Option: Abnormal psychology flashcards

Topic 5: Option: Abnormal psychology

What are four criteria used to define abnormality?

Statistical infrequency, deviation from social norms, maladaptive behaviour or failure to function, and deviation from ideal mental health. No single criterion is adequate on its own.

What are the DSM and the ICD?

The two main classification systems. DSM: the American Psychiatric Association’s manual, now DSM-5. ICD: the World Health Organization’s International Classification of Diseases, now ICD-11.

Reliability vs validity of diagnosis

Reliable: different clinicians reach the same diagnosis (inter-rater reliability), or the same clinician does on different occasions. Valid: the diagnosis identifies a real, distinct condition.

What did Rosenhan (1973) report?

People with no disorder who said they heard a voice were admitted to psychiatric hospitals and, though they then behaved normally, were not identified by staff. Widely criticised in method, it raised questions about context, labelling and stigma in diagnosis.

What is Beck’s negative cognitive triad?

A negative view of the self, the world and the future, which Beck proposed as a cognitive explanation of depression, alongside negative schemas.

What did Brown and Harris (1978) find about depression?

In a study of women in a London district, severe life events combined with vulnerability factors, such as lacking a close confiding relationship, were associated with depression.

What is the diathesis-stress model?

The view that a disorder develops when a vulnerability (diathesis), such as a genetic predisposition, combines with stress, such as stressful life events.

How are SSRIs thought to work, and what is a limitation?

They block the reuptake of serotonin, raising the level available at the synapse. Limitations: side effects, treating symptoms rather than causes, and meta-analyses such as Kirsch et al. (2008) finding only a small advantage over placebo except in severe depression.

What is cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT)?

A psychological treatment that helps people identify and change unhelpful thoughts and behaviours. It has evidence of benefit for depression and anxiety but needs motivation and time.