Definition Actions, thoughts, and feelings harmful to a

person or others; experiencing discomfort enough to not function

Continuity hypothesis Insanity and mental illness terms should not

be used Discontinuity hypothesis

Only strong terms can accurately portray true nature of abnormal behavior

Abnormal Behavior

Supernatural theories Resulted in more harmful treatments like

exorcism, drinking foul concoctions, witches put to death (mostly women)

Biological theories Ancient Greece: four humors of body 1800s: bacteria, syphilis, and penicillin Made effective drug therapies possible

Abnormal Behavior

Psychological theories Pythagoras: psychological factors like

stress caused problems

Freud revived the theory; able to compete with supernatural and biological approaches

Model of unconscious conflicts

Abnormal Behavior

The DSM-IV American Psychiatric Association’s manual Multi-axial system of classifications

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

Abnormal Behavior

Abnormal behavior stigmatized – negative perceptions associated with it (frightening, uncomfortable, or viewed as dangerous) Can make mental health problems worse

Can prevent afflicted persons from seeking treatment

Why stigmatize? Unwillingness to let others see one’s flaws and weaknesses?

Abnormal Behavior

Not guilty by reason of insanity Hinckley trial in 1982 Insane: at time of conduct, person had

disease or defect, lacked substantial capacity to know act was wrong or broke a law

Competence to stand trial Insanity: cannot understand trial

proceedings Involuntary commitment

Person poses danger to self or others

Abnormal Behavior

Anxiety Disorders Excessive levels of kinds of negative

emotions Uncomfortable and disruptive levels of

anxiety Affects women more than men

Phobias Intense, unrealistic or irrational fear Specific phobia (least disruptive), social

phobia, agoraphobia (most impairing)

Abnormal Behavior

Generalized anxiety disorder Free-floating anxiety (usually relatively

mild) No periods of calm experienced Vague, uneasy sense of tension

Panic anxiety disorder Intensely uncomfortable attacks of anxiety Extremely sensitive to small bodily changes Attack causes exaggerated bodily reactions

Abnormal Behavior

Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) Affects soldiers from Vietnam, Operation

Desert Storm, and Iraqi wars; also Nazi death camp and prison camp survivors)

Suffering severe reactions years after traumatic event (some recover, some get worse over time)

Experiences include: Dreams with horror Intense emotional bodily reactions Difficulty concentrating or sleeping

Abnormal Behavior

Combat-related events

Sudden death of loved one

Involved in or witnessing accidents

Physical assault, rape, sexual molestation experienced by women

Terrorism experiences

Abnormal Behavior

Four factors involved

Severity of stress Risk increased when physical injury occurs

Person’s characteristics before event Affects those with higher anxiety levels, lower

intelligence, previous mental health problems

Social support More support lessens risk

Sex of the victim Women more at risk

Abnormal Behavior

Definitions Obsessions – continuous anxiety-

provoking thoughts

Compulsions – irresistible urges to engage in behaviors

Two separate disorders; often found together in same person

Abnormal Behavior

Experiencing symptoms of physical health problems with psychological causes

Four types Somatization disorders – intensely and

chronically uncomfortable conditions Hypochondriasis – preoccupation with

health Conversion disorders – symptoms not

medically possible Somatoform pain disorders – primary

symptom is pain with no physical cause

Abnormal Behavior

Broad category of loosely related conditions

Four kinds Depersonalization – distorted, unreal

feelings

Dissociative amnesia – psychological cause

Dissociative fugue – complete loss of memory

Dissociative identity disorder – once known as multiple personality disorder; very controversial issue

Abnormal Behavior

Two forms Depression

Major depression - episodic disorder, quite common, often mild but takes its toll Rare to have psychotic distortion of reality

Bipolar disorder (depression and mania) Caused by high levels of anxiety; genetic

influences Cognitive factors – negative views of self

Abnormal Behavior

Two forms Depression

Major depression - episodic disorder, quite common, often mild but takes its toll Rare to have psychotic distortion of reality

Caused by high levels of anxiety; genetic influences

Cognitive factors – negative views of self

Abnormal Behavior

Probability of developing major depression for the first time in a given year

.005

Haz

ard

rate

s

.010

.015

.020

.025

17Years

.0000 27 37 47 57 67 77 877

MalesFemales

Ethnic and gender differences in depression and suicide Women more at risk for depression Depressed persons more at risk for suicide American Indians have highest rate of

suicide African Americans have lowest rate and

Hispanic groups have second lowest rate (rates vary among Hispanic subgroups)

White women have highest rate of females

Abnormal Behavior

% d

eath

s du

e to

sui

cide

3

0

2.5

0.5

1

1.5

2

Asian/Pacific Islanders

American Indian

Non-Hispanic white

African American

Percent of deaths due to suicide among different race-ethnic groups

in the U.S.

Alternating irregular periods of severe depression and mania Mania – mood disturbance in which person

experiences a high, intense euphoria High self-esteem, unrealistic optimism Psychotic distortion during episodes;

damaging or extreme behavior Occurs in multiple episodes; cause unknown

Abnormal Behavior

Uncommon disorder affecting more men than women Can appear gradually or with sudden break Characterized by 3 types of serious

problems Delusions and hallucinations Disorganized thinking, emotions,

behavior Reduced enjoyment and interests

Causes: genetic and environment

Abnormal Behavior

Subtypes Paranoid schizophrenia

False beliefs, delusions (grandeur, paranoia, persecution), hallucinations

Disorganized schizophrenia Delusions, hallucinations, cognitive processes

highly disorganized or fragmented Extreme social withdrawal

Abnormal Behavior

Subtypes Catatonic schizophrenia

May have delusions and hallucinations; most abnormalities in social interaction, body posture and movement (waxy flexibility in stupors)

Abnormal Behavior

Characterized by paranoid delusions of grandeur and persecution Dangerous because of believability of

delusions Reverand Jim Jones and Jonestown deaths David Koresh and Waco (TX) deaths

Abnormal Behavior

Does not listen Dislikes/avoids

focused tasks Often forgetful Disorganized

Abnormal Behavior

• Inattention symptoms

– Cannot focus– Fails to see details– Careless mistakes– Highly distractible– Incomplete tasks– Often loses items

Often on-the-go; driven like a motor

Talks excessively

Blurts out answers before question is finished

Can’t wait for turn

Abnormal Behavior

• Hyperactivity-impulsivity

– Often fidgets or squirms when seated

– Often leaves seat when should remain seated

– Runs/climbs excessively– Difficulty engaging in

play/leisure quietly– Often interrupts/intrudes

Schizoid personality disorder Blunted emotions, social withdrawal, but no

serious cognitive disturbances Antisocial personality disorder

Feel little guilt, exploit others, frequent violation of social rules and laws

Difficulty with personal relationships Low tolerance for frustration, lie

easily/skillfully

Abnormal Behavior

Schizotypal personality disorder

Paranoid personality disorder

Histrionic personality disorder

Narcissistic personality disorder

Borderline personality disorder

Avoidant personality disorder

Dependent personality disorder

Obsessive-compulsive personality disorder

Abnormal Behavior

Abnormal Behavior