PSYC 311
Understanding Psychopathology
1|Page
,PSYC 311
Study Unit 1
CHAPTER 1
Origins and causes of psychopathology.
2|Page
,PSYC 311
Psychopathology
→ scientific study of psychological disorders
→ a central question in psychopathology concerns why people develop psychological
disorders
Aetiology
→ study of the causes of disorders is known as aetiology
→ literally meaning study of origination or causation
→ NB !! area of knowledge in psychology, psychiatry, and medicine
→ helps us to understand which factors contribute to the development of a disorder + how
these factors operate
→ guides the clinician in understanding a patient's symptoms and making decisions
regarding treatment
→ (broader sense) may influence preventative measures + thus help to prevent the onset of
disorders
Aetiology does not provide us with direct answers about the causes of disorders
✓ Human behaviour is highly complex
✓ Disorders are more often than not caused by multiple factors
✓ Causal factors change over the lifespan
✓ Different causal routes exist for the same disorder
✓ The same causal route may develop into different disorders
Reasons why the study of the aetiology of disorders is important
Treatment and management of disorders is often, if not always, informed by the aetiology
of the disorder.
A better understanding of aetiology can also inform categorisation and classification of
disorders
Studies of aetiology stimulate further research. (notice that for many disorders, such as
autism, the causes are still not fully understood.)
Aetiological models
• not any one of these models is better than the others as
• most cases, each model offers explanations from different perspectives
• psychiatry dominates the discourse in psychopathology
• thus - expect that the medical model will dominate both the classification and
explanations of the aetiology of disorders
Understanding abnormal behaviour in its “totality”
statement implies:
• one has to go further than 'mere' biological descriptions
• one must also investigate all of the factors that contribute to the clinical picture
• to the development and maintenance of disorders
3|Page
, PSYC 311
for this reason, it is important to describe:
• macro (e.g. psychodynamic, cognitive-behavioural, behavioural, and humanistic)
• micro (uni- and multivariate) psychological understandings of disorders
• both the medical and psychological explanations focus quite strongly on intrapersonal
factors (may exclude external factors)
external factors influence:
• however, that for most disorders, there are also external factors that influence the
development of these disorders
• important to consider social factors, such as socio- economic, sociopolitical, and cultural
factors
• Failing will lead to a very superficial understanding of abnormal behaviour
Psychiatry branch of medicine specialising in diagnosis + treatment of mental disorders
Psychiatry and Psychopathology
- Study of psychopathology dominated by discourse of psychiatry
- considered a social science, focusing on human behaviour, include the study of the
mind
- Provide framework for understanding and treating mental illness
- Medication can be an effective form of treatment
Contributions psychiatry has made…
1. development of diagnostic criteria for mental illnesses, which provide a framework for
understanding and treating these conditions
2. discovery and development of medications that can effectively treat many
3. use of psychotherapy and other non-pharmacological treatments to help individuals
manage their symptoms and improve their quality of life
4. research into the biological, psychological, and social lactors that contribute to the
development of mental illness
Study of psychopathology within psychology
- necessitates investigating all the factors that contribute to the clinical picture and to the
development and maintenance of disorders
includes:
- biomedical factors, such as genetic predisposition
- abnormal functioning of neurotransmitters
- endocrine dysregulation
- structural abnormalities in the brain
also includes:
- macro (e.g. psychodynamic, cognitive-behavioural, behavioural, and humanistic)
- micro (uni- and multivariate) psychological understandings of disorders
4|Page
Understanding Psychopathology
1|Page
,PSYC 311
Study Unit 1
CHAPTER 1
Origins and causes of psychopathology.
2|Page
,PSYC 311
Psychopathology
→ scientific study of psychological disorders
→ a central question in psychopathology concerns why people develop psychological
disorders
Aetiology
→ study of the causes of disorders is known as aetiology
→ literally meaning study of origination or causation
→ NB !! area of knowledge in psychology, psychiatry, and medicine
→ helps us to understand which factors contribute to the development of a disorder + how
these factors operate
→ guides the clinician in understanding a patient's symptoms and making decisions
regarding treatment
→ (broader sense) may influence preventative measures + thus help to prevent the onset of
disorders
Aetiology does not provide us with direct answers about the causes of disorders
✓ Human behaviour is highly complex
✓ Disorders are more often than not caused by multiple factors
✓ Causal factors change over the lifespan
✓ Different causal routes exist for the same disorder
✓ The same causal route may develop into different disorders
Reasons why the study of the aetiology of disorders is important
Treatment and management of disorders is often, if not always, informed by the aetiology
of the disorder.
A better understanding of aetiology can also inform categorisation and classification of
disorders
Studies of aetiology stimulate further research. (notice that for many disorders, such as
autism, the causes are still not fully understood.)
Aetiological models
• not any one of these models is better than the others as
• most cases, each model offers explanations from different perspectives
• psychiatry dominates the discourse in psychopathology
• thus - expect that the medical model will dominate both the classification and
explanations of the aetiology of disorders
Understanding abnormal behaviour in its “totality”
statement implies:
• one has to go further than 'mere' biological descriptions
• one must also investigate all of the factors that contribute to the clinical picture
• to the development and maintenance of disorders
3|Page
, PSYC 311
for this reason, it is important to describe:
• macro (e.g. psychodynamic, cognitive-behavioural, behavioural, and humanistic)
• micro (uni- and multivariate) psychological understandings of disorders
• both the medical and psychological explanations focus quite strongly on intrapersonal
factors (may exclude external factors)
external factors influence:
• however, that for most disorders, there are also external factors that influence the
development of these disorders
• important to consider social factors, such as socio- economic, sociopolitical, and cultural
factors
• Failing will lead to a very superficial understanding of abnormal behaviour
Psychiatry branch of medicine specialising in diagnosis + treatment of mental disorders
Psychiatry and Psychopathology
- Study of psychopathology dominated by discourse of psychiatry
- considered a social science, focusing on human behaviour, include the study of the
mind
- Provide framework for understanding and treating mental illness
- Medication can be an effective form of treatment
Contributions psychiatry has made…
1. development of diagnostic criteria for mental illnesses, which provide a framework for
understanding and treating these conditions
2. discovery and development of medications that can effectively treat many
3. use of psychotherapy and other non-pharmacological treatments to help individuals
manage their symptoms and improve their quality of life
4. research into the biological, psychological, and social lactors that contribute to the
development of mental illness
Study of psychopathology within psychology
- necessitates investigating all the factors that contribute to the clinical picture and to the
development and maintenance of disorders
includes:
- biomedical factors, such as genetic predisposition
- abnormal functioning of neurotransmitters
- endocrine dysregulation
- structural abnormalities in the brain
also includes:
- macro (e.g. psychodynamic, cognitive-behavioural, behavioural, and humanistic)
- micro (uni- and multivariate) psychological understandings of disorders
4|Page
