Question

1. Choose TWO classifications of Psychological Disorders, e.g. Mood Disorders, Schizophrenia, to discuss the biological theories of abnormal behavior including neurotransmitter/hormonal imbalances, genetic vulnerabilities, temperament, and physical damage to brain structures and how they might be a causal factor in the development of the disorder. INCLUDE research evidence and examples from relevant case studies to support your answer.

Answer 1

The two classifications of psychological disorders are ICD - 10 and DSM - 5. The ICD - 10 consists of ten main groups for metal disorder such as

• Mental and behavioural disorders due to use of psychoactive substances
• Schizophrenia, schizotypal and delusional disorders
• Mood disorders
• Neurotic, stress-related and somatoform disorders
• Behavioural syndromes associated with physiological disturbances and physical factors
• Disorders of personality and behaviour in adult persons
• Mental retardation
• Disorders of psychological development
• Behavioural and emotional disorders with onset usually occurring in childhood and adolescence
• Unspecified mental disorder

The DSM-5 has classified psychological disorder into 5 different groups as

Clinical Disorders

Personality Disorders and Mental Retardation

General Medical Conditions

Global Assessment of Functioning

Case study for Paranoid Schizophrenia is provided below.

Person X is a 22 year-old business major at a large university. Over the past few weeks his family and friends have noticed increasingly bizarre behaviors. On many occasions they’ve overheard him whispering in an agitated voice, even though there is no one nearby. Lately, he has refused to answer or make calls on his cell phone, claiming that if he does it will activate a deadly chip that was implanted in his brain by evil aliens.

His parents have tried to get him to go with them to a psychiatrist for an evaluation, but he refuses. He has accused them on several occasions of conspiring with the aliens to have him killed so they can remove his brain and put it inside one of their own. He has stopped attended classes altogether. He is now so far behind in his coursework that he will fail if something doesn’t change very soon.

Although the person occasionally has a few beers with his friends, he’s never been known to abuse alcohol or use drugs. He does, however, have an estranged aunt who has been in and out of psychiatric hospitals over the years due to erratic and bizarre behavior.