Notes - January 22, 2014

Psychological Disorders

• Psychological Disorder - a 'harmful dysfunction' in which behavior is judged to be atypical disturbing maladaptive and unjustifiable 
• Early Theories - afflicted people were possessed by evil spirits
• Somatogenic - mental illness has a bodily cause
• Medical Perspective - psychological disorders are sicknesses and can be diagnosed, treated and cured
• Bio-psycho-social Perspective - assumes biological, physiological and sociocultural factors combine to interact, causing psychological disorders
• Diathesis Stress Model - predisposition and stress meaning environment 
• DSM-IV - diagnostic statistical manual of mental disorders
• Neurotic Disorders - distressing but one can still function and act rationally
• Psychotic Disorders - Person loses contact with reality, experiences, and distorted perceptions