Normal vs. Abnormal Behavior

Normal vs. Abnormal Behavior

• Judgments of abnormality are relative, but psychological disorders are real and require classification, explanation, and treatment.
• Abnormal behavior is different from unusual behavior.
• Unusual behavior isn't necessarily indicative of a mental or psychological disorder.
• Abnormal behavior suggests underlying mental or psychological disorders.

Defining "Normal"

• Defining "normal" is complex due to the numerous criteria to consider.
• Statistical abnormality involves extremes in qualities.
• Social nonconformity is the unwillingness or inability to follow public conduct standards.
• Situational contexts define that what is normal in one place or time may be abnormal elsewhere.
• Subjective discomfort refers to unpleasant feelings linked to specific symptoms.
• No single criterion is enough to diagnose a mental illness.

Maladaptive Behavior

• A key criterion of psychopathology is that the behavior is maladaptive.
• Mental disorder symptoms often affect a person's ability to adapt and handle daily life.
• A person grieving a parent's death may be temporarily maladaptive, but is not necessarily abnormal unless extreme or chronic.
• Normality exists on a continuum, and the degree of deviation determines pathology.

Defining Abnormality

• Abnormality is behaviour that causes distress and impairs daily functioning.
• This includes deviation from average, deviation from ideal cultural standards, personal discomfort, and functional disability.

Perspectives on Abnormality

• Medical Perspective (Somatogenic): attributes abnormal behavior to physical causes found through examination.
  • Such as hormonal imbalances
  • Chemical deficiencies
  • Brain injuries
• Psychoanalytic Perspective: abnormal behavior arises from unresolved childhood conflicts about sex and aggression.
• Behavioral Perspective: rewards and punishments in the environment shape abnormal behavior.
• Cognitive Perspective: abnormal behavior is related to thoughts and beliefs.
• Humanistic Perspective: emphasizes personal responsibility for behavior, even if abnormal, based on the work of Carl Rogers and Abraham Maslow.
• Sociocultural Perspective: behavior is shaped by the surrounding society and culture.

Psychological Disorders

• Psychological disorders are ongoing, dysfunctional patterns of thought, emotion, and behavior.
• These patterns cause significant distress and deviate from cultural or societal norms.

DSM-5

• The DSM-5 (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, Fifth Edition) is created by the American Psychiatric Association.
• It is used by professionals to diagnose and classify abnormal behavior.
• Benefits include that it provides a descriptive system, allowing communication between professionals and enables research into the causes of problems.
• It provides a shorthand to describe co-occurring behaviors.
• A stigma can be created through labeling, where a formal diagnosis may be needed for treatment but can also stigmatize individuals.

Chapters in DSM-5

• Neurodevelopmental Disorders
• Schizophrenia Spectrum & Other Psychotic Disorders
• Bipolar & Related Disorders
• Depressive Disorders
• Anxiety Disorders
• Obsessive-Compulsive & Related Disorders
• Trauma- & Stressor-Related Disorders
• Dissociative Disorders
• Somatic Symptom Disorders
• Feeding & Eating Disorders
• Elimination Disorders
• Sleep-Wake Disorders
• Sexual Dysfunctions
• Gender Dysphoria
• Disruptive, Impulse Control & Conduct Disorders
• Substance Use & Addictive Disorders
• Neurocognitive Disorders
• Personality Disorders
• Paraphilic Disorders
• Other Disorders
• The number of total disorders in DSM-5 has not increased significantly, but some disorders have now had their importance recognized by being allocated separate chapter headings (e.g. Obsessive Compulsive Disorder).
• The chapter on Neurodevelopmental Disorders is a new heading containing autism spectrum disorders, intellectual development disorder, and attention/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD).
• The chapter on Substance Use & Addictive Behaviours will now includes gambling disorder.
• The importance of both Bipolar Disorder and Depressive Disorders is recognized by them being allocated to separate chapters.

Psychiatrization of Normal Experiences

• The term "psychiatrization" was first used in 1983.
• It is defined as defining and treating normal human experiences as medical conditions.
• Psychiatrization contributes to rising rates of psychiatric disorders and mental healthcare utilization.
• For instance, normal sadness and grief are being diagnosed as depression.
• Everyday nervousness is being labeled as generalized anxiety disorder.
• Also, children's natural energy is being mistaken for ADHD.
• Additionally, age-related memory changes are being treated as early signs of dementia, and shyness may be considered social anxiety disorder.

Relevance and Consequences of Psychiatrization

• Potential benefits include increased access to mental healthcare.
• Potential risks include overdiagnosis, overtreatment, narrowing of what's considered "normal", misallocation of resources, patient dependency, and neglect of severely ill individuals.

Factors Driving Psychiatrization

• Increased awareness and reduced stigma could lead to more people seeking diagnoses for normal experiences.
• Pharmaceutical industry influence, through marketing of psychiatric medications, can contribute to diagnosis expansion.
• Cultural and societal factors, such as the emphasis on happiness, lead people to seek medical solutions for normal life challenges.
• Pressure on healthcare professionals, where doctors may provide diagnoses and prescriptions even when unnecessary.