PSYCH 2AP3 Lecture : LectureNotesPSYCH2AP3Fall2011
25 Nov 2012
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Statistical deviance criterion: extreme deviations from the statistical norm. Sociocultural criterion: extreme or important violations of social or cultural expectations. Adjustment criterion: danger to self or others. Personal disturbance criterion: symptoms cause significant concern for the individual. One cannot just use one of the criterions, you must use one or more at once to make a sound judgement. Where the cut-off for diagnosis is very subjective, making it problematic. Many disorders are classified by the statistical criterion. Cultural standards vary across time: homosexuality was once an abnormality according to this criterion. If disorders are brain-based, they cannot be culturally relative: the sociocultural criteria isn"t really used in north america. In the 1950"s, dissociative identity disorder only reported seven cases worldwide. Post traumatic stress disorder is a new addition to the dsm; new disorders are constantly being added to the dsm: thomas szasz all mental illness cultural. Controversial author who stated that mental disorders are not real.
