Abnormal Psychology
Anxiety, Mood, &
Dissociative Disorders
Announcement
- Thought paper #3 is due next
Tuesday, Dec. 4th!
What is Abnormal Behavior?
- Statistically unusual
- Labeled as abnormal by society
- Maladaptive
- Includes some degree of cognitive
or perceptual distortion
Diagnosing Abnormal Behavior
- Diagnostic and Statistical Manual-4th
edition (DSM-IV)
- Five Axes
- Descriptive and atheoretical
Axis I: Anxiety Disorders
- Tension, nervousness, distress,
uncomfortable arousal.
- ~15% of adults suffer from an
anxiety disorder at some point in their lives.
- Five categories: Phobias, panic
disorder, generalized anxiety disorder, stress disorders, obsessive-compulsive
disorder.
Phobias
- Persistent, irrational, disruptive
fear of an object, activity, or type of situation. Affects ~6%
of adults.
- Three types
- Simple phobias: Spiders, snakes,
high places.
- Social phobia: Fear of being
criticized.
- Agoraphobia: Fear of being alone
in public places from which escape is difficult. Most common
phobia.
Panic Disorder
- Brief, abrupt, unprovoked but
recurrent episodes of intense uncontrollable anxiety. Individual
may fear losing control, going crazy, or dieing. Affects about
1.5% of the population.
Generalized Anxiety Disorder
- General, persistent, and often
debilitating high levels of anxiety.
Stress Disorders
- Posttraumatic stress disorder:
- Psychological reenactment of
a traumatic event; recurrent and painful memories, nightmares,
and flashbacks that are so strong the person believes he or she
is reliving the event. Victim may become apathetic and detached.
- Acute stress disorder:
- Brief reaction to stress; person
may experience detachment, perceptual and memory distortions.
Usually lasts only a few months.
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder
- Unwanted, persistent thoughts
and irresistible impulses to perform a ritual to relieve the
thoughts. Affects roughly 2.5% of U.S. population.
- Obsession: Unwanted images,
impulses, or thoughts the person is unable to suppress.
- Compulsion: Repetitive &
uncontrollable behavior, e.g., handwashing, counting, checking,
etc. Interferes with normal life.
Symptoms of Anxiety Disorders
- Mood symptoms: Tension, apprehension,
panic.
- Cognitive symptoms: Continually
thinking about the causes of the mood symptoms.
- Somatic symptoms: Sweating,
hyperventilation, high blood pressure.
- Motor symptoms: Fidgeting, pacing,
finger tapping, etc.
When is Anxiety a Disorder?
- Level
- Justification
- Consequences
What Causes Anxiety Disorders?
- Biology
- OCD & orbital cortex-caudate
nucleus
- Learning
- Simple phobias & classical
& observational learning
- Cognition
- Panic disorder & attributions
Examples
- Panic disorder
- Obsessive-compulsive disorder
Axis I: Mood Disorders
- Two types: Major depression
& bipolar disorder.
- Common: ~15-20% of adults will
experience a major depressive episode in their lifetimes.
- Depression is more common among
women than men, and lower SES than higher SES.
- Bipolar disorder is much rarer
(~1%) and seems to run in families.
Major Depression
- Sufferers feel down, discouraged,
hopeless. They typically have low self-esteem, loss of motivation.
- Sleep disturbance is common.
- Often classified according to
its apparent origins: Exogenous, endogenous, primary, secondary,
involutional, & postpartum.
Bipolar Disorder
- AKA "manic depression."
Alternating depressive and manic symptoms.
- Depressive symptoms are similar
to those of major depression.
- Manic symptoms include euphoria,
high excitement, hyperactivity.
- May have attentional problems
and delusions.
- May spend money wildly, attempt
numerous projects, become hypersexual.
Diathesis-Stress Model
- Depression results from an interaction
between individual vulnerabilities (personality traits, habits
of thinking, biological factors) and environmental stress.
- Researchers seek to identify
which vulnerabilities interact with stress to produce depression.
Diathesis-Stress Model
- Personality traits
- Excessive dependence on others for acceptance,
understanding, & support.
- Excessive focus on achievement.
- Habits of thinking
- Pessimistic explanatory style & low
self-esteem; internal, stable, & global attributions.
- Biological factors
- Monoamines (e.g., serotonin, norepineprine,
& dopamine) & mood regulation
Examples
- Major depression
- Bipolar disorder
Depression & Suicide
- Most psychological disorders
are not life threatening. Depression can be.
- Approximately 250,000-600,000
people attempt suicide each year in the U.S.
- Approximately 31,000 suicides
are recorded.
Depression & Suicide
- Women are three times more likely
to attempt suicide.
- Men are four times more likely
to be successful.
- Third leading cause of death
between the ages of 15 and 24.
Depression & Suicide
- It is a myth that people who
talk about suicide won't actually do it.
- Take all suicide threats seriously;
it is never normal to talk about suicide.
- Know danger signs: Previous
attempts; becoming withdrawn, apathetic, isolated; revealing
plans; giving away cherished possessions; access to a gun.
Depression & Suicide
- Take constructive action
- You should never be afraid to
ask, " Are you thinking of suicide?"
- Let your friend talk without
argument or disapproval; don't debate whether it is right or
wrong, and don't feign cheerfulness.
- If a friend's words or actions
scare you, say so.
- A person who is talking about
suicide should never be left alone. Seek professional help.
Dissociative Disorders
- Dissociative amnesia
- Sudden memory loss, usually
after traumatic event. People forget who they are.
- Dissociative fugue
- Total memory loss accompanied
by a "flight."
Dissociative Disorders
- Dissociative identity disorder
- Appearance of two or more independent
identities ("Sybil"; "The Three Faces of Eve").
- Extremely controversial diagnosis
- +"Splitting" of
the mind in response to severe trauma (e.g., sexual abuse)
- -Created by zealous psychotherapists &
willing patients; extreme form of the ability to present different
aspects of ourselves to others
- Important consequences
Summary
- Definition of Abnormal Behavior
- DSM-IV
- Anxiety Disorders
- Mood Disorders
- Dissociative Disorders