Chapter 2.5

The Sociocultural Model: Family-Social and Multicultural Perspectives

• Philip Berman is a social and cultural being, influenced by family, cultural groups, and institutions.

• The sociocultural model suggests abnormal behavior is best understood in the context of broader societal influences, including:

  • Norms of society and culture.

  • Roles of individuals in social environments.

  • Family structure and cultural backgrounds.

  • Social perceptions and reactions from others.

• Two major perspectives within the sociocultural model:

  • Family-Social Perspective

  • Multicultural Perspective

How Do Family-Social Theorists Explain Abnormal Functioning?

• Focus on broad forces like family relationships, social interactions, and community events.

• Key factors of interest:

  • Social Labels and Roles

    • Labels can greatly influence abnormal functioning (Lagunes-Cordoba et al., 2020).

    • Society may label individuals as "mentally ill" when they deviate from norms, which can lead to acceptance of these roles.

    • Example: David Rosenhan's study; pseudopatients diagnosed with schizophrenia despite behaving normally, highlighting the power of labels.

  • Social Connections and Supports

    • The importance of social environments and relationships in mental health.

    • Deficient social connections are linked to psychological dysfunction (Zhong, Wang, & Nicholas, 2020).

    • Individuals lacking support are more prone to prolonged depression under stress.

  • Family Structure and Communication

    • The family is an important social network; family systems theory views families as interacting systems with unique rules (Keller & Noone, 2020).

    • Abnormal behaviors may arise due to the demands of dysfunctional family structures (e.g., enmeshed or disengaged family systems).

Family-Social Treatments

• The family-social perspective has led to treatment approaches:

  • Group therapy, family therapy, couple therapy, and community treatments.

• Emphasis on treating psychological problems within family and social contexts.

• MindTech: Mobile technologies such as mental health apps and wearable devices open new avenues for real-time interventions.

  • Just-in-Time Adaptive Interventions (JITAI) leverage tech for timely support but face criticisms on disrupting human elements in therapy.

Group Therapy

• Involves a therapist working with a group of clients with similar problems.

• Benefits include gaining insights, building social skills, and enhancing self-worth (Brabender, 2020).

• Support groups offer mutual aid without professional leadership,

  • Millions of global support groups exist to aid individuals facing similar challenges.

Family Therapy

• Family therapy targets the family unit; addressing dysfunctional family interactions (Kaslow et al., Mirsalimi, & Celano, 2020).

  • Focus on implicit rules and power dynamics among family members.

• Over 65% of individuals treated via family therapy may experience improvements, although efficacy varies.

Couple Therapy

• Can involve married or cohabitating couples, focusing on relationship patterns (Lebow & Kelly, 2020).

• Conflict management is central; different modalities apply, including cognitive-behavioral approaches.

• Improvement rates noted, yet some couples still struggle to achieve ideal relationship status post-therapy.

Community Treatment

• Aims to provide treatment in familiar environments, crucial for severe disorders.

• Community-based programs emphasize prevention and early intervention, categorized into three types:

  • Primary Prevention: Aims to improve attitudes and policies.

  • Secondary Prevention: Identifying and addressing issues early.

  • Tertiary Prevention: Treating established disorders to prevent them from becoming long-term problems.

How Do Multicultural Theorists Explain Abnormal Functioning?

• Culture affects behavior, shaping individual experiences through shared values (Parekh & Trinh, 2020).

• Multicultural theorists advocate examining dysfunction within cultural contexts, highlighting minorities facing unique pressures.

• Issues of intersectionality are explored, analyzing how social identities influence functioning (e.g., poverty contributes to higher abnormality rates).

  • Prejudice and discrimination are noted factors affecting mental health in minority groups, leading to elevated distress and dysfunction.

Multicultural Treatments

• Ethnic and racial minority group members often show less clinical improvement and face barriers in accessing treatment.

• Effective treatments are culturally sensitive, incorporating cultural values and addressing societal pressures.

  • Example elements: Training involving cultural factors, understanding biases, and fostering bicultural identities.

Conclusion

• Both family-social and multicultural perspectives contribute significant insights into abnormal psychology.

• Increasing recognition of family, cultural, and societal issues in treatment sets these models apart from traditional approaches, although challenges persist in isolating specific causal relationships in dysfunction.