Definitions of Abnormality

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Definitions of Abnormality
www.psychlotron.org.uk

• Problems exist with all the definitions we have
  examined.
• Subjectivity
• Over- and under-inclusivity
• Cultural relativity

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Statistical Infrequency
www.psychlotron.org.uk

• Does not consider the desirability of behaviours
  or traits.
• Very high intelligence or extremely altruistic
  behaviour are both statistically rare, but would
  not generally be classed as abnormal.
• Many rare behaviours or characteristics (e.g.
  left handedness) have no bearing on normality or
  abnormality

3
Statistical Infrequency
www.psychlotron.org.uk

• Some behaviours/characteristics are regarded as
  abnormal even though they are quite frequent.
• Depression may affect 27 of elderly people
  (NIMH, 2001). This would make it common but that
  does not mean it isnt a problem

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Violation of Social Norms
www.psychlotron.org.uk

• Social norms change between cultures and over
  time. Consequently, so do peoples conceptions
  of abnormality.
• Homosexuality was regarded as a mental illness
  until 1973, but not any more.
• Cross-cultural misunderstandings are common, and
  may contribute to e.g. high diagnosis rate of
  schizophrenia amongst non-white British people

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Violation of Social Norms
www.psychlotron.org.uk

• Classification of abnormality can only based on
  the context in which behaviour occurs
• Same behaviour might be normal or abnormal e.g.
  undressing in bathroom or classroom
• A subjective judgement is usually necessary e.g.
  there may be situational factors unknown to the
  observer

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Social norms vary from one culture or society to
another
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• social norms vary from one time to another

Wilde and Lord Alfred Douglas in 1893
On 25 May 1895 Wilde was convicted of gross
indecency and sentenced to two years' hard
labour.
8

• In 1973, the weight of empirical data, coupled
  with changing social norms and the development of
  a politically active gay community in the United
  States, led the Board of Directors of the
  American Psychiatric Association to remove
  homosexuality from the Diagnostic and Statistical
  Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM). Some
  psychiatrists who fiercely opposed their action
  subsequently circulated a petition calling for a
  vote on the issue by the Association's
  membership. That vote was held in 1974, and the
  Board's decision was ratified.

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Deviation from social norms may sometimes be
illegal rather than abnormal!
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Categories are based on a Western and
individualist cultural ideal so the measure is
ethnocentric

• A drive to realise self potential may look odd to
  some!

11
Interpretation is subjective.Who decides
which looks normal?
12
Failure to Function Adequately
www.psychlotron.org.uk

• Adequate functioning is defined largely by social
  norms (see deviation from)
• Most people fail to function adequately at some
  time, but are not considered abnormal
• After a bereavement most people find it difficult
  to cope normally
• Ironically, they might actually be considered
  more abnormal if they functioned as usual

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Failure to Function Adequately
www.psychlotron.org.uk

• Many people engage in behaviour that is
  maladaptive/harmful or threatening to self, but
  we dont class them as abnormal
• Adrenaline sports
• Smoking, drinking alcohol
• Skipping classes

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Deviation from Ideal Mental Health
www.psychlotron.org.uk

• What is considered ideal is historically and
  culturally specific (see deviation from
  social)
• Jahodas and others criteria may set the bar too
  high.
• Strictly applied, so few people actually meet
  these criteria that everyone ends up classed as
  abnormal and so the concept could become
  meaningless

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DEVIATION FROM IDEAL MENTAL HEALTH

• This judges mental health in the same way as
  physical health, a person requires certain
  attributes to be mentally healthy.
• Jahoda found six categories that were commonly
  referred to as desirable for mental health.

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• good self image
• drive to realize self-potential
• ability to cope with stress
• being independent (autonomous)
• having an accurate perception of reality
• Being able to adapt to changes in the environment
• absence of these indicates abnormality.

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It is unclear how far a person could deviate
before being defined as abnormal

• Tattoos and piercings are now accepted as normal
  but even these may sometimes viewed as abnormal
  does this indicate psychological abnormality?

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How is psychological abnormality really judged.

• The dominant approach to psychopathology (the
  study of psychological abnormality) is the
  biological or medical model
• This sees psychological abnormality in terms
  ofsigns and symptoms that regularly occur
  together and can therefore be referred to as a
  syndromethese syndromes are distinctive from any
  other signs and symptoms and can therefore be
  identified as a particular disorder.

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Two major Classification systems

• The International Classification System for
  Diseases ICD was developed by the World Health
  Organization (WHO) currently in its 10th
  edition. Mental disorders were first included in
  1952 and form only a small section of the manual

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• The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental
  Disorders DSM was developed by th American
  Psychiatric Association (APA) in 1952. The
  current edition is the 4th.
• This is generally used by mental health
  professionals mainly to make diagnoses.

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Problems with Diagnosis Classification

• Even using these systems there can be significant
  disagreement between psychiatrists - this is
  generally because symptoms of different disorders
  overlap
• There is an overemphasis of the biological
  aspects of the disorders with psychological
  factors minimised.
• Labelling a person as having a particular
  disorder may stigmatise them so raises ethical
  issues.