psychologists
psychiatrists
psychiatric nurses
social workers or licensed mental health counselors
clinical psychology
the field concerned with the nature, development, and treatment of psychological disorders
stigma
destructive beliefs and attitudes held by a society that are ascribed to groups considered different in some way
four characteristics of stigma
1) distinguishing label is applied
2) label refers to undesirable attributes
3) people with the label are seen as different
4) people with the label are discriminated against
criteria of psychological disorders (PDs)
three key characteristics of PDs
1) personal distress
2) disability and dysfunction
3) violation of social norms
disability
impairment in an important area (e.g., work, relationships)
dysfunction
developmental, psychological, and/or biological systems are not working as they should; these systems are interrelated and dysfunction in one can influence dysfunction in another system
social norms
widely held standards (beliefs and attitudes) used to make judgements about behaviors
supernatural explanations of PDs
displeasure of the gods or possession by demons; treatment through exorcism
Hippocrates
dark ages
Lunacy Trials
trials held to determine a person’s mental health
asylums
15th century; establishments for the confinement and care of people with PDs
Philippe Pinel
pioneered humane treatment in asylums
Dorothea Dix
crusader for improved conditions for people with PDs; worked to establish 32 new public hospitals
general paresis and syphilis
the link between syphilis and general paresis helped to illustrate how biological causes could contribute to mental symptoms
general paresis
deterioration of mental and physical abilities and progressive paralysis
Galton
originator of genetic research with twins; work led to notion that mental illness can be inherited; led to eugenics movement (promotion of enforced sterilization to eliminate undesirable characteristics)
insulin-coma therapy
injected with overdose of insulin to induce hypoglycemia and coma
electroconvulsive therapy (ECT)
induce epileptic seizures with electric shock