Defining Abnormality and Diagnosing Schizophrenia

Defining Abnormality

Abnormality is defined as "atypicality," or a deviation from the norm (McLeod 2008). Deviation may be viewed in either a positive or a negative light. In contemporary Western culture, someone with a very high IQ is regarded as deviant in a positive manner, while someone who is bipolar is regarded as deviant in a negative manner. Yet some modes of deviancy — such as depression — are so common that a large percentage of the population suffers from the condition (McLeod 2008). Other forms of abnormality, such as seeing visions, are considered highly deviant today in a negative fashion, but were viewed in a positive light as a form of divine insight in ages past, and still are in some cultures.

Limitations of Social Norm Definitions

Defining abnormality merely as a violation of social norms can be a poor basis for judging a patient, given that homosexuality was once classified as a mental disorder and women dissatisfied with their suburban lifestyles in the 1950s were often classified as mentally ill (McLeod 2008). Because social norms shift across time and culture, this definition alone is an unreliable clinical standard.

Distress and Dysfunction as Diagnostic Criteria

A state of being that causes distress to the individual is often cited as the best way to define clinical abnormality. However, this is not necessarily the most reliable method either. While personal distress may be an acceptable criterion for identifying depressed individuals — who are typically dissatisfied with their current mental state — individuals suffering from mania or schizophrenia may believe themselves to be "special" in a positive fashion and therefore report no distress at all. Similarly, some persons exhibiting certain types of personality disorders, such as schizoid personality disorder, may not feel as if anything is missing from their lives because they feel no need to connect emotionally with others. In these instances, however, difficulties with basic functioning in society — such as maintaining adequate hygiene or obtaining and keeping a job — suggest that such conditions fall under the designation of abnormal mental disorders.

Case Study: Jamie

Jamie exhibits many signs of schizophrenia. Poor hygiene, an inability to hold a regular job, and delusions of grandeur with a religious emphasis are all common features of the disorder. Withdrawal from friends, family, and formerly pleasurable activities; a sense of things not being "real"; anxiety; loss of appetite; an inability to engage in basic self-care; difficulties in finding and maintaining meaningful work and social connections; delusions, hallucinations; and a sense of being controlled or persecuted are all recognized symptoms (Dryden-Edwards 2011).

Jamie is suffering from nearly all of these symptoms. Being homeless is not in itself a mental disorder, but it is an indication that Jamie has had difficulty securing paid employment. The fact that he works as a street preacher suggests that he does not perceive his homelessness or disconnection from society as troubling. His belief that he has a direct connection to God suggests he feels controlled by outside forces and experiences a sense of personal "specialness." The direct voice of God he reports hearing indicates auditory hallucinations.

Works Cited

Dryden-Edwards, Roxanne. "Schizophrenia Types and Symptoms." WebMD. 4 Dec. 2011. Web. 2 May 2012.

McLeod, Sean. "Abnormal Psychology." Simply Psychology. 2008. Web. 2 May 2012.