abnormality

The idea of abnormality has been a controversial and much disputed subject within the field of psychology, particularly when attempting to outline a precise definition of psychological abnormality. Mental health conditions are a major public health issue, and 1 in 4 adults in Great Britain experience at least one diagnosable mental health condition in any one year (Singleton N, 2001). How we define the cause of and the nature of abnormal behaviour has significant effects on issues such as; how we approach treatments, the roles of clients and clinicians, the funding of research and it’s interpretation. Possibly more crucially ideas that are not explicit. For example, if you believe that the cause of abnormality is strictly physiological, you may fail to identify and address the impact of factors such as, social, gender and religion. This essay has been divided into four parts. The first part critically evaluates four definitions of abnormality, the second part analyses how psychological perspectives deal with the concept of abnormality. Next, the impact of culture is explored. Culture will be discussed separately as it permeates throughout all definitions and perspectives. Finally, conclusions regarding psychological abnormality will be outlined.
The first definition of abnormality to be discussed is Deviation from Statistical Norms. This definition is based on the viewpoint that generally abnormal behaviour, such as delusions, are relatively infrequent, and in statistical terms, occurrences of abnormality would be outside of a normal range. Under this definition, the further the behaviour is away from the majority, the more abnormal it is (Helzer, 2002). The main strength of the deviation from statistical norms definition is tha...

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...cts of policies such as; personalisation of community mental health services (Social Care Institute of Excellence, 2009), integrated care and based of the assumption that people are living longer; the progress that could be possible for treatments and patient outcomes through the Government’s Dementia Challenge (Department of Health, 2014). Furthermore, although the explanations and treatments of mental illnesses have come a long way, attitudes have been slower to change. A Time to Change survey showed an overall 3.6% improvement in public attitudes between 2008 and 2012 (Time to Change, 2012), (The Guardian , 2013) and (BBC, 2013). But, now that the promotion of mental health awareness is firmly on the agenda and if government invests appropriately in research, we could soon to see innovative and positive advances on the way we explain and treat mental illnesses.