Abnormal Psychology
Primary Prevention - lower the incidence of new cases of behavioural disorders
Secondary Prevention - shorten the duration of mental disorders and to reduce their impact.
Tertiary Prevention - facilitate the readjustment of the person to community life after hospital
treatment.
African disorders
1. Umkhuhlane (natural factors)
2. Ukufa kwabantu (supernatural factors).
Umnyama/senyama illness because of contact with places/ people associated with the major life
events (birth, death, miscarriage, abortion and menstruation)
Ngubane An expectant mother is not allowed to walk around contaminated environments.
Mother and infant must be protected from polluted environments, by keeping
them indoors for a period of at least a month
Sejeso An enemy has poisoned one and causes intense anxiety. Growth or pain in the
stomach.
Moriti wa letswele female condition, characterised by a psychogenic pain which usually occurs under
(breast) the left breast.
Malombo/ malopo Patient complaining of being physically unwell,
(spirit possession) Progresses until the patient falls down and lies flat –in a state of trance
Ukuthwasa: Somatic symptoms stomach ache, nervousness, back ache, pain in the
a positive "calling" by wrists, conversion reactions, hiccups, flatulence, numbness or pains which
the ancestors to restrict movement.
become a traditional Behaviour symptoms withdrawn and irritable when spoken to, restless, violent,
healer abusive and aggressive, aimless wandering, and disappear for days at a time,
neglect their personal hygiene, eat poorly, often look and become really
physically ill, hear voices talking to them, excessive dreaming
Western interpretation: Schizophrenia.
Amafufunyane Western interpretation: Psychosis, an Anxiety-based Disorder, Depressive or
spirit possession Bipolar Disorder to Conduct Disorder.
primarily due to Symptoms somatoform reactions (abdominal swelling), hysteria, suicidal
witchcraft or sorcery tendencies, violent outbursts, listlessness, delusions, auditory hallucinations
(hearing threatening voices coming from the person’s stomach), fearfulness,
disorientation, aggressive and destructive behaviour, tactile hallucinations
(strange moving sensations in the stomach) and physical pressure on the head,
disorganised speech, word salad and speaks in a strange and muffled voice.
Boloi or ubuthakathi use of supernatural power to harm or kill someone
Sefifi/senyama A widow is regarded as contagious. Bad luck due her husband’s death. The bad
luck can be cured if the widow and the youngest child in the family are cleansed
by bathing with a herb concoction. A person who is menstruating or who had sex
that day is also regarded as having “sefifi
Go roula A widow has to wear black clothes for 12 months to show that she is mourning for
her husband. If this practice is not properly followed, it can cause illness
Makgome Widows are supposed to abstain from sexual activities for a period of one year. If
this practice is ignored, they can cause serious illness to themselves and to anyone
who had sexual contact with them
Go tlola/ Ukudlula When a widow fails to abstain from sex during the mourning period, this can
cause compulsion neurosis (the uncontrollable impulse to perform stereotyped
irrational acts)
Go latlha Failure to perform the traditional practices. This might anger the ancestors who
maseko/setso/ will cause ill-health or other types of problems
,ukulatlha amasikoin
Ba fase ba re The ancestors have turned their backs against the person. This usually happens
furaletse/ba fase ba when people experience problems either with relationships, work, finance, health,
re lahlile or
abaphansi ba si
fulathele (IsiZulu
Tokolosi or Witchcraft through an animal-like witch
tokoloshe
Letswalo (Sesotho) A disorder attributed to stepping on a concoction of herbs of sorcery. This can
or uvalo (IsiZulu) cause pain and swollen feet
Go gatiswa/sefola
(Sesotho) or umeqo
(IsiZulu)
, Paranoid Personality Disorder
Distrust and suspiciousness of others:
(1) Suspects, others are
exploiting, harming, or deceiving
(2) Preoccupation with the loyalty
or trustworthiness of others
(3) Reluctance to confide in others
(4) Reads hidden, demeaning or
threatening meanings
(5) Persistently bears grudges,
(6) Perceives attacks on his or her
character or reputation
(7) Suspicions, regarding the
fidelity of spouse.
