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PYC2612: ABNORMAL BEHAVIOUR AND MENTAL HEALTH
Co-morbid/ More than one disorder or disease in the same individual at the same time.
Comorbidity
Disease A medical syndrome or cluster of physical symptoms, or a physiological disease that manifests in parts of
body.
Hybrid Offspring of a mixed union, which in this case refers to psychology as being partially art and partially scienc
Psychological A mental abnormality that manifests on the level of thinking, feeling or behaving.
disorder
UNIT 1
1. What is psychopathology?
2. How do we decide when behaviours are a significant concern?
3. How common are mental disorders?
4. Why is it important to confront the stigmatization and stereotyping associated with
mental illness?
5. What are some contemporary trends in the field of psychopathology?
Overview
• Aims to understand causes, development, manifestation, and prevention of disturbances in thinking,
feeling, and behaviour.
• Scientific approach for investigating abnormal behaviour:
1. formulating a research question
2. expressing the question as a hypothesis
3. applying testing methods
4. drawing conclusions.
, Page |2
Different Research Methods:
• Naturalistic observational method: Used to observe naturally occurring phenomena or behaviour
under natural conditions.
• Relationships between variables: Exploring possible correlations between variables to suggest
possible cause-effect relationships.
• Longitudinal research method: Investigating possible correlations over time by repeatedly observing a
sample at periodic intervals.
• Experimental method: Controlling the independent variable under controlled conditions to reveal
cause-effect relationships.
• Value-added research methods: Ethical approach and evaluation of internal, external, and construct
validity of all experiments.
• Epidemiological approach: Examining the rate at which abnormal behaviour occurs in various
population groups and settings.
VOCABULARY
mental illness a mental health condition that negatively affects a person’s emotions, thinking, behaviour, relation
with others, or overall functioning
Psychodiagnosis assessment and description of an individual’s psychological symptoms, including inferences a
possible causes for the psychological distress
treatment plan a proposed course of therapy, developed collaboratively by a therapist and client, that addresse
client’s most distressing mental health symptoms
etiology the cause or causes for a condition
psychotherapy a program of systematic intervention aimed at improving a client’s behavioural, emotional, or cog
symptom
Culture the configuration of shared values, beliefs, attitudes, and behaviours that is transmitted from
generation to another by members of a particular group
Cultural relativism the idea that a person’s beliefs, values, and behaviours are affected by the culture within which
person lives
Cultural universality the assumption that a fixed set of mental disorders exists whose manifestations and symptom
similar across cultures
psychiatric epidemiology the study of the prevalence of mental illness in a society
prevalence the percentage of individuals in a targeted population who have a particular disorder during a sp
period
lifetime prevalence the percentage of people in the population who have had a disorder at some point in their lives
systemic racism deeply imbedded societal policies and structures that disadvantage certain racial groups
stereotypes an oversimplified, often inaccurate, image or idea about a group of people
social stigma a negative societal belief about a group, including the view that the group is somehow different from
members of society
, Page |3
prejudice a biased, preconceived judgment about a person or group based on supposed characteristics o
group
discrimination unjust or prejudicial treatment toward a person based on the person’s actual or perceived membe
in a certain group
self-stigma acceptance of prejudice and discrimination based on internalized negative societal beliefs or stereo
self-efficacy a belief in one’s ability to succeed
biological viewpoint the belief that mental disorders have a physical or physiological basis
syndromes certain symptoms that tend to occur regularly in clusters
psychological viewpoint the belief that mental disorders are caused by psychological and emotional factors rather than biolo
influences
cathartic method a therapeutic use of verbal expression to release pent-up emotional conflicts
intrapsychic psychological processes occurring within the mind
recovery movement the perspective that with appropriate treatment and support those with mental illness can improv
live satisfying lives despite any lingering symptoms of illness
optimal human qualities such as subjective well-being, optimism, self-determinism, resilience, hope, courage
functioning ability to manage stress
psychotropic drugs that treat or manage psychiatric symptoms by influencing brain activity associated with emo
medications and behaviour
Jared Lee Loughner
In 2011, 23-year-old Jared Lee Loughner posted a message on social media expressing his frustration with the US's low literac
and the longest war in history. He then shot and killed U.S. Representative Gabrielle Giffords and bystanders (killing 6 and injurin
who was attending a meeting. Loughner was declared incompetent to stand trial due to his mental confusion. However, his m
condition improved, and he pleaded guilty to all charges. After incarceration, the examiners determined that Loughner had symp
consistent with a diagnosis of schizophrenia
The Field of Psychopathology
Psychopathology: the study of the symptoms, causes, and treatments of mental disorders
Describing Behaviour
If you're experiencing emotional distress, consider seeking help from a mental health professional. The
therapist will observe your behaviour and reactions, listen to your concerns, and use your background and
symptoms to formulate a psychodiagnosis. This helps you understand your situation and the possibility of
experiencing a mental disorder. Together, you and the professional will develop a treatment plan, focusing
on your distressing symptoms.
