Psychological Perspectives

Behavioral

All behavior is learned. These theories explain how behaviors are acquired and maintained through associative learning. Operant conditioning can explain anxiety illness disorder (known previously as hypochondriasis or hypochondria).

Psychodynamic

Based on the Freudian belief that all psychological problems or disorders stem from repressing past trauma, memories, or thoughts in the unconscious mind to avoid anxiety. When these anxiety-producing thoughts try to break through to conscious awareness, they may cause mental distress and maladaptive behavior.

Humanistic

Mental illness stems predominantly from issues involving low self-esteem, a poor self-concept, and the feeling and maladaptive behaviors that result from the inability to be one’s authentic self. The humanist school of psychology believes that each individual has a natural drive toward growth of the authentic self or best version of themselves (aka self-actualizing tendency). WHen this tendency is blocked because of a bad environment, a person may experience stress, which in turn may distort their perception of reality.

Cognitive

Psychological disorders originate from illogical, irrational, or maladaptive thought processes. Key elements include negative thinking patterns; cognitive distortions, such as viewing situations in black-and-white terms or blaming oneself for events outside of their control; and maladaptive beliefs and schemas that shape how individuals interpret their experiences, such as thinking of oneself as being unlovable or incompetent. This model looks at how a person thinks in order to better understand their perspective; to diagnose a disorder, it assesses a person’s perceptions, attitudes, pay attention to their memories, and how they process info.

Evolutionary

Some mental health conditions may have developed as ineffective reactions to environmental challenges or as unintended outcomes of beneficial traits over many generations. It suggests that some psychological disorders were beneficial in ancient settings but are problematic in today’s world.

Sociocultural

Culture exerts a strong influence on the development of unique variations of defined psychological disorders . This perspective emphasizes societal, group, and cultural influences in the individual’s environment.

• Cultural syndromes are categories of similar symptoms and explanations of causes that occur in a culturally specific context and are recognized within the culture.

• Cultural idioms of distress involve expressions of distress that do not necessarily involve specific symptoms or disorders but provide shared ways of experiencing and expressing personal and social concerns within a culture

• Cultural explanations of distress or perceived causes refer to labels, attributions, or explanations that point to culturally agreed-upon meanings for and causes of symptoms, illness, or distress.

Cultural relativism is a concept that explains the intersection between mental disorders and culture. Psychological disorders can only be fully understood within the context of the culture in which they occur. Sociocultural factors include gender, socioeconomic condtions, age, and the values, traditions, and societal expectations that contribute to cultural context.

Biological

Psychological disorders have a biological origin. Some disorders are influenced by genetics, brain damage, dysfunction of the brain’s neurotransmitter and hormonal systems, or a combination of these neurobiological factors. This is the dominant model.

Biopsychosocial Model

Integrated model that combines the biological (medical), psychological, and sociocultural models.