Psychopathology: ‘psyche’ (mind or soul) + ‘pathology’ (knowledge of disease
or illness) = the study of illnesses of the mind.
Psychological disorder: Psychological dysfunction, associated with distress
and impairment / deviating functioning
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A PSYCHOLOGIST, PSYCHIATRIST
AND A SOCIAL WORKER?
• PSYCHOLOGISTS aim to diagnose, measure, treat & prevent mental
disorders – affective, behavioural & cognitive aspects of psychopathology
• PSYCHIATRISTS focus on the diagnose, and treat using medical &
pharmacological treatment
• SOCIAL WORKERS rectify the clients social environment, in order to provide
a social support structure to enable effective recovery
ABNORMAL BEHAVIOUR
Any behaviour that deviates from social and
statistical norms, and that is maladaptive and
causes personal distress
Abnormal behaviour only becomes a psychological disorder when:
• longer duration
• long term negative effect
• high intensity
• person not able to adjust the behaviour on his/her own
When making a decision about whether a person is suffering from a mental
disorder, we first need
to establish defining criteria that separate such disorders from normal behaviour.
− These criteria have been argued to include:
1. Statistical deviance - The person behaves very differently to other people
2. Maladaptiveness - Person unable to function normally in their roles
3. Personal distress - Person can’t cope + is suffering
AETIOLOGY
Aetiology doesn't give clear-cut answers about the causes of disorders because
human behaviour is complex, multiple factors are usually involved, causes can
change over time, different paths can lead to the same disorder, and the same
cause can result in different disorders.
Despite this, studying aetiology is important because it helps guide treatment
and management, improves how disorders are classified, and encourages further
research—especially for conditions with unclear causes, like autism.
EQUIFINALITY VS. MULTIFINALITY
Equifinality refers to different causes leading to the same disorder, while
multifinality means the same cause can lead to different disorders. These
concepts highlight the complexity and variability in how mental disorders
develop.
or illness) = the study of illnesses of the mind.
Psychological disorder: Psychological dysfunction, associated with distress
and impairment / deviating functioning
WHAT IS THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN A PSYCHOLOGIST, PSYCHIATRIST
AND A SOCIAL WORKER?
• PSYCHOLOGISTS aim to diagnose, measure, treat & prevent mental
disorders – affective, behavioural & cognitive aspects of psychopathology
• PSYCHIATRISTS focus on the diagnose, and treat using medical &
pharmacological treatment
• SOCIAL WORKERS rectify the clients social environment, in order to provide
a social support structure to enable effective recovery
ABNORMAL BEHAVIOUR
Any behaviour that deviates from social and
statistical norms, and that is maladaptive and
causes personal distress
Abnormal behaviour only becomes a psychological disorder when:
• longer duration
• long term negative effect
• high intensity
• person not able to adjust the behaviour on his/her own
When making a decision about whether a person is suffering from a mental
disorder, we first need
to establish defining criteria that separate such disorders from normal behaviour.
− These criteria have been argued to include:
1. Statistical deviance - The person behaves very differently to other people
2. Maladaptiveness - Person unable to function normally in their roles
3. Personal distress - Person can’t cope + is suffering
AETIOLOGY
Aetiology doesn't give clear-cut answers about the causes of disorders because
human behaviour is complex, multiple factors are usually involved, causes can
change over time, different paths can lead to the same disorder, and the same
cause can result in different disorders.
Despite this, studying aetiology is important because it helps guide treatment
and management, improves how disorders are classified, and encourages further
research—especially for conditions with unclear causes, like autism.
EQUIFINALITY VS. MULTIFINALITY
Equifinality refers to different causes leading to the same disorder, while
multifinality means the same cause can lead to different disorders. These
concepts highlight the complexity and variability in how mental disorders
develop.
