Description

Defining abnormality is deceptively difficult. When asked to describe abnormal behaviour, people typically say that it occurs infrequently, is odd or strange, is characterized by suffering, or is dangerous. All of these are reasonable answers for some types of abnormal behaviour, but none of them is sufficient in itself, and making them all necessary results in too strict a definition. One parsimonious and practical way to define abnormal behaviour is to ask whether the behaviour causes impairment in the person's life. The more a behaviour gets in the way of successful functioning in an important domain of life including the psychological, interpersonal and achievement/performance domains, the more likely it is to be considered a sign of abnormality. When several such behaviors or symptoms occur together, they may constitute a psychological disorder. Psychological disorders are formally defined in widely used classification systems, or nosologies: the International Classification of Diseases - 10th edition (ICD-10; World Health Organization, 1992) and the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders - 4th edition (DSM-IV; APA, 1994). Although they differ from one another in format, these two systems cover the same disorders and define them in a similar manner. Psychopathology and abnormal psychology are closely related, often used interchangeably, referring to the scientific study of psychological disorders and abnormal behavior, focusing on their symptoms, causes, diagnosis, and treatment. Abnormal psychology is the broader field of studying unusual behaviors, while psychopathology can refer specifically to the disorders themselves or their underlying disease processes, often implying a medical model, and is essential for fields like clinical psychology and psychiatry. Key aspects involve distress, dysfunction, deviance from norms, and potential danger, though definitions evolve with culture and time. Psychological disorders are patterns of behavioral or psychological symptoms that impact multiple areas of life. These conditions create distress for the person experiencing symptoms. Mental health professionals use the "Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders," published by the American Psychiatric Association (APA), for a variety of purposes. The manual contains a listing of psychiatric disorders, diagnostic codes, information on the prevalence of each disorder, and diagnostic criteria. There are several different approaches used to understand abnormal psychology. While some psychologists or psychiatrists may focus on a single viewpoint, many mental health professionals use elements from multiple viewpoints to better understand and treat psychological disorders. It would be impossible to understand the meaning and object of study of psychopathology without first defining abnormality.