Psychological Disorder

A condition in which a person's thoughts, feelings, or behavior are thought to be in some way dysfunctional. Though the recognition and understanding of various disorders has changed over time, the most commonly used guideline for the classification of mental disorders is the American Psychological Association's (APA) Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (fourth edition; DSM-IV). This manual provides a comprehensive listing of psychological disorders, grouping them into 17 broad categories. According to the APA, a pattern of behavior is considered a psychological disorder if it satisfies three criteria: (1) the person experiences significant pain or distress, demonstrates an inability to work, is at an increased risk of death, and/or experiences loss of freedom; (2) the sources of the problem are internal to the person, whether biological factors, mental processes, or learned habits, and lead to abnormal responses to life events; (3) the problem being experienced is not merely a reaction to societal problems such as poverty, prejudice, or government policy. There are different models of abnormality that have been identified in the literature. These include the following: (1) the medical model—advocates that disorders, thoughts, and behaviors are caused by physical disease; (2) the psychological perspective—advocates that psychological disorders are caused by a person's past and present life experiences; (3) the sociocultural perspective—stresses that the social and cultural environment we live in can determine the type of psychological disorders we are susceptible to; (4) the synthetic model—combines all the above and advocates that no one model can explain the underlying causes of a disorder in its entirety. Many mental health professionals seek to diagnose individuals by ascertaining their particular mental disorder. Some professionals, however, may avoid diagnosis in favor of other assessment methods, such as formulation of a client's difficulties and circumstances. Treatment for psychological disorders varies depending on the particular disorder. It can range from case management, day treatment, inpatient treatment, to involuntary commitment of individuals who may be a danger or risk to others or themselves. According to the World Health Organization, approximately 450 million people worldwide suffer from mental disorders, and 1 of 4 people will suffer from some form of mental illness at some point in their life. For more information, see Kessler, McGonagle, Zhao, and Nelson (1995).