In this video I provide information on diagnosis of mental illness using the DSM-5, including the use of minimum symptoms, unspecified disorders, and substance or medication induced disorders. I also provide a caveat regarding “medical student’s disease” and the importance … Read More
Culture & Mental Illness
In this video I discuss the relationship between culture and mental illness and how culture may influence the prevalence, expression, or understanding of psychological disorders. While the DSM-IV described “culture-bound syndromes” such as koro (penile retraction syndrome), the DSM-5 has … Read More
The Diathesis-Stress Model
In this video I describe the diathesis-stress model. This model suggests that development of mental illness can be explained by two main factors – a genetic predisposition (diathesis) and environment (stress). Individuals vary for both of these factors and these … Read More
On Being Sane in Insane Places – The Rosenhan Study
In this video I discuss David Rosenhan’s well-known study in which pseudo-patients went for psychiatric consultations and described a single symptom of hearing voices. I discuss how this study raised questions about recognition and diagnosis of mental illness, interpretations of … Read More
Deviance, Dysfunction, Distress, & Disorders
In this video I describe characteristics that are important for determining whether traits or behaviors represent potential symptoms of a disorder. These mostly focus on deviance, dysfunction, and distress, though danger and duration also play a role in identifying symptoms. … Read More