Psychology Chapter 15
What is Mental Illness?
Psychopathy (mental illness) Is often seen as a failure of adaptation to the environment
Failure analysis approach tries to understand mental illness by examining breakdowns in
functioning
Concept of mental disorder does not have a clear-cut definition
Many different conceptions of mental illness, each with pros and cons:
o Statistical rarity
o Subjective distress
o Impairment
o Societal disapproval
o Biological dysfunction
Historical Conceptions of Mental Illness
Middle ages: Mental illnesses were often viewed through a demonic model
o Odd behaviors were the result of evil spirits, inhibiting the body
o Exorcisms and witch hunts were common during this time
Renaissance: The medical model saw mental illness as a physical disorder needing
treatment
o Governments began housing people in asylum- but they were often overcrowded
Reformers like Philippe Pinel and Dorthea Dix pushed for moral treatment
o They treated patients with dignity, respect, and kindness
o There were still no effective treatments, many continued to suffer without relief
Modern Era
o With advent of medications, a policy of deinstitutionalization was enacted
o Deinstitutionalization had mixed results
o Some patients returned to almost normal lives, but tens of thousands has no
follow-up care and went off medications
o Community mental health centers and halfway houses attempt to help the problem
Psychiatric Diagnoses Across Cultures
Certain conditions are culture-bound
o Koro- Involves believing your genitals are shrinking and receding into your
abdomen
o Amok- marked by episodes of intense sadness and brooding, followed by
uncontrolled behavior and violence
o Tajin Kyofushu- A fear of offending others by saying something offensive or
having body odor
Many severe mental disorders (schizophrenia, alcoholism, psychopathy) appear to be
universal across culture
Special Considerations in Psychiatric Classification and Diagnosis
Evidence largely contradicts common misconceptions concerning psychiatric diagnosis,
such as:
, o Psychiatric diagnosis is simply pigeonholing
o Psychiatric diagnoses are unreliable
o Psychiatric diagnoses are invalid
o Psychiatric diagnoses stigmatize people
Anxiety- Related Disorders
Most anxieties are transient and can be adaptive
Yet they can spin out of control and become excessive and inappropriate
These are one of the most prevalent and earliest-onset of all classes of disorders
Inappropriate anxiety can seep into other disorders and problems
o Somatic symptom disorder entails about physical symptoms that interfere with
daily living
o Illness anxiety disorder is the preoccupation that one has a serious undiagnosed
disease
Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Continual feelings of worry, anxiety, physical tension, and irritability about many
areas
About 3 percent of the population suffer with it
More prevalent in females and Caucasians
Panic Disorder
Repeated, unexpected panic attacks, along with either:
o Persistent concerns about future attacks; or
o A change in personal behavior in an attempt to avoid them
Can be associated with specific situation or can come “out of the blue”
Phobias
Intense fear of an object or situation that’s greatly out of proportion to its actual threat
Most common anxiety disorder
Comes in different forms, such as:
o Agoraphobia
o Specific or social phobia
PTSD
Marked emotional disturbance after experiencing or witnessing a severely stressful event
Symptoms include:
o Flashbacks and recurrent dreams
o Avoiding reminders of the trauma
o Increased physiological arousal
OCD
Marked by obsessions- persistent ideas, thoughts, or impulses that are unwanted and
inappropriate and cause marked distress
This distress is relieved by compulsions- repetitive behaviors or mental acts
What is Mental Illness?
Psychopathy (mental illness) Is often seen as a failure of adaptation to the environment
Failure analysis approach tries to understand mental illness by examining breakdowns in
functioning
Concept of mental disorder does not have a clear-cut definition
Many different conceptions of mental illness, each with pros and cons:
o Statistical rarity
o Subjective distress
o Impairment
o Societal disapproval
o Biological dysfunction
Historical Conceptions of Mental Illness
Middle ages: Mental illnesses were often viewed through a demonic model
o Odd behaviors were the result of evil spirits, inhibiting the body
o Exorcisms and witch hunts were common during this time
Renaissance: The medical model saw mental illness as a physical disorder needing
treatment
o Governments began housing people in asylum- but they were often overcrowded
Reformers like Philippe Pinel and Dorthea Dix pushed for moral treatment
o They treated patients with dignity, respect, and kindness
o There were still no effective treatments, many continued to suffer without relief
Modern Era
o With advent of medications, a policy of deinstitutionalization was enacted
o Deinstitutionalization had mixed results
o Some patients returned to almost normal lives, but tens of thousands has no
follow-up care and went off medications
o Community mental health centers and halfway houses attempt to help the problem
Psychiatric Diagnoses Across Cultures
Certain conditions are culture-bound
o Koro- Involves believing your genitals are shrinking and receding into your
abdomen
o Amok- marked by episodes of intense sadness and brooding, followed by
uncontrolled behavior and violence
o Tajin Kyofushu- A fear of offending others by saying something offensive or
having body odor
Many severe mental disorders (schizophrenia, alcoholism, psychopathy) appear to be
universal across culture
Special Considerations in Psychiatric Classification and Diagnosis
Evidence largely contradicts common misconceptions concerning psychiatric diagnosis,
such as:
, o Psychiatric diagnosis is simply pigeonholing
o Psychiatric diagnoses are unreliable
o Psychiatric diagnoses are invalid
o Psychiatric diagnoses stigmatize people
Anxiety- Related Disorders
Most anxieties are transient and can be adaptive
Yet they can spin out of control and become excessive and inappropriate
These are one of the most prevalent and earliest-onset of all classes of disorders
Inappropriate anxiety can seep into other disorders and problems
o Somatic symptom disorder entails about physical symptoms that interfere with
daily living
o Illness anxiety disorder is the preoccupation that one has a serious undiagnosed
disease
Generalized Anxiety Disorder
Continual feelings of worry, anxiety, physical tension, and irritability about many
areas
About 3 percent of the population suffer with it
More prevalent in females and Caucasians
Panic Disorder
Repeated, unexpected panic attacks, along with either:
o Persistent concerns about future attacks; or
o A change in personal behavior in an attempt to avoid them
Can be associated with specific situation or can come “out of the blue”
Phobias
Intense fear of an object or situation that’s greatly out of proportion to its actual threat
Most common anxiety disorder
Comes in different forms, such as:
o Agoraphobia
o Specific or social phobia
PTSD
Marked emotional disturbance after experiencing or witnessing a severely stressful event
Symptoms include:
o Flashbacks and recurrent dreams
o Avoiding reminders of the trauma
o Increased physiological arousal
OCD
Marked by obsessions- persistent ideas, thoughts, or impulses that are unwanted and
inappropriate and cause marked distress
This distress is relieved by compulsions- repetitive behaviors or mental acts
