Week 1 DSM and Abnormality

1. Discuss and answer these questions.
Write down your answers and be prepared to
feedback to the class.
1. What do we mean by culture?
2. How could culture affect diagnosis of
‘abnormal’ behaviour?
3. What would you suggest is the ‘best’ way
to measure abnormality?
Stop being WEIRD!

2. Lesson Objectives
By the end of the lesson you …
• Must be able to describe (Ao1) two methods
to define abnormal behaviour.
• Must be able to describe (Ao1) the use of the
DSM to diagnose abnormality.
• Should be able to evaluate (Ao2) the two
methods of definition and the use of the DSM.

4. Page 12-17

6. Abnormal
behaviour is not
defined by a
behaviour [?]
- context - frequency

7. Statistical Definition

9. Make summary notes on
the two definitions of
abnormality and the
strengths and weaknesses
of each. [10 mins]

13. Psychotic disorders
• A group of disorders with
psychotic symptoms, ie
the person loses touch
with reality as in
hallucinations or
delusions
• Schizophrenia is the most
common, where the
person has disturbances
in thought and
perception, and bizarre
behaviour

14. Anxiety Disorders
• Several disorders where
the main symptom is
anxiety, this could be
particular irrational
fears such as in
phobias, or general
anxiety.
• Also cover panic
attacks, where the
person suddenly is
overwhelmed by
intense anxiety

15. Mood disorders
• Disturbances of normal
mood ranging from
extreme depression to
abnormal elation
(‘mania’)
• The condition can be
unipolar (depression) or
bi-polar (alternating
between periods of
depression and mania)

16. Somatoform disorders
• Somatoform disorders
are problems that seem
to be medical but are
actually psychological.
• This could be pain or
paralysis
• For example, a mother
who loses the use of
her right arm when her
son joins the army
• Also included in this
category is
hypochondriasis – the
erroneous belief that
one has a fatal disease!

17. Impulse control disorders
• This is when the
individual is unable to
resist an impulse or
temptation, eg
kleptomania involving
compulsive stealing for
no personal gain, or
• Trichotillomania, the
habitual pulling out of
one’s hair for pleasure
or tension relief

18. Personality disorders
• The person has some
permanent personality
characteristics which
often deviate from
social norms and can
cause distress to
others, for example, a
psychopath may
display superficial
charm and
pathological lying
• Psychopaths feel
no guilt for wrong
actions.
• They may commit
sexual assaults or
violent crimes for
which they feel no
remorse.
Another
personality
disorder is OCD.

19. Dissociative disorders
• Dissociative disorders
cause losses or changes
in memory and identity.
• Included in this
category are multiple
personality and
amnesia (memory loss)
• The cause could be a
traumatic experience

20. Factitious disorders
• This is when a person
produces physical or
psychological symptoms
in order to assume a
‘sick role’ or gain
financial benefits or
reduced
responsibility, because
they are ‘ill’.

21. Eating disorders
• The most common are
Anorexia nervosa and
Bulimia nervosa.
• The person has severe
disturbances in eating
behaviour
• False beliefs about body
shape and image
• The reason could be
biological, social, or
psychological.

22. Axis I: Clinical disorders, including major mental
disorders, and learning disorders
Axis II: Personality disorders and mental retardation
(although developmental disorders, such as
Autism, were coded on Axis II in the previous
edition, these disorders are now included on Axis I)
Axis III: Acute medical conditions and physical disorders
Axis IV: Psychosocial and environmental factors
contributing to the disorder (PALS)
Axis V: Global Assessment of Functioning or Children's
Global Assessment Scale for children and teens under
the age of 18

24. Describe the use of the
DSM and the strengths and
weaknesses of each.
[10 mins]

25. • Must be able to describe (Ao1) two methods
to define abnormal behaviour.
• Must be able to describe (Ao1) the use of the
DSM to diagnose abnormality.
• Should be able to evaluate (Ao2) the two
methods of definition and the use of the DSM.

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