Social Sciences

Wk 3

Psychological Disorders

Clinically significant disturbances in thought, emotion or behavior.

Can cause distress, dysfunction, or impairment in daily life.

Studied under psychopathology, which examines symptoms, causes and treatments.

Importance of Studying Psychological Disorders

Reduces stigma and misconceptions.

Improves treatment and awareness

Helps professionals better understand mental health challenges.

Defining Psychological Disorders

Disorders must meet criteria such as atypicality, dysfunction, distress, and danger.

Being different or unusual does not always indicate a disorder.

Culture and context impact what is considered “normal” behavior.

APA’s definition of psychological disorders

• significant disturbances in thought, emotions and or behaviors.

• linked to dysfunction in biological, psychological, or development processes.

• causes distress and impairment in social, work, or personal areas.

The Harmful Dysfunction Model

Introduced by Wakefield (1992) to define disorders.

Psychological disorders involve malfunction mental processes.

Must cause harmful consequences to be considered a disorder.

Stigmatization of Psychological Disorders

Misconceptions: Mental illness is often misunderstood as a weakness

Media stereotypes portray mentally ill individuals as dangerous.

Many people avoid seeking treatment due to stigma

Overcoming Stigma

Education and awareness change perceptions.

Open conversations about mental health encourage support.

Mental health advocacy helps improve policies and services.

Why Classification is Important

Helps diagnose and treat disorders effectively.

Provides a common language for healthcare professionals.

Allows for research and treatment standardization.

THE DSM- 5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders

Published by the American Psychiatric Association (APA)

List and defines mental health disorders and criteria.

Current version: DSM-5 (2013) regularly updated based on research.

The ICD (International Classification of Diseases)

Published by the World Health Organization (WHO)

Used worldwide for diagnosing both mental and physical health disorders.

More commonly used in global healthcare settings than the DSM-5