continuum - a spectrum [of behavior] ranging from mild to severe, infrequent to constant, controllable to uncontrollable, with no clear dividing line to indicate when normal becomes abnormal
psychological disorder – classified by indicators of personal distress and functional impairment
deviation from statistical norm – occurring very infrequently
deviation from social norm – culturally different
personal distress – subjective state characterized by emotional pain and suffering
functional impairment – dysfunctional state occurring when a person is unable to fulfill school or work obligations, sustain social relationships, or take care of oneself or children
internal dysfunction – origin of psychological problem is within the person, not an expected response to an event
biopsychosocial approach - framework to understand abnormal behavior, considers psychopathology as pattern of behavior with biological, psychological, and social causes B = f (P + E + PE) – equation that illustrates how to think about behavior, where:
B = the behavior of the person with a disorder, and
P = internal factors pertaining to the person, and
E = external factors pertaining to the environment, and
PE = the complex interaction of person and environment.
diathesis-stress model – mechanism for explaining how psychological disorders can develop, wherein both the diathesis and the stress are necessary in the development of a disorder
etiology - the origin or cause (of abnormal behavior)
demonology – ancient belief that individuals with psychopathologies were possessed by evil spirits or demons
medical model – biological approach to psychological problems, considers psychpathology as disease with specific etiology, symptoms, and prognosis
symptoms - common set of behavioral indicators
prognosis – predictable course over time
diathesis – biological and/or psychological factors that increase a person’s chance of developing a disorder [or disease]
predisposition – vulnerability or inclination to respond in a certain way
stressor – stressful life experience or event
classification – process of describing and categorizing [behavior]
DSM-IV-TR - Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, published by the American Psychiatric Association, classification system for psychopathologies, 4th edition, released in 2000
stigma - negative attitudes and beliefs [about psychopathology]
categorical – way of classifying psychopathology, one either has or does not have the disorder
dimensional – way of classifying psychopathology, abnormal behavior exists on continuum, symptoms of disorder are more extreme forms of everyday behavior
comorbidity - co-occurrence of two or more disorders
culture-specific disorders – disorders that have a set of symptoms found only in that particular culture
Epidemiology - study of the frequency and distribution of disorders within specific populations over a specified period of time
prevalence – how common or rare something is in a given population over a given period of time
treatment – providing clients with relief from distress caused by their symptoms
biomedical therapy - attempts to correct the specific biological defects underlying disorders and alleviate symptoms, often using drugs
psychotherapy - process during which a trained clinician interacts with a client to help her/him feel, think, and behave differently
psychotherapeutic approaches – treatments based on the viewpoint of the therapist
evidence-based practice – treatment that incorporates the best available research evidence with clinical expertise and knowledge of the client’s sociocultural background, preferences, and values
eclecticism – not rigidly adhering to a single theoretical perspective, but instead drawing form a variety of techniques for therapy.
treatment effectiveness – outcome indicating that treatment works
spontaneous remission – symptoms improved or returned to a normal level simply with the passage of time
placebo effect – symptoms improved because the person in treatment expected to get better
randomized controlled trials – research method where scientist controls for confounding variables by using a control group and random assignments
double-blind randomized controlled trials – research method where neither the client nor the researcher/therapist is aware of which intervention the client is receiving
meta-analysis - a statistical procedure to combine, or pool, the strength of a particular finding across a number of studies investigating the same or similar topics
therapeutic alliance – bond between therapist and client
describe [behavior]- process of stating what behaviors are occurring and when
explain [behavior]- process of stating how and/or why the behaviors are occurring
predict [behavior]- process of stating what is likely to occur and under what conditions
change [behavior]- process of knowing how to control or alter behavior
fundamental questions – what, when, how, why, what will happen, by what means