Lesson 2: Classifying Mental Disorders

Lesson 1: Normality EXAM QUESTION

a) Define the ‘historical approach’ to defining normality

b) Provide an example of this approach

1 + 1 = 2 marks

Lesson 1: Normality EXAM Answer

a) Define the ‘historical approach’ to defining normality

What is considered normal or abnormal in a society depends on the era/period of time when the judgement is made

b) Provide an example of this approach

School students used to get hit on the knuckles with a cain when they misbehaved, now this would be considered abnormal or wrong!

1 + 1 = 2 marks

Classification is the organisation of items into groups on the basis of their common properties.

What are some ways in which you could classify potato chips? Rank them in order of

importance.

What are some ways in which you could classify shoes? Rank them in order of

importance.

What are some ways in which mental disorders could be classified? Rank them in

order of importance.

There are two main approaches to classifying mental conditions and disorders:

Categorical & Dimensional

Both have their strengths and limitations

Categorical Approaches

Yes or No approach

Focus on deciding whether there is a presence or absence of a mental disorder

Either have it or not

Black or white - no grey areas

Categorical Systems

Diagnostic & Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)

International Classification of Disease (ICD)

American Psychiatric Association (APA)

World Health Organisation (WHO)

Categorical approaches like the DMC and ICD organise and describe mental conditions in terms of

different categories and subcategories, each with symptoms and characteristics that are typical of

specific mental conditions and disorders.

Can you think of another example that adopts a categorical approach?

Can you think of any reasons why it could be helpful to

classify mental disorders into categories?

How might it be unhelpful?

Dimensional Approaches

classify based on how much a symptom is presenting

ranges from very low to very high

Focus on ranking or grading a person’s symptoms on one or more continuos quantitative dimensions in terms of their

severity or degree.

The table below simplifies the approaches using Depression as an example