Psychopathology Conceptions of Psychopathology Help \"To Delineate

Psychopathology

Conceptions of psychopathology help "to delineate which human experiences are considered psychopathological and which are not," (Maddux, Gosselin & Winstead, 2008, p. 3). One conception of psychopathology is that deviation from the norm measured statistically is a valid means by which to label a behavior, condition, or person as psychopathological. This conception is flawed in that a great number of behaviors, conditions, and people deviate from the norm but should not be considered deviant or abnormal. However, this concept has the benefit of being measurable, which many scientists like. Another conception of psychopathology is whether a behavior or condition is functional or dysfunctional. This concept highlights the difference between a functioning alcoholic who has no ill effects at work or home, and the dysfunctional alcoholic who is abusive and cannot keep a job. The concept of harmful dysfunction has also been suggested, as it refers only to cases in which the person's behavior needs to be harmful to self or other to be deemed psychopathological. The functional concept is related to the concept of distress and disability, in which the condition does not necessarily impact one's ability to function but it causes great internal strife and psychological suffering. Both the functional and distress-related concepts have the benefit of refusing to label people and instead attending to the person's basic quality of life needs. The problem with the distress concept, though, is that the person might not be aware that they are dysfunctional as in the case of the classic sociopath.

3. Cultural psychopathology "requires a framework that incorporates culture in multifaceted ways," (Maddux, Gosselin & Winstead, 2008, p. 60). Using this approach, issues like gender, class, power, and poverty can be incorporated into how to define and approach psychopathology. It is in many ways impossible to make accurate psychological diagnoses without taking cultural and other variables into account. This is why the cultural approach to psychopathology is valuable. Especially because psychopathology can be based on the concept that deviance is related to social norms, it becomes necessary to contextualize all behavior in terms of the social norms of the individual and not of the therapist, clinician, or especially the DSM. Not all cultural values or norms are themselves ethical, and many cultural norms are dysfunctional, deviant, and pathological. Therefore, a person ascribing to social norms approving of sexism or genital mutilation would not be psychopathological in the sense of deviating from the norm, but is psychopathological in a more general sense. Cultural psychopathology allows for the elimination of moral relativism.

3. Clinical experience has great value in assessing psychopathology because experience is better than no experience in any profession. Experience is especially relevant when working within a cultural psychopathological framework because a therapist who has experience working with people from other cultures will be better equipped to deal with diversity than a therapist who has only worked with people fro his or her own culture. Knowing what cues or signs to look for also helps a person make more educated decisions regarding treatment and diagnosis. Assessing psychopathology can make a big difference in a person's life, which is why clinical experience is necessary for ethical reasons.