Myth: Mental illness causes people to become unstable and potentially dangerous.
Reality: majority of individuals who are mentally ill do not commit crimes. However, there is an increased risk of
violence among individuals with a history of mental illness, substance abuse, and prior victimization
, Page |4
Explaining Behaviour
Identifying the etiology for psychopathology is a high priority for mental health professionals. Loughner's
actions were often attributed to his right-wing political extremism. Loughner believed the U.S. government
was brainwashing people and asked Giffords about the meaning of words. Giffords declined, causing
Loughner to feel angered and fuelled his obsession with Gifford.
A closer look at Loughner’s background reveals many other possible causes for his rampage:
- Friends observed a personality transformation after dropping out of high school. He faced
academic difficulties at community college, including suspension due to poor performance,
disruptive behaviour, and a YouTube post describing the school as a scam. This pattern of
failure may have contributed to his anger and downward spiral.
- Loughner's high school breakup led to increased drug use (marijuana, LSD, hallucinogens) and
couldn't enlist in the US army. The question remains whether the breakup, drug use, or rejection
from military service contributed to his actions.
- Loughner's schizophrenia, diagnosed while incarcerated, may be attributed to biological
factors, with marijuana use exacerbating vulnerability. His downward spiral in his early 20s,
paranoid beliefs, and nonsensical speech are consistent with the onset of schizophrenia.
risk factors associated with increased potential for school violence include:
male gender, access to weapons, threatening or violent communications, talking about plans to carry
out an attack, feeling hopeless or suicidal, and having a history of being bullied or persecuted.
Loughner's actions may be attributed to various factors, including genetic vulnerability, marijuana use,
extremist political beliefs, academic and military failures, anger over a breakup, and substance abuse.
However, no single explanation can fully explain the complexity of human behaviour, which is influenced
by biological, psychological, social, and sociocultural factors. No single explanation can fully explain
human behaviour.
Predicting Behaviour
Many believe that there was sufficient evidence to predict that Loughner was a seriously disturbed and
potentially dangerous. His parents attempted to seek professional help but were unsuccessful. At Pima
Community College, concerned staff and students contacted campus police regarding Loughner’s
disruptive conduct on five occasions. He posted hate-filled rants about the college on YouTube, and at least
one teacher and one classmate expressed concern that he was capable of a school shooting.
To protect the campus, college administrators suspended Loughner, stipulating that he could return if:
(a) his behaviour conformed to the codes of the college and
(b) he received a mental health clearance confirming that his presence on campus would not
constitute a danger to himself or others.
Intervening Through Therapy
Group therapy is a widely used form of treatment for many problems, especially those involving
interpersonal relationships.
The lack of intervention in Loughner's case can be attributed to several factors. First, civil commitment, or
involuntary confinement, is an extreme decision that could potentially violate an individual's civil liberties.
The legal system assumes that people are innocent until proven guilty, which could be violated by locking
someone up before committing a dangerous act. Second, Loughner never agreed to mental health
treatment, which could have prevented him from seeking treatment if he had been aware of a clear danger.
