Mental Disorders

Article No. 39
01/February/2020

Abnormality/Disorder/Illness is not just diagnosed using scientific methodology alone, rather it has majorly influenced by moral to ethical to philosophical realm. Mental Disorder is a behavioral or mental pattern that causes significant distress or impairment of personal functioning. A mental disorder is one aspect of mental health. Cultural and religious beliefs, as well as social norms, should be taken into account when making a diagnosis. Common mental disorders include depression, which affects about 300 million, bipolar disorder, which affects about 60 million, dementia, which affects about 50 million, and schizophrenia and other psychoses, which affects about 23 million people globally.

Abnormal psychology is the branch of psychology that studies unusual patterns of behavior, emotion and thought, which may or may not be understood as precipitating a mental disorder. Abnormal psychology is a branch of psychology that deals with psychopathology and abnormal behavior, often in a clinical context. The term covers a broad range of disorders, from depression to obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD) to personality disorders. Counselors, clinical psychologists, and psychotherapists often work directly in this field. Psychopathology is a similar term to abnormal psychology but has more of an implication of an underlying pathology (disease process), and as such is a term more commonly used in the medical specialty known as psychiatry.

Categories of psychological disorders include:

Ø  Substance use disorders

Ø  Mood disorders, such as depression and bipolar disorder

Ø  Anxiety disorders, such as social anxiety disorder, panic disorder, and generalized anxiety disorder

Ø  Neurodevelopmental disorders, such as an intellectual disability or autism spectrum disorder

Ø  Neurocognitive disorders like delirium

Ø  Personality disorders, such as borderline personality disorder, avoidant personality disorder, and obsessive-compulsive personality disorder

Ø  Psychotic disorders, having psychotic symptoms like Hallucinations and Delusion

ClassificationDSM-5

The standard abnormal psychology and psychiatry reference book in North America is the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of the American Psychiatric Association. The current version of the book is known as DSM-5. It lists a set of disorders and provides detailed descriptions on what constitutes a disorder such as major depressive disorder or anxiety disorder. It also gives general descriptions of how frequently the disorder occurs in the general population, whether it is more common in males or females and other such facts.

The DSM-5 identifies three key elements that must be present to constitute a mental disorder. These elements include:

·         Symptoms that involve disturbances in behavior, thoughts, or emotions.

·         Symptoms associated with personal distress or impairment.

·         Symptoms that stem from internal dysfunctions (i.e. specifically having biological and/or psychological roots).

The diagnostic process uses five dimensions, each of which is identified as an "axis", to ascertain symptoms and overall functioning of the individual. It is important to note that the DSM-5 no longer uses this axis system. These axes are as follows:

·         Axis I – Clinical disorders.

·         Axis II – Personality Disorders.

·         Axis III – General medical conditions and "Physical disorders".

·         Axis IV – Psychosocial/environmental problem.

·         Axis V – Global assessment of functioning (often referred to as GAF) or "Children's Global Assessment Scale".

ICD-10

The major international nosologic system for the classification of mental disorders can be found in the most recent version of the International Classification of Diseases, 10th revision (ICD-10). The ICD-10 has been used by World Health Organization (WHO) Member States since 1994. Chapter five covers some 300 mental and behavioral disorders. The ICD-10's chapter five has been influenced by APA's DSM-IV and there is a great deal of concordance between the two. WHO maintains free access to the ICD-10 Online. Below are the main categories of disorders:

·         F00–F09 Organic, including symptomatic, mental disorders

·         F10–F19 Mental and behavioral disorders due to psychoactive substance use

·         F20–F29 Schizophrenia, schizotypal and delusional disorders

·         F30–F39 Mood [affective] disorders

·         F40–F48 Neurotic, stress-related and somatoform disorders

·         F50–F59 Behavioral syndromes associated with physiological disturbances and physical factors

·         F60–F69 Disorders of adult personality and behavior

·         F70–F79 Mental retardation

·         F80–F89 Disorders of psychological development

·         F90–F98 Behavioral and emotional disorders with onset usually occurring in childhood and adolescence

·         F99 Unspecified mental disorder

Perspectives

There are a number of different perspectives used in abnormal psychology. While some psychologists or psychiatrists may focus on a single viewpoint, many mental health professionals use elements from multiple areas in order to better understand and treat psychological disorders. These perspectives include:

^·          The psychoanalytic approach: This perspective has its roots in the theories of Sigmund Freud.

Bargh JA, Morsella E. The Unconscious Mind. The psychoanalytic approach suggests that many abnormal behaviors stem from unconscious thoughts, desires, and memories. While these feelings are outside of awareness, they are still believed to influence conscious actions. Therapists who take this approach believe that by analyzing memories, behaviors, thoughts, and even dreams, people can uncover and deal with some of the feelings that have been leading to maladaptive behaviors and distress.

·         The behavioral approach: This approach to abnormal psychology focuses on observable behaviors. In behavioral therapy, the focus is on reinforcing positive behaviors and not reinforcing maladaptive behaviors. The behavioral approach targets only the behavior itself, not the underlying causes. When dealing with abnormal behavior, a behavioral therapist might utilize strategies such as classical conditioning and operant conditioning to help eliminate unwanted behaviors and teach new behaviors.

·         The medical approach: This approach to abnormal psychology focuses on the biological causes of mental illness, emphasizing understanding the underlying cause of disorders, which might include genetic inheritance, related physical illnesses, infections, and chemical imbalances. Medical treatments are often pharmacological in nature, although medication is often used in conjunction with some type of psychotherapy.

·         The cognitive approach: The cognitive approach to abnormal psychology focuses on how internal thoughts, perceptions, and reasoning contribute to psychological disorders. Cognitive treatments typically focus on helping the individual change his or her thoughts or reactions. Cognitive therapy might also be used in conjunction with behavioral methods in a technique known as cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT).

Interventions

Services are based in psychiatric hospitals or in the community, and assessments are carried out by mental health professionals such as psychiatrists, psychologists, and clinical social workers, using various methods such as psychometric tests but often relying on observation and questioning. Treatments are provided by various mental health professionals. Psychotherapy and psychiatric medication are two major treatment options. Other treatments include lifestyle changes, social interventions, peer support, and self-help. In a minority of cases, there might be involuntary detention or treatment. Prevention programs have been shown to reduce depression.

By,

Nithin A F

Doing Post Graduation in Psychology

Thiruvanathapuram, Kerala.

Email : nithinaf@gmail.com

www.NithinAF.blogspot.com

01/February/2020