Psychological Disorders
Psychological disorders are
• Deviant – different, extreme, unusual
• Distressing – unpleasant or upsetting to the person and to others
• Dysfunctional – interfering with the person’s ability to carry out daily activities in a constructive way
• Dangerous (possibly) – to the person or others Various approaches have been used to distinguish between normal and abnormal behaviours.
• Supernatural or Magical forces Approach – Exorcism (removing the evil that resides in the individual through countermagic and prayer) is still commonly used.
• Biological or Organic Approach – In this approach, individuals behave strangely because their bodies and their brains are not functioning properly. In the modern era, there is evidence that body and brain processes have been linked to many
types of maladaptive behavior.
• Psychological Approach – In this approach, psychological problems are caused by inadequacies in the way an individual thinks, feels or perceives the world.
Historical background of psychological disorder approaches:
• In ancient Greece, philosopher-physicians like Hippocrates, Socrates and Plate developed the organismic approach and viewed disturbed behavior as a consequence of conflicts between emotion and reason.
• Galen elaborated on the role of the four humours in personal character and temperament. According to this, the material world was made up of four elements – earth, fire, air and water which combined to form four essential body fluids – blood, black bile, yellow bile and phlegm. Each of these was responsible for a different temperament, and imbalances in these humours were believed to cause psychological disorders.
• In the Middle Ages, Demonology related to a belief that people with mental problems were evil and there are numerous instances of witch hunts during this period. During the Middle Ages, the Christian spirit of charity prevailed and St. Augustine wrote extensively about feelings, mental anguish and conflict, which laid the groundwork for modern psychodynamic theories of abnormal behavior.
• The Renaissance Period was marked by increased humanism and curiosity about behavior. Johann Weyer emphasized psychological conflict and disturbed interpersonal relationships as causes of psychological disorders.
• The Age of Reason and Enlightenment (17th and 18th centuries) was when scientific method replaced faith and dogma as a way of understanding abnormal behavior. The growth of a scientific attitude towards psychological disorders in the 18th century contributed to the Reform Movement and to increased compassion for people who suffered from these disorders. One aspect of this movement was the new inclination for deinstitutionalization which placed emphasis on providing community care for mentally diseased individuals.Classification of psychological disorders consists of a list of categories of specific psychological disorders grouped into various classes on the basis of shared characteristics.
The American Psychiatric Association has published an official manual of psychological disorders. The current version of it, Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, evaluates the patient on five dimensions rather than on one broad aspect of mental disorder.
The Classification of Mental and Behavioural Disorders is used in India and around the world and has been prepared by the WHO.Psychological Models maintain that psychological and interpersonal factors have a significant role to play in abnormal behavior.
• Psychodynamic model – It follows the view that behavior, whether normal or abnormal, is determined by psychological forces within the person of which s/he is not consciously aware. These internal forces are considered dynamic (they interact with each other and their interaction gives shape to behavior, thoughts
and emotions) and abnormal behavior is viewed as the results of conflicts between these forces.
• Behavioural model – This model states that both normal and abnormal behaviours are learned and psychological disorders are the result of learning maladaptive ways of behaving. The model concentrates on behaviours that are
learned through conditioning, and proposes that what can be learned can be unlearned.
• Cognitive model – This model states that abnormal functioning can result from cognitive problems. People hold assumptions about themselves that are irrational, and think in illogical ways and make overgeneralisations.
• Humanistic-Existential model – It focuses on the broader aspects of human existence. Existentialists believe that from birth we have total freedom to give meaning to our existence or to avoid that responsibility. Those who shirk from this responsibility would live empty, inauthentic and dysfunctional lives.
• Socio-Cultural model – In this model, abnormal behavior is best understood in light of the social and cultural forces that influence an individual. As behavior is shaped by societal forces, factors such as family structure and communication, social networks, societal conditions and societal labels and roles become more important. Socio-cultural theorists believe that abnormal functioning is influenced by societal labels and roles assigned to troubled people.
• Diathesis-Stress model- This model states that psychological disorders develop when a diathesis (biological predisposition to the disorder) is set off by a stressful situation. This model has three components.
1. The diathesis or presence of some biological aberration which may be inherited
2. The diathesis may carry a vulnerability to develop a psychological disorder
3. The presence of pathogenic stressors (factors that may lead to psychopathology)
If such ‘at risk’ persons are exposed to these stressors, their predisposition may actually evolve into a disorder.Anxiety is usually defined as a diffuse, vague and very unpleasant feeling of fear and apprehension. There are various types of anxiety disorders.
• Generalised Anxiety Disorder – Prolonged, vague, unexplained and intense fears that are not attached to any particular object. It is marked by motor tension, as a result of which the person is unable to relax, and is visibly shaky or tense.
• Panic Disorder – Recurrent anxiety attacks in which the person experiences intense terror. A panic attack denotes an abrupt surge of intense anxiety rising to a peak when thoughts of a particular stimuli are present.
• Phobias – Irrational fears related to specific objects, people or situations. Phobias often develop gradually or begin with a generalized anxiety disorder. Phobias can be grouped into three main types.
1. Specific phobias are irrational fears of a particular stimuli, and are the most common type of phobia.
2. Social phobias include intense and incapacitating fear and embarrassment when dealing with others.
3. Agoraphobia is a term used when people develop a fear of entering unfamiliar situations.
• Obsessive Compulsive Disorder – Inability to control a preoccupation with specific ideas or inability to prevent carrying out a particular act or series of acts that affect their ability to carry out normal activities. Obsessive behavior is the inability to stop thinking about a particular idea or topic. The person involved often finds these thoughts to be unpleasant and shameful. Compulsive behavior is the need to perform certain behaviours again and again.
• Post Traumatic Stress Disorder – Symptoms vary widely but many include recurrent dreams, flashbacks, impaired concentration and emotional numbing.
Please click on below link to download CBSE Class 12 Psychology Psychological Disorders Worksheet Set C
