1
Introduction to Psychopathology
1. Psychopathology: Past and present
Psycho-patho-logy:
Psyche = mind
Pathos = suffer
-logy = study
Scientific study of mental disorders
Mental disorder
A mental disorder is a syndrome characterised by clinically significant
disturbance in an individual’s cognition, emotion regulation, or behaviour that
reflects a dysfunction in the psychological, biological, or developmental
processes underlying mental functioning. Mental disorders are usually
associated with significant distress or disability in social, occupational, or
other important activities (APA, 2013, p. 20).
Stone age
Human body and mind: Battleground between
external forces of good and evil
Abnormal behaviour: work of evil spirits
Severe mental disorders:
o Hallucinations
Seeing or hearing things that are not there
o Melancholia
Extreme sadness, immobility
Treatment for severe mental disorders: Trephination
o Procedure: Opening of skull
o Purpose: Release evil spirits
Ancient Greece
Origins of the medical model
Hippocrates (ca. 460-377 B.C.)
Naturalistic explanations
Illness of body and mind
o Melancholia
Excessive depression
o Mania
Exceptional excitement
, 2
Result of natural causes
Not possession by supernatural spirits
Renaissance
No more demonological views on abnormal behaviour
Dutch physician Weyer (1515-1588):
o Mind susceptible to sickness just as body is -> Psychopathology
Asylums
o Converted hospitals and monasteries
o Designed to care for individuals with mental illness
o Prisons, confinement, cruelty
19th century
Reform and moral treatment
Physician Pinel (1745-1826)
o Sick people should be treated with sympathy and kindness
o No chains and beatings
Improvement of conditions
o Humane treatment
o Transfer from dark dungeons into fresh air and hospitals
o No chains
Remarkably successful approach
National institute of mental health
Largest research organisation in the world specialising in mental illness
Supports research on mental health
o Grants to investigators at institutions and organisations throughout USA
o Own internal research effort
Formally established in 1949
Mission:
o "to transform the understanding and treatment of mental illnesses
through basic and clinical research, paving the way for prevention,
recovery, and cure” (NIMH, 2013)
3. Psychopathology: present
Present Day – Mental health System in the UK
Children and Adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) – up to 18 years
Early intervention in (psychosis) teams (EIP) – 18-35 years
Community mental health teams – 18+ years of age
Forensic mental health services
Psychiatric liaison teams
IAPT services
GP referrals
Inpatient units
, 3
Social stigma remains
43% believe people bring mental disorders on themselves
90% of individuals with a psychological disorder experience stigma
Stigma associated with mental health
Over a third of the public think people with mental health disorders are more likely to
be violent, rather they’re more likely to be victims of violent crime. 80-90% of
people who die by suicide experience mental distress, therefore are more of a
danger to themseleves rather than others.
2. Psychopathology: Past
The Biological model
Mental disorders have a biological cause.
Brain anatomy- neurons
Brain chemistry- neurotransmitters-several types of neurons in the body ie
sensory/motor
Genetics- twin studies
Anatomy of a neuron
-sense pain
-different forms of ‘abnormal
Behaviour’ associated with
Irregularities in the
Transmission or reception
Of neural messages
- Help us to coordinate our movement
And see ‘hallucinations’.
Neurotransmitters Functions and Relationships with Abnormal Behaviour Patterns
§Neurotransmitter: Acetylcholine (Ach)
§Function: Control of muscle contractions and formation of memories
§Association with abnormal behaviour: Reduced levels are found with patients with
Alzheimer’s disease.
§Neurotransmitter: dopamine
§Function: regulation of muscle contractions and mental processes involving
memory and emotions
, 4
§Association with abnormal behaviour: schizophrenia due to overutilization
§Neurotransmitter: Norepinephrine
§Function: mental processes involving in learning and memory
§Association: depression & mood disorders
§Neurotransmitter: serotonin
§Function: regulation of mood states, satiety and sleep
§Association: depression, eating disorders, anxiety disorders and sleep disorder
Antidepressants - increase serotonin.
Biological treatment
Psychotropic medication
Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT): Helpful for severe depression but remains a
controversial treatment.
Neurosurgery – rare cases
o Severe depression
o OCD
o Not available in England.
Is the biological perspective adequate as an explanation for abnormal behaviours?
Scientists recognize that genes play an important role in determining
predispositions for many psychological traits and disorders.
Whether these predispositions are expressed depends on the interactions of
genetic and environmental influences.
