PSY 2201 Lecture Notes - Master Of Social Work, Mood Disorder, Lorazepam
15 Apr 2014
School
Department
Course
Professor
Document Summary
Context- what"s going on around the behavior; surroundings in which the behavior is occuring. Look for contextual clues to see if the behavior is appropriate for that situation. Normal turns abnormal when it starts interfering with daily functions. Duration & intensity are far greater than that of normal people. Cultural/historical relativism- behavior/ how it is interpreted will deviate from one culture to another, or it will be interpreted differently depending on when it occurred. Ex: up until 1973, homosexuality was listed in the dsm as a mental disorder. Ex2: it is normal to "talk" to spirits in very religious countries like latin america, but it is not normal in places like north america or europe. Multiple causality- explanations of mental illness often require complex answers. No simple answers as to why someone acts abnormally. Predisposing causes: underlying condition that may make someone vulnerable to stress/disease when faced with certain triggers.
