Ch. 14 Topics

1. The DSM IV.
       The DSM is the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. It is a standard in psychology and psychiatry that categorizes mental disorders systematically. In the IV version, disorders are assessed using five axes: clinical disorders, mental retardation or personal disorders, medical conditions, psychosocial problems, and global assessment of functioning. By considering all five axes, a person can better picture a patient's specific symptoms and conditions. The DSM was developed by Emil Kraepelin.
2. The MMPI.
       The MMPI is the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory. The MMPI is a psychological assessment that uses 567 true/false questions to assess emotions, thoughts, and behaviors, and uses ten clinical scales to indicate if someone has a specific mental disorder. The test also includes validity scales to weed out patients who might bias their responses to either avoid detection or look especially troubled.
4. Concordance rates.
       Concordance rates are the chance that two similar trials have the same result. Typically it deals with studies involving fraternal and identical twins. Concordance rates are higher concerning identical twins; usually around four times higher.
5. Antisocial personality disorder.
       Antisocial personality disorder or APD is a personality disorder marked by the lack of empathy and remorse. Typical behavior of someone with APD is socially undesirable and feeling a lack of remorse for their behavior. This mental disorder is common amongst criminals.
6. Anorexia nervosa.
       People with anorexia nervosa have an excessive fear of becoming fat. It is ten times more common in women than men. It is most common in upper-middle and upper-class white females. People with this disorder will become obsessed with food and body weight and may even force themselves to vomit after eating to satisfy hunger.