their cultural context and associated with present distress and/or impairment in functioning, or increased risk of suffering, death, pain, or impairment

Scientific study of pyschological dysfunction

stays current with research in the field, evaluates own assessment and treatment, and conducts research

practice (treatment delivery) and research mutually influnce each other

Begins with the presenting problem/symptoms (ex. chronic worry, panic attacks, etc)

Distinguish clinically significant dysfunction form common human experience

prevelance, incidence, onset (acute vs. insidious), course (episodic, time-limited, or chronic), and prognsis (good vs. guarded) of disorders

Supernatural, Biological, and Psychological

mental illness sometimes believed to reflect possession by evil. treated by shocking/scaring out spirits (ex. hang patients over snake pits)

Saint Vitus’s Dance/Tarantism

Emotion contagion (yawning), mob psychology “group think”

Swiss physician suggested that mental health problems are affected by the pull of the moon/stars. how term “lunatic” was developed

good vs. evil. demonic possession, witchcraft, and sorcery. exorcism, torture, religious services

“Insanity” is caused by emotional stress- not supernatural forces

Father of Modern Western Medicine.

physical disease

the theory that psychological symptoms were a result of the uterus moving around the body

extended Hippocrates work

Functioning is related to having too much or too little of the four key bodily fluids

Blood, Film, black bile, yellow bile

insomnia, delirium

apathay, sluggish

meloncholic, depressive

hot tempered, angry

Pasteur

Championed biological tradition in US and more humane treatment for patients

First piece of significant evidence for the biological cause

a historical condtion particulary in southern Italy, that was characterized by an uncontrollable dancing impulse- beleived to be caused by a spider bite

the study of the causes and origins of a disease or disorder

how many have the disorder in a population at a given time

the number of new cases over a period of time (usually a yr)