Schizoid Personality Disorder
Detachment from social
relationships
(1) Neither desires nor enjoys close
relationships
(2) Chooses solitary activities
6.1 STUDY UNIT:
(3) Little, if any, interest in having
sexual experiences
(4) Takes pleasure in few, if any, Schizotypal Personality Disorder
activities.
(5) Lacks close friends or Discomfort with, and reduced capacity for, close relationships as
confidants well as by cognitive or perceptual distortions and eccentricities
(5) Indifferent to praise or criticism of behaviour:
(6) Emotional coldness, (1) Ideas of reference
detachment, or flattened affectivity (2) Odd beliefs or magical thinking (e.g., belief in
clairvoyance)
(3) Unusual perceptual experiences, including bodily illusions
(4) Odd thinking and speech (e.g., vague, circumstantial,
metaphorical, overelaborate, or stereotyped)
(5) Suspiciousness or paranoid ideation
(6) Inappropriate or constricted affect
(7) Behaviour or appearance that is odd
(8) Lack of close friends or confidants
(9) Excessive social anxiety that does not diminish with
familiarity, associated with paranoid fears rather than
negative judgments about self
, Borderline Personality Disorder
Instability of interpersonal
relationships, self-image, and
affects, and marked impulsivity:
(1) Frantic efforts to avoid real or
imagined abandonment.
(2) A pattern of unstable and
intense interpersonal relationships
characterised by alternating
between extremes of idealisation
and devaluation
(3) Identity disturbance: unstable
self-image or sense of self
(4) Impulsivity in at least two areas
that are potentially self-damaging
(e.g. spending, sex, substance
abuse, reckless driving, binge
eating)
(5) Recurrent suicidal behaviour,
gestures, or threats, or self-
mutilating behaviour
(6) Affective instability due to a
marked reactivity of mood (e.g.
intense episodic dysphoria,
irritability, or anxiety)
(7) Chronic feelings of emptiness
(8) Inappropriate, intense anger or
difficulty controlling anger
Histrionic Personality Disorder (9) Psychotic symptoms
Excessive emotionality and
attention seeking: Narcissistic Personality Disorder
(1) Uncomfortable in situations in Grandiosity, need for admiration, and lack empathy:
which he or she is not the centre of (1) Grandiose sense of self-importance
attention (2) Preoccupied with fantasies of unlimited success, power, brilliance,
(2) Interaction with others is often beauty, or ideal love
characterised by inappropriate (3) Believes that he or she is "special" and unique and can only be
sexually seductive or provocative understood by, or should associate with, other special or high-status
behaviour people
(3) Rapidly shifting and shallow (4) Requires excessive admiration
expression of emotions (5) Has a sense of entitlement,
(4) Uses physical appearance to (6) Is interpersonally exploitative, (i.e. takes advantage of others)
draw attention (7) Lacks empathy
(5) Style of speech that is (8) Envious of others or believes that others are envious of him or her
excessively impressionistic and Shows arrogant, haughty behaviours or attitudes
lacking in detail
(6) Self-dramatization, theatricality,
and exaggerated expression of Antisocial Personality Disorder
emotion Disregard for and violation of the rights of others
(7) Is suggestible (1) Failure to conform to social norms and lawful
(8) Considers relationships to be (2) Deceitfulness, as indicated by repeated lying, use of aliases, or conning
more intimate than they actually are others for personal profit or pleasure
(3) Impulsivity
(4) Irritability and aggressiveness, as indicated by repeated physical fights or
assaults
(5) Reckless disregard for the safety of self or others
(6) Consistent irresponsibility, as indicated by repeated failure to sustain
consistent work behaviour or honour financial obligations
(7) Lack of remorse, as indicated by being indifferent to or rationalising having
hurt, mistreated, or stolen from another
At least age 18 years.
Evidence of Conduct Disorder before age 15 years.
