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Aetiology The study of the causation of mental disorders.
Clinical Picture The constellation of visible signs / symptoms associated with a particular
mental disorder, the interpretation of which leads to a specific diagnosis.
Comorbidity A mental disorder existing simultaneously, but independently, with another
mental disorder in the same individual.
Dangerousness The extent to which an individual with a mental disorder is likely to cause harm
to self or others.
Delusions A false belief that is held strongly by an individual, even though they are
presented with evidence to the contrary.
Deviance The extent to which an individual’s behaviour and attitudes differ from norms
or accepted social standards.
Diagnosis The determination of the nature of a case of a mental disorder, or the
distinguishing of one mental disorder from another – based on identifying signs
and symptoms of mental disorders.
Differential Diagnosis The determination of which disorder may be producing the symptoms of a mental
disorder.
Distress The level of anxiety, sorrow or pain an individual subjectively experiences due to
a mental disorder.
Epidemiology The study of patterns, causes and effects of diseases or disorders in specific
populations.
Hallucinations A false, often vivid perception in the absence of external stimuli that appears to
the individual to be real, and to be in the outside world.
It can occur in any sensory modality.
Malingering Pretending to suffer from a physical or psychological illness, or exaggerating
symptoms, to avoid unwelcome duties such as work or military service, or to
gain benefits such as financial compensation.
Prognosis The prediction of the probable cause and outcome of a disorder for an individual.
Psychosis Symptoms and abnormal behaviour in which an individual has lost contact with
reality and shows a profound deterioration in the ability to perform daily
activities.
Symptoms Subjective complaints of the individuals.
Signs Physical changes observed in the individual presenting for treatment.
Syndrome Common patterns of symptoms over time.
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o Abnormality
→ Characterised by an individual displaying behaviour that is rare and unusual.
→ Behaviour that is unhelpful / maladaptive to situations or context.
→ Suggests impairment of individual’s daily functioning.
o Emil Kraeplin:
→ defined mental illness as being rooted in biological or disease / medical model.
→ Founder of modern scientific psychiatry.
o Medical model of mental disorders:
→ Identify + classify symptoms of mental disorders like any other disease.
→ Use diagnostic models to:
Identify
Describe
Classify
Inform treatment
→ Most commonly used models:
The International Classification of Diseases – tenth edition
• ICD-10
• BY World Health Organization
The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders – fifth edition
• DSM-5
• By the American Psychiatric Association (APA)
Criteria of Abnormal Behaviour:
- Is it deviant? / does it violate social norms?
- Is it dysfunctional? -> does it impair everyday behaviour?
- Does it cause personal distress?
o Classification system based on observable behaviour, and not the presumed aetiology of mental
disorders.
o Provides common language of categories - communicate key features and symptoms of mental
disorders that individuals may present.
o Each category = collection of related disorders
o Each disorder has diagnostic criteria.
o Diagnostic criteria = Key features of a disorder that identify symptoms, behaviours, cognitive
functions, personality traits, psychical signs, and the duration of the key features of the disorder.
Tabled Categories in the DSM-5
• Neurodevelopmental disorders • Sleep-wake disorders
• Schizophrenia spectrum + other psychotic • Sexual dysfunction
disorders • Gender dysphoria
• Bipolar and related disorders • Disruptive, impulse-control and addictive
• Depressive disorders disorders.
• Anxiety disorders • Substance-related and addictive disorders
• Obsessive compulsive + related disorders • Neurocognitive disorders
• Trauma- and stressor-related disorders • Personality disorders
• Dissociative disorders • Paraphilic disorders
• Somatic symptom and related disorders • Other mental disorders
• Feeding and eating disorders • Medication-induced movement disorders and
• Elimination disorders other adverse effects of medication.
Conceptional framework to understand abnormal behaviour:
1. The medical model of abnormal behaviour
2. The criteria of abnormal behaviour
3. The classification of psychological disorders
4. The prevalence of psychological disorders
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