Abnormal Behavior and Psychopathology Although

¶ … Abnormal Behavior and Psychopathology

Although the science of psychopathology is relatively modern, it is reasonable to posit that there ancient mankind was afflicted by mental illness and that there has always been a need for effective ways to treat it. In the not-too-distant past, these problems were understood in terms of magic and religion, but these perspectives have been replaced in Western medicine by a more scientific view of mental illness and abnormal behavior that seeks to understand abnormal behaviors based on their biological, psychosocial and sociocultural origins. To determine how this transition from the magic and religious to the scientific has taken place over the years, this paper provides a description of the origins of abnormal psychology, a brief overview concerning how abnormal psychology has evolved into a scientific discipline and an assessment of the theoretical viewpoints and interpretations of the biological, psychosocial, and sociocultural models. A summary of the research and important findings are presented in the conclusion.

Review and Discussion

a. Describe the origins of Abnormal Psychology.

People have always suffered from mental illness and there have always been efforts by humans to understand and treat these disorders. According to Kimble and Schlesinger (1985), "The very early history of psychopathology is scant in the extreme and we must be extremely hesitant to draw inferences from the few available data. There are a few records of psychological therapy dating from 3000 B.C. In Egypt and Mesopotamia" (p. 267). What is known for certain is that magic and religion were the primary ways that ancient peoples understood and sought to treat mental illness. For instance, Kimble and Schlesinger note that, "Illness was believed to be of divine origin and it followed that treatment consisted largely of magical-religious practices. Dream interpretations, incantations, religious rituals, and suggestion were employed" (p. 267). These points are also made by other historians of psychopathology. For example, in their seminal work, The Psychodynamics of Abnormal Behavior, Brown and Menninger (1940), report that, "Magic [and] religion are the chief methods through which man has tried to understand his place in the cosmos and to better it" (p. 23). Indeed, magical and religious views were highly influential in the manner in which mental illness was perceived by ancient peoples. In this regard, Kimble and Schlesinger note that, "Early views about madness have been inferred from Biblical references. For example, Deuteronomy 28:23, 34 views madness as punishment for disobeying the commandments" (p. 267). By any measure, the past two centuries have not been kind to humans and it is little wonder that mental illness is commonplace, but as the adage suggests, "The more things change, the more they stay the same" and this is the case with mental illness as well. For instance, Brown and Menninger add that, "Despite the fact that there is a widespread belief that mental disorder is a modern problem, we can be fairly sure that it has always existed. Although social anthropological research shows that among primitive people the psychoses and the psychoneuroses are of a somewhat different sort, and perhaps less frequent than in modern industrialized society, we have no record of primitive tribes completely without mental disorders" (p. 23). Because mental illness and abnormal behavior are universal and are as old as humankind itself, it is not surprising that these disorders have become the increasing focus of a scientific approach, and these issues are discussed further below.

b. Provide a brief overview of how Abnormal Psychology has evolved into a scientific discipline.

The evolution of psychopathology into a science has required replacing the former magical and religious interpretations of mental illness with one based on organic causation, but the process is fairly modern in its origins and continues to experience redefinitions. According to Stravynski and O'Connor (1999), a great deal has taken place over the past three decades or so that have influenced the evolution of abnormal psychology into a scientific discipline. In this regard, these authors report that, "Twenty years ago, it would not have been uncommon to find a core team of medical doctors and nurses managing all inpatient activities in a hospital setting, with ancillary support from social workers, psychologists, and volunteers. The pattern has now changed dramatically" (Stravynski & O'Connor, p. 606).

Contributing to the increasingly rapid evolution of abnormal psychology into a strictly scientific discipline, at least in Western allopathic medicine, has been the introduction of a multidisciplinary approach that includes healthcare practitioners in a wide range of fields. According to Stravynski and O'Connor (1999), "There are now more psychologists and social scientists than doctors and nurses working in mental health. Psychotherapy is no longer the preserve of a medically trained psychiatrist, and, notwithstanding the view that psychiatric expertise is not transferable, nurse therapists, counselors, and psychologists have all developed skills as therapeutic professionals" (p. 606). The use of clinical psychology to treat abnormal behavior has therefore become a multidisciplinary science that includes healthcare practitioners as well as social workers and other counseling professionals who all employ many of the same techniques to understand and treat patients suffering from conditions that are grouped under the umbrella term of abnormal behavior (Stravynski & O'Connor, 1999).

c. Assess the theoretical viewpoints and interpretations of the biological, psychosocial, and sociocultural models.