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.

Although the importance of the psychosocial perspective has been somewhat diminished in recent years, the biological, psychosocial and sociocultural models of understanding and treating abnormal behavior all provide a useful framework in which to identify the context in which the disease process is operating. Indeed, many clinicians suggest that it is important to apply all of these viewpoints to the individual in order to develop an accurate interpretation. For example, Dewald (2000) reports that, "Behavior evolves out of antecedent behavior and that the experiences, memories, traumata, relationships, and developmental processes of childhood interact with constitutional, genetic,...

301). Because every individual is unique, each of these theoretical viewpoints and interpretations can provide useful insights into the problems an individual may be experiencing at a given point in time and can help identify what clinical interventions may be most appropriate for treating them. In this regard, Dewald concludes that by incorporating the biological, psychosocial and sociocultural perspectives into the treatment regimen, clinical problems such as self-defeating behavior, experiences of unconscious guilt, noncompliance with therapeutic recommendations, noncompliance with medication management, cancellations of therapeutic sessions, suicidal thoughts, and erotic or hostile transference feeling states can be better understood and treated.
Conclusion

This paper provided 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. The research showed that abnormal behavior is a universal phenomenon and has been present at all times among all peoples throughout history. In the past, these behaviors were interpreted from a magical and/or religious perspective, and while spirituality continues to influence modern medical practice, magic and religion have been largely replaced by a more informed perspective that seeks to understand such behaviors based on their biological, psychosocial and sociocultural origins.

References

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Dewald, P.A. (2000). Preserving the 'psychosocial' in an era of biological psychiatry. American Journal of Psychotherapy, 54(3), 301-302.

Kimble, G.A. & Schlesinger, K. (1985). Topics in the history of psychology. Hillsdale, NJ:

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Stravynski, A. & O'Connor, K. (1999). Understanding and managing abnormal behavior: The need for a new clinical science. Journal of Psychology,…