The Behavioural Model
Mental disorders caused by maladaptive learning
Different forms of conditioning
o Normal behaviour
o Abnormal behaviour
Behavioural therapies
o Systematic desensitisation
Systematic desensitisation
Treat phobias
Step by step approach used
Clients learn to act calmly first
o Pair fear with relaxation
Introduction to Psychopathology
1. Psychopathology: Past and present
Psycho-patho-logy:
Psyche = mind
Pathos = suffer
-logy = study
Scientific study of mental disorders
Mental disorder
A mental disorder is a syndrome characterised by clinically significant
disturbance in an individual’s cognition, emotion regulation, or behaviour that
reflects a dysfunction in the psychological, biological, or developmental
processes underlying mental functioning. Mental disorders are usually
associated with significant distress or disability in social, occupational, or
other important activities (APA, 2013, p. 20).
Stone age
Human body and mind: Battleground between
external forces of good and evil
Abnormal behaviour: work of evil spirits
Severe mental disorders:
o Hallucinations
Seeing or hearing things that are not there
o Melancholia
Extreme sadness, immobility
Treatment for severe mental disorders: Trephination
o Procedure: Opening of skull
o Purpose: Release evil spirits
Ancient Greece
Origins of the medical model
Hippocrates (ca. 460-377 B.C.)
Naturalistic explanations
Illness of body and mind
o Melancholia
Excessive depression
o Mania
Exceptional excitement
, 2
Result of natural causes
Not possession by supernatural spirits
Renaissance
No more demonological views on abnormal behaviour
Dutch physician Weyer (1515-1588):
o Mind susceptible to sickness just as body is -> Psychopathology
Asylums
o Converted hospitals and monasteries
o Designed to care for individuals with mental illness
o Prisons, confinement, cruelty
19th century
Reform and moral treatment
Physician Pinel (1745-1826)
o Sick people should be treated with sympathy and kindness
o No chains and beatings
Improvement of conditions
o Humane treatment
o Transfer from dark dungeons into fresh air and hospitals
o No chains
Remarkably successful approach
National institute of mental health
Largest research organisation in the world specialising in mental illness
Supports research on mental health
o Grants to investigators at institutions and organisations throughout USA
o Own internal research effort
Formally established in 1949
Mission:
o "to transform the understanding and treatment of mental illnesses
through basic and clinical research, paving the way for prevention,
recovery, and cure” (NIMH, 2013)
3. Psychopathology: present
Present Day – Mental health System in the UK
Children and Adolescent mental health services (CAMHS) – up to 18 years
Early intervention in (psychosis) teams (EIP) – 18-35 years
Community mental health teams – 18+ years of age
Forensic mental health services
Psychiatric liaison teams
IAPT services
GP referrals
Inpatient units
, 3
Social stigma remains
43% believe people bring mental disorders on themselves
90% of individuals with a psychological disorder experience stigma
Stigma associated with mental health
Over a third of the public think people with mental health disorders are more likely to
be violent, rather they’re more likely to be victims of violent crime. 80-90% of
people who die by suicide experience mental distress, therefore are more of a
danger to themseleves rather than others.
2. Psychopathology: Past
The Biological model
Mental disorders have a biological cause.
Brain anatomy- neurons
Brain chemistry- neurotransmitters-several types of neurons in the body ie
sensory/motor
Genetics- twin studies
Anatomy of a neuron
-sense pain
-different forms of ‘abnormal
Behaviour’ associated with
Irregularities in the
Transmission or reception
Of neural messages
- Help us to coordinate our movement
And see ‘hallucinations’.
Neurotransmitters Functions and Relationships with Abnormal Behaviour Patterns
§Neurotransmitter: Acetylcholine (Ach)
§Function: Control of muscle contractions and formation of memories
§Association with abnormal behaviour: Reduced levels are found with patients with
Alzheimer’s disease.
§Neurotransmitter: dopamine
§Function: regulation of muscle contractions and mental processes involving
memory and emotions
, 4
§Association with abnormal behaviour: schizophrenia due to overutilization
§Neurotransmitter: Norepinephrine
§Function: mental processes involving in learning and memory
§Association: depression & mood disorders
§Neurotransmitter: serotonin
§Function: regulation of mood states, satiety and sleep
§Association: depression, eating disorders, anxiety disorders and sleep disorder
Antidepressants - increase serotonin.
Biological treatment
Psychotropic medication
Electroconvulsive therapy (ECT): Helpful for severe depression but remains a
controversial treatment.
Neurosurgery – rare cases
o Severe depression
o OCD
o Not available in England.
Is the biological perspective adequate as an explanation for abnormal behaviours?
Scientists recognize that genes play an important role in determining
predispositions for many psychological traits and disorders.
Whether these predispositions are expressed depends on the interactions of
genetic and environmental influences.
The Behavioural Model
Mental disorders caused by maladaptive learning
Different forms of conditioning
o Normal behaviour
o Abnormal behaviour
Behavioural therapies
o Systematic desensitisation
Systematic desensitisation
Treat phobias
Step by step approach used
Clients learn to act calmly first
o Pair fear with relaxation
