Most mental disorders lie on a continuum with “normal” behavior at one end. For example, nearly everyone has a fear of something, but it does not rise to the level of a phobia. A behavior may seem abnormal in one context but completely normal in another context. These two aspects show why it can be challenging to properly identify mental disorders.

Using your textbook and the Argosy University online library resources, research the principles and methods of identifying mental disorders. Note particularly the diversity of views and the challenges of identification. Based on your research, write a reflective essay. Use the following question to direct your thoughts and organize your essay:

· Why is determining abnormal behavior or a mental disorder so difficult?

To develop your essay, keep in mind issues such as the role of social norms in defining the abnormal, the multiplicity of indicators of what is abnormal, the stigma suffered by those identified as abnormal, and finally the need for objectivity in dealing with the concept.

Write a 2–3-page essay in Word format. Apply APA standards to citation of sources. Use the following file naming convention: LastnameFirstInitial_M1_A3.doc. For example, if your name is John Smith, your document will be named SmithJ_M1_A3.doc

CHALLENGES IN IDENTIFYING ABNORMAL BEHAVIOURS.

A mental disorder is a psychological problem generally related to subjective disability that affects an individual, and which is not a part of normal development. Some authors believe that some behaviors can’t be concisely defined in attempts to identify the abnormal behavior. There are many factors that determine abnormality in individuals for example people’s social norms and culture.

In discussing the challenges of identifying mental disorders, abnormal disorders can’t be succinctly defined (Bennett, 2011). Some of the challenges include a perceiver’s concept of normality. Determining an abnormality or a mental disorder is so difficult since a behavior may seem normal in one perspective but completely abnormal in another dimension. This is similar with how different cultures may identify and explain abnormality. Secondly, individuals’ cultures and norms (Butcher, 2007) since one culture may identify an abnormal and mental disorder which is quite normal in other cultures.

 

A behavior that differs from normality can be considered dysfunctional. These disturbing behaviors are a result of distorted thoughts or cognitions. There are different ways of identifying an abnormal behavior among people and they include deviation of social norms, distress, maladaptive behaviors and statistical theories.To identify an abnormal behavior, we first consider deviation from social norms. Culture is an important factor in considering abnormality. Each culture has its own rules for behavior and these rules govern their ideals of what is socially acceptable along with their moral standards. It is when a behavior exceeds their specific culture’s acceptance it then becomes labeled as abnormal. For example, in most cultures the thought of committing suicide is looked down upon and it is considered a mental disorder, however in some Middle-Eastern cultures the religious implication of committing of suicide raises somebody’s martyr status.

Social norms constitute informal or formal rules of how individuals are expected to behave. A deviant behavior is a behavior that is considered undesirable or anti-social by the majority of people in a given society. Individuals who break rules of conduct or do not behave like the majority are defined as abnormal. Many factor play a role in what is seen as normal or abnormal within a certain society for instance social, cultural and historical factors. For example, homosexuality was seen as an abnormal behavior in Britain around 1900 where the famous writer Oscar Wilde was imprisoned for homosexuality.

If it is insufficient to define behavior that is bad for a person as an indicator of abnormality, perhaps it is better to ask whether the person is suffering or not, or if they are experiencing distress. This conveniently ignores the problems of most of the other criteria above and can allow those who feel that they need some kind of medical or psychological attention to gain it. However, it carries with it the assumption that individuals engaging in this kind of abnormal behavior will have enough insight to experience distress. This is not always the case. For example, irritability is a common symptom of depression among men, but it is not the kind of symptom that would encourage a man to seek help. Another example occurs when a person begins drinking a lot of alcohol. Their behavior may be unhealthy for them, but until there is damage to their physical health or changes in relationships with family or friends, there may be no suffering.

Another way to decide what is abnormal is to assume that all humans perform behaviors that are good for them in their particular environmental context. We might expect people to develop an understanding of social expectations, regardless of whether they agree with them or not, and to be able to function within their social group. Maladaptive behaviors are those that threaten one’s ability to function well within that social context. This approach works well when we consider such conditions as alcoholism and anorexia, where it is clear that a person’s health is in danger because of the way he or she is behaving. People who spend so much time on the internet that they lose contact with their peers might also be seen to be engaging in maladaptive behavior; internet addiction is a fairly recent addition to the range of abnormal behavior practitioners might deal with. The most frequently cited problem with this approach is that people whose motivation is clearly not indicative of a serious disorder will sometimes engage in maladaptive or dangerous behavior. Examples include extreme sports people and political protestors such as Guillermo Farinas, who went on a hunger strike in Cuba to protest at internet censorship.

 

From the statistical abnormality curve, abnormal people are characterized by a significant deviation from the average. Many human characteristics are normally distributed. On a normal distribution, more people fall around the average. Characteristics falling beyond a particular distance from the average values are sometimes seen as abnormal. This distance is defined in terms of standard deviation units which are values that tell the scientist how many people fall beyond the average. For example, there is a normal distribution of IQ scores; those who score 2 standard deviation units below the mean of 100 are mentally ill or abnormal.

 

There are various indicators that single out abnormal behaviors among mentally ill patients. When someone violates the standard of the society, he is considered abnormal. For example, when a woman drowns her infant, the society will conclude that the mother is mentally ill. Suffering is also considered as an indicator of abnormality. When people suffer from their conditions, the society concludes that they are abnormal for example people with social anxiety. Irrationality is a condition when somebody is unreasonable and unstable. When somebody displays signs of unpredictability for example manic screaming, people around him will always infer to him as mentally unstable.

