symptoms of mental disorders

Abnormal Behavior

Psychopathology

Study of symptoms and causes of mental disorders

Objectives: describing, explaining, predicting, and modifying behaviors associated with mental disorders

People who work in the field strive to alleviate distress and life disruption of those with mental disorders

The Field of Abnormal Psychology

Mental health professionals

Health care practitioners

Assists in the diagnosis of a patient’s mental health

Psychodiagnosis

Attempts to describe, assess, and understand the situation

Treatment plan

Proposes a course of therapy

Focuses first on most distressing symptoms

Describing Behavior

Determine etiology (possible causes)

High priority for mental health professionals

Human behavior is complex

Multiple contributing factors

Explaining Behavior

Various risk factors for violent behavior

Civil commitment (involuntary confinement)

Extreme decision impacting an individual’s civil liberties

Predicting Behavior

Psychotherapy

Program of systematic intervention

Objective: improve a person’s behavioral, emotional, or cognitive state

Many types of therapies and professional helpers

Modifying Behavior

Group therapy is one type of evidence-based therapy described in Chapter 1.