Abnormal Psychology

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Abnormal Psychology

• Clinical Perspectives on
• Psychological Disorders

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Classification Treatment Plans
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Background info.

• The Client- the person seeking psychological
  services
• Prevalence of psychological disorders 1 in 5
  people during 2007
• The Clinician- mental health professional
• Can be a Clinical Psychologist or Psychiatrist
• Clinical Psychologist- do not have a medical
  license to administer medical treatment or
  medications
• Psychiatrists- can administer medical treatment
  and medications

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The DSM-IV

• The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental
  Disorders
• Published by the American Psychiatric Association
• Contains descriptions of all psychological
  disorders, alternatively referred to as mental
  disorders
• Concerns in Developing the DSM-IV
• Reliability
• Validity
• Base Rates
• Social Context

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The DSM-IV

• 1952- DSM (aka DSM-I)
• 1968- DSM-II
• 1980- DSM-III (more quantitative, objective)
• 1987- DSM-III-R
• 1994- DSM-IV
• 2000- DSM-IV-TR

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Mental Disorder

• Clinically significant behavioral or
  psychological syndrome or pattern
• Distress or disability
• Significant risk
• Not accepted, culturally sanctioned response to a
  particular event

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Assumptions of the DSM-IV

• Classification system based on medical model
• Descriptive rather than explanatory
• Atheortical orientation
• Categorical approach
• Multiaxial system

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Neurosis

• Refers to behavior that involves distressing,
  unacceptable symptoms that are enduring and lack
  any physical basis
• Not a modern diagnostic term

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Psychosis

• Refers to various forms of behavior involving a
  loss of contact with reality, such as delusions
  (false beliefs) and hallucinations (false
  perceptions)
• Not a formal diagnostic category, psychotic is
  retained in the DSM-IV-TR as a descriptive term

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Five Axes of the DSM-IV

• Axis I- Clinical Disorders
• Axis II- Personality Disorders and Mental
  Retardation
• Axis III- General Medical Conditions
• Axis IV- Psychosocial and Environmental Problems
• Axis V- Global Assessment of Functioning (helps
  assess prognosis)

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Types of Disorders

• Anxiety Disorders
• Mood Disorders
• Somatoform Disorders
• Dissociative Disorders
• Schizophrenia
• Childhood Disorders
• Eating Disorders
• Sexual Disorders

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Diagnostic Process

• Clients Reported and Observable Symptoms
• Diagnostic Criteria and Differential Diagnosis
• Final Diagnosis
• Case Formulation
• Cultural Formulation

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Diagnostic Process

• Decision Tree- a series of simple yes/no
  questions in the DSM-IV-TR about a clients
  symptoms that lead to a possible diagnosis
• Differential Diagnosis- ruling out all possible
  alternative diagnoses

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Cultural Formulation

• Culture-Bound Syndromes- particular patterns of
  behavior in certain cultures, perhaps reflecting
  cultural themes that date back for centuries

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Planning Treatment

• Establish Treatment Goals
• Immediate
• Short-Term
• Long-Term

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Planning Treatment

• Determine Treatment Site
• Psychiatric Hospitals
• Outpatient Treatment
• Halfway Houses and Day Treatment Programs
• Guidance Counselors
• Employee Assistance Program

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Treatment Modality

• Individual Psychotherapy
• Family Therapy
• Group Therapy

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Evidence-Based Practice

• Clinical decision-making that integrates the best
  available research evidence and clinical
  expertise in the context of the clients
• Cultural background
• Preferences
• Characteristics

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Treatment Implementation

• The Course of Treatment- Clinicians Role and
  Clients Role
• The Outcome of Treatment