And lastly, dangerousness is also an indicator of abnormality. Someone in the society who attempts suicide is considered abnormal. People will handle him with caution since he is suspected to be mentally ill, dangerous and violent. In this case, stigma becomes prevalent since many people fail to associate with a mentally ill patient.

Discrimination of the abnormal people has a negative psychological effect in their lives since it causes social isolation and low esteem.Occupational discrimination and stigma are witnessed when an abnormal person is identified as mentally ill (Butcher, 2007). There are so many issues associated with stigma for example stereotyping which leads to discrimination of the mentally ill. Furthermore, when the mentally ill patients interact with other abnormal people, they suffer from stress and this induces a psychological response.

 

CONCLUSION.

Social and cultural differences between an observed individual and the observer poses many challenges in identifying mental disorders. The obscurity in identifying an individual as normal or abnormal defines an abnormal behaviour. Perception of abnormality has many impacts in the daily life since it causes social discrimination and rejection.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

References.

Comer, R. J. (2005). Fundamentals of abnormal psychology (4th ed.). New York, NY: Worth

Abnormal psychology, an integration approach 6th ED(intro text), D.Barlor(Cengage,2012) BBS.pdf

In this assignment, you will be applying your knowledge of assessment in counseling to a specific scenario. Use the Resources provided and the University Library to complete the following:

• Select one of the scenarios from the Unit 9 Scenarios document in the Resources. The scenario you choose should be based on your program of study. If you are a MFT learner, please select an identified couple or family assessment tool from provided unit readings.
• Identify the primary question the assessment needs to address for your identified scenario. What is the primary presenting concern of the client or clients in your scenario?
• Provide a clear description of the assessment tool and measure of the identified problem. Use evidence from the literature to support your description.
• Describe how the assessment is scored and interpreted. In your description of the assessment’s scoring and interpretation, be certain to incorporate the measurement constructs (such as reliability and validity) you have learned about throughout this course. Be certain to discuss the ways in which the assessment is validated for use with diverse clients.
• Evaluate how the assessment is linked to the practice of counseling. As the counselor for your identified scenario, how does the assessment tool support your work as a counselor? Be certain to discuss its applicability to initial assessment. Then, go beyond initial assessment, to examine the ways you could use the assessment throughout the counseling process.
• Evaluate how the tool can be used with diverse clients as part of an ethical assessment process. How would you present the assessment results to your client or clients? Describe the process of presenting assessment results with a clear consideration of the client’s unique cultural context. Be certain to identify the relevant sections of the code of ethics for your profession (ACA, AAMFT, or ASCA).

Please use the Assignment Template listed under Resources to compose your Final Assignment paper.

Assignment Requirements

• Written communication: Written communication must be free of errors so that the overall message is clear.
• APA formatting: Resources and citations are formatted according to current APA style.
• Number of resources: Minimum of five scholarly resources (distinguished submissions will likely exceed that minimum).
• Length of paper: Seven to ten double-spaced, typed pages, excluding title and reference pages.
• Font and font size: Times New Roman, 12 point.

PLEASE USE THIS SENERIO

The Case of Allen

Allen is a 70-year-old widowed male. He reports that he is still trying to recover from the loss of his wife, who died in an accident a year ago. He is having trouble sleeping and frequently finds himself tearful when he is alone. His children are grown and live in other states. They have expressed concern that he doesn’t seem himself and they hate seeing him lonely. They are urging him to move to be closer to one of them, but he reports that he doesn’t have the energy to pick up his life and relocate. He is seeking counseling to find out how he can move forward in his life.

 PLEASE USE THIS AS THE TOOL FOR THE SENERIO ALLEN

Read Arbisi’s 2001 article, “Review of the Beck Depression Inventory-II” in The Fourteenth Mental Measurements Yearbook.

 

THIS IS THE TEMPLATE

[Unit and Assignment Title]

[Learner Name]

[COURSE NUMBER – NAME]

[Date]

[Professor Name]

Abstract

The abstract appears on a page by itself and is in single paragraph using block format and is double spaced. The abstract is a summary of your paper which allows the reader to quickly review what will be covered. Limit the abstract to 150–250 words.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Unit and Assignment Title

Start writing your introduction here (1–2 paragraphs). An effective introduction prepares the reader by identifying the purpose of the paper and providing the organization of the paper. Please double-space and remember to indent all paragraphs throughout your paper. (Not block form!) Aim to keep your writing objective using third person (see handout in the discussion board). Unless required for the specific assignment, please do not include a Table of Contents, as it is not APA style. Review paper guidelines on page requirements and number of sources required (if provided). Unless citing a classic work, aim to cite research articles and texts published within the past five years. Please use headings throughout your paper that are consistent with the paper’s scoring guide (that way you ensure you are adequately addressing all required areas.)

When you finish writing your paper, re-read it to check for errors and make sure your ideas flow well. A helpful tip is to read your paper aloud to yourself. If it does not sound right to your ear – it is not working on paper! Please submit your papers to Turnitin (link in the course homepage) to check for plagiarism. Also, remember as a Capella learner you have free access through iGuide to personal tutoring services with smarthinking.com.

Level 1 Heading: Centered, Boldface, Uppercase and Lowercase Heading

Review the evaluation categories in the scoring guide to ensure you are addressing the ‘Distinguished’ category for all sections of your paper.

Level 2 Heading (if needed): Flushed Left, Boldface, Upper and Lowercase Heading

For papers in this course, this will likely be all the heading levels you will need. You can review the APA Manual, 6^th edition, section 3.03 for more guidance.

Conclusion

Please provide a conclusion that summarizes the main ideas of your paper.