PYC2612: ABNORMAL BEHAVIOUR AND MENTAL HEALTH
Co-morbid/ More than one disorder or disease in the same individual at the same time.
Comorbidity
Disease A medical syndrome or cluster of physical symptoms, or a physiological disease that manifests in parts of
body.
Hybrid Offspring of a mixed union, which in this case refers to psychology as being partially art and partially scienc
Psychological A mental abnormality that manifests on the level of thinking, feeling or behaving.
disorder
UNIT 1
1. What is psychopathology?
2. How do we decide when behaviours are a significant concern?
3. How common are mental disorders?
4. Why is it important to confront the stigmatization and stereotyping associated with
mental illness?
5. What are some contemporary trends in the field of psychopathology?
Overview
• Aims to understand causes, development, manifestation, and prevention of disturbances in thinking,
feeling, and behaviour.
• Scientific approach for investigating abnormal behaviour:
1. formulating a research question
2. expressing the question as a hypothesis
3. applying testing methods
4. drawing conclusions.
, Page |2
Different Research Methods:
• Naturalistic observational method: Used to observe naturally occurring phenomena or behaviour
under natural conditions.
• Relationships between variables: Exploring possible correlations between variables to suggest
possible cause-effect relationships.
• Longitudinal research method: Investigating possible correlations over time by repeatedly observing a
sample at periodic intervals.
• Experimental method: Controlling the independent variable under controlled conditions to reveal
cause-effect relationships.
• Value-added research methods: Ethical approach and evaluation of internal, external, and construct
validity of all experiments.
• Epidemiological approach: Examining the rate at which abnormal behaviour occurs in various
population groups and settings.
VOCABULARY
mental illness a mental health condition that negatively affects a person’s emotions, thinking, behaviour, relation
with others, or overall functioning
Psychodiagnosis assessment and description of an individual’s psychological symptoms, including inferences a
possible causes for the psychological distress
treatment plan a proposed course of therapy, developed collaboratively by a therapist and client, that addresse
client’s most distressing mental health symptoms
etiology the cause or causes for a condition
psychotherapy a program of systematic intervention aimed at improving a client’s behavioural, emotional, or cog
symptom
Culture the configuration of shared values, beliefs, attitudes, and behaviours that is transmitted from
generation to another by members of a particular group
Cultural relativism the idea that a person’s beliefs, values, and behaviours are affected by the culture within which
person lives
Cultural universality the assumption that a fixed set of mental disorders exists whose manifestations and symptom
similar across cultures
psychiatric epidemiology the study of the prevalence of mental illness in a society
prevalence the percentage of individuals in a targeted population who have a particular disorder during a sp
period
lifetime prevalence the percentage of people in the population who have had a disorder at some point in their lives
systemic racism deeply imbedded societal policies and structures that disadvantage certain racial groups
stereotypes an oversimplified, often inaccurate, image or idea about a group of people
social stigma a negative societal belief about a group, including the view that the group is somehow different from
members of society
, Page |3
prejudice a biased, preconceived judgment about a person or group based on supposed characteristics o
group
discrimination unjust or prejudicial treatment toward a person based on the person’s actual or perceived membe
in a certain group
self-stigma acceptance of prejudice and discrimination based on internalized negative societal beliefs or stereo
self-efficacy a belief in one’s ability to succeed
biological viewpoint the belief that mental disorders have a physical or physiological basis
syndromes certain symptoms that tend to occur regularly in clusters
psychological viewpoint the belief that mental disorders are caused by psychological and emotional factors rather than biolo
influences
cathartic method a therapeutic use of verbal expression to release pent-up emotional conflicts
intrapsychic psychological processes occurring within the mind
recovery movement the perspective that with appropriate treatment and support those with mental illness can improv
live satisfying lives despite any lingering symptoms of illness
optimal human qualities such as subjective well-being, optimism, self-determinism, resilience, hope, courage
functioning ability to manage stress
psychotropic drugs that treat or manage psychiatric symptoms by influencing brain activity associated with emo
medications and behaviour
Jared Lee Loughner
In 2011, 23-year-old Jared Lee Loughner posted a message on social media expressing his frustration with the US's low literac
and the longest war in history. He then shot and killed U.S. Representative Gabrielle Giffords and bystanders (killing 6 and injurin
who was attending a meeting. Loughner was declared incompetent to stand trial due to his mental confusion. However, his m
condition improved, and he pleaded guilty to all charges. After incarceration, the examiners determined that Loughner had symp
consistent with a diagnosis of schizophrenia
The Field of Psychopathology
Psychopathology: the study of the symptoms, causes, and treatments of mental disorders
Describing Behaviour
If you're experiencing emotional distress, consider seeking help from a mental health professional. The
therapist will observe your behaviour and reactions, listen to your concerns, and use your background and
symptoms to formulate a psychodiagnosis. This helps you understand your situation and the possibility of
experiencing a mental disorder. Together, you and the professional will develop a treatment plan, focusing
on your distressing symptoms.
Myth: Mental illness causes people to become unstable and potentially dangerous.
Reality: majority of individuals who are mentally ill do not commit crimes. However, there is an increased risk of
violence among individuals with a history of mental illness, substance abuse, and prior victimization
, Page |4
Explaining Behaviour
Identifying the etiology for psychopathology is a high priority for mental health professionals. Loughner's
actions were often attributed to his right-wing political extremism. Loughner believed the U.S. government
was brainwashing people and asked Giffords about the meaning of words. Giffords declined, causing
Loughner to feel angered and fuelled his obsession with Gifford.
A closer look at Loughner’s background reveals many other possible causes for his rampage:
- Friends observed a personality transformation after dropping out of high school. He faced
academic difficulties at community college, including suspension due to poor performance,
disruptive behaviour, and a YouTube post describing the school as a scam. This pattern of
failure may have contributed to his anger and downward spiral.
- Loughner's high school breakup led to increased drug use (marijuana, LSD, hallucinogens) and
couldn't enlist in the US army. The question remains whether the breakup, drug use, or rejection
from military service contributed to his actions.
- Loughner's schizophrenia, diagnosed while incarcerated, may be attributed to biological
factors, with marijuana use exacerbating vulnerability. His downward spiral in his early 20s,
paranoid beliefs, and nonsensical speech are consistent with the onset of schizophrenia.
risk factors associated with increased potential for school violence include:
male gender, access to weapons, threatening or violent communications, talking about plans to carry
out an attack, feeling hopeless or suicidal, and having a history of being bullied or persecuted.
Loughner's actions may be attributed to various factors, including genetic vulnerability, marijuana use,
extremist political beliefs, academic and military failures, anger over a breakup, and substance abuse.
However, no single explanation can fully explain the complexity of human behaviour, which is influenced
by biological, psychological, social, and sociocultural factors. No single explanation can fully explain
human behaviour.
Predicting Behaviour
Many believe that there was sufficient evidence to predict that Loughner was a seriously disturbed and
potentially dangerous. His parents attempted to seek professional help but were unsuccessful. At Pima
Community College, concerned staff and students contacted campus police regarding Loughner’s
disruptive conduct on five occasions. He posted hate-filled rants about the college on YouTube, and at least
one teacher and one classmate expressed concern that he was capable of a school shooting.
To protect the campus, college administrators suspended Loughner, stipulating that he could return if:
(a) his behaviour conformed to the codes of the college and
(b) he received a mental health clearance confirming that his presence on campus would not
constitute a danger to himself or others.
Intervening Through Therapy
Group therapy is a widely used form of treatment for many problems, especially those involving
interpersonal relationships.
The lack of intervention in Loughner's case can be attributed to several factors. First, civil commitment, or
involuntary confinement, is an extreme decision that could potentially violate an individual's civil liberties.
The legal system assumes that people are innocent until proven guilty, which could be violated by locking
someone up before committing a dangerous act. Second, Loughner never agreed to mental health
treatment, which could have prevented him from seeking treatment if he had been aware of a clear danger.
