"Abnormal psychology is the branch of psychology that studies unusual patterns of behavior, emotion, and thought, which could possibly be understood as a mental disorder."
Study of behavior or thinking that deviates from what is considered normal or healthy.
Historical Overview: This topic covers the development of abnormal psychology as a field and the changes in attitudes over time towards mental illness.
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM): The DSM is a standardized system for classifying and diagnosing mental disorders. It is important for understanding how different disorders are defined and categorized.
The Biological Basis of Abnormal Behavior: This topic explores the role of genetics, neurotransmitters, hormones, and brain structure and function in abnormal behavior.
The Psychological Basis of Abnormal Behavior: This topic covers various theoretical models of abnormal psychology, including psychoanalytic, behavioral, humanistic, and cognitive approaches.
Cross-Cultural Issues: Cultural factors play an important role in the manifestation and treatment of mental illness. This topic covers how cultural differences impact the diagnosis and treatment of mental disorders.
Anxiety Disorders: Anxiety disorders are the most common form of mental illness. This topic covers the various types of anxiety disorders, including generalized anxiety disorder, panic disorder, phobias, and obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Mood Disorders: Mood disorders involve persistent feelings of sadness or elation. This topic covers the different types of mood disorders, including major depressive disorder, bipolar disorder, and cyclothymic disorder.
Personality Disorders: Personality disorders involve persistent patterns of behavior and thought that are significantly different from cultural norms. This topic covers the different types of personality disorders, including borderline, narcissistic, and antisocial personality disorder.
Schizophrenia: This topic covers the symptoms, causes, and treatments of schizophrenia, a psychotic disorder characterized by a break with reality.
Substance-Related and Addictive Disorders: This topic covers substance abuse and addiction, including the effects of different drugs, the addiction cycle, and various treatment options.
Eating Disorders: This topic covers anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, binge eating disorder, and other eating disorders, including their causes and treatment options.
Sleep Disorders: Sleep disorders include insomnia, sleep apnea, and narcolepsy. This topic covers the causes and treatments of various sleep-related disorders.
Neurodevelopmental Disorders: Neurodevelopmental disorders, such as autism and attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), are characterized by challenges related to brain development. This topic covers the latest research and treatment options for these disorders.
Trauma- and Stressor-Related Disorders: This topic covers disorders related to traumatic experiences, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD), dissociative disorders, and acute stress disorder.
Sexual Disorders: This topic covers sexual dysfunction, paraphilias, gender identity disorders, and other issues related to human sexuality.
Geriatric Psychology: This topic covers issues related to aging, memory loss, dementia, and other age-related mental health challenges.
Forensic Psychology: Forensic psychology is the intersection between psychology and the legal system. This topic covers topics such as criminal profiling, eyewitness testimony, and assessing competency to stand trial.
Ethics in Abnormal Psychology: This topic covers the ethical considerations involved in diagnosing and treating mental illness, including issues related to confidentiality, informed consent, and the use of experimental treatments.
Anxiety Disorders: Disorders marked by intense feelings of worry or fear, including panic attacks, phobias, and obsessive-compulsive disorder.
Mood Disorders: Disorders characterized by extreme fluctuations in mood, including depression, bipolar disorder, and seasonal affective disorder.
Personality Disorders: Disorders marked by unhealthy patterns of thinking, feeling, and behaving that impact relationships and daily functioning, such as narcissistic personality disorder or borderline personality disorder.
Schizophrenia and Psychotic Disorders: Severe mental disorders that cause disturbances in thought, perception, and behavior, such as delusions, hallucinations, and disordered thinking.
Substance-Related Disorders: Disorders related to the abuse or dependence on drugs or alcohol that can cause physical, mental, and emotional harm.
Eating Disorders: Disorders marked by abnormal attitudes and behaviors related to food and body weight, including anorexia nervosa, bulimia nervosa, and binge-eating disorder.
Trauma and Stressor-Related Disorders: Disorders that occur in response to traumatic events, such as post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) or acute stress disorder.
Sleep Disorders: Disorders affecting the quality, timing, and amount of sleep, such as insomnia, sleep apnea, and restless leg syndrome.
Neurodevelopmental Disorders: Disorders affecting brain function and development, including autism spectrum disorder, attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), and intellectual disability.
Sexual and Gender Identity Disorders: Disorders affecting sexual function, attraction, and identity, such as gender dysphoria or sexual dysfunction.
"This branch of psychology typically deals with behavior in a clinical context."
"There is a long history of attempts to understand and control behavior deemed to be aberrant or deviant."
"There is often cultural variation in the approach taken."
"There has traditionally been a divide between psychological and biological explanations."
"There have also been different approaches in trying to classify mental disorders."
"Abnormal includes three different categories; they are subnormal, supernormal, and paranormal."
"The science of abnormal psychology studies two types of behaviors: adaptive and maladaptive behaviors."
"Behaviors that are maladaptive suggest that some problem(s) exist, and can also imply that the individual is vulnerable and cannot cope with environmental stress."
"Behaviors that are adaptive are ones that are well-suited to the nature of people, their lifestyles and surroundings, and to the people that they communicate with, allowing them to understand each other."
"Clinical psychology is the applied field of psychology that seeks to assess, understand, and treat psychological conditions in clinical practice."
"Clinical psychologists in the current field are unlikely to use the term abnormal in reference to their practice."
"Psychopathology is a similar term to abnormal psychology but has more of an implication of an underlying pathology (disease process)."
"Psychopathology is a term more commonly used in the medical specialty known as psychiatry."
"Abnormal psychology typically deals with behavior in a clinical context."
"The field of abnormal psychology identifies multiple causes for different conditions, employing diverse theories from the general field of psychology and elsewhere."
"Much still hinges on what exactly is meant by 'abnormal'."
"There has traditionally been a divide between psychological and biological explanations, reflecting a philosophical dualism in regard to the mind-body problem."
"Abnormal includes three different categories; they are subnormal, supernormal, and paranormal."
"The theoretical field known as abnormal psychology may form a backdrop to such work, but clinical psychologists in the current field are unlikely to use the term abnormal in reference to their practice."