Reflections on the Criteria of Normality and Abnormality in Human Behavior. Professional Challenges

Essai , 2023 , 6 Pages

Psychologie - Diagnostiques

Determining normal or abnormal behavior in human beings can be a professional challenge for mental health specialists. In general, there is no consensus on the criteria for determining a psychopathology in an individual who requires specialized help, due to the tendency to psychopathologize human behavior in the DSM-5 and ICD-10 manuals. This study seeks to question and suggest new ways of understanding this dyad in the field of clinical-health psychology, disagreeing on the guidelines that health professionals have regarding making this decision. Moreover, it is concluded that morality is necessary as a central axis in the criteria of normality and abnormality, the relationship of the subject with himself and with his environment, the historical moment, the idiosyncrasy of his region and the legal significance of his behavior.

Table of Contents

1. INTRODUCTION

1.1 The perception of health professionals on mental health

2. The criteria taken into account

3. Brief history about this dichotomy

4. CONCLUSIONS

Objectives and Topics

This essay aims to critically analyze the professional challenges mental health specialists face when distinguishing between normal and abnormal human behavior, arguing that current reliance on diagnostic manuals like the DSM-5 and ICD-10 is insufficient. The research questions the existing medical-statistical bias and proposes a broader understanding that integrates morality, historical context, cultural idiosyncrasy, and legal significance into the diagnostic process.

• Critique of the over-pathologization of human behavior in clinical practice.
• Evaluation of criteria for normality (historical, environmental, and self-relational).
• The role of morality and cultural context in psychological assessments.
• The impact of diagnostic labels on the long-term professional lives of patients.
• Integration of ontology and subjective experience into mental health diagnostics.

Excerpt from the book

The criteria taken into account

Sometimes an individual is judged to have an intellectual disability but he or she is capable of providing his or her family with everything that is indispensable; and yet, another subject with a supposedly normal intellectual development is unable to have a life project and manifests an economic-affective dependence on another person. Until now, there is a consensus on the criteria of normality and abnormality in the mental health profession: 1- the historical moment in which the subject develops, 2- the subject's relationship with the environment, 3- his relationship with his equals, and 4 - relationship with himself through his ability to adapt. The first criterion (historical moment where the subject develops) is vital when mentally evaluating a certain person; the specialist takes into account the current laws, which transgresses morally according to the canons of the society where the subject who must appropriate the historical-social experience is inserted, if he dynamically assimilates his culture where he develops and is not alienated from his history. The second criterion (relationship of the subject with the environment) encompasses the insertion of this with the universe, this subject has to fit into the diverse plot that makes up life, where the extinction of a species will have immediate or long-term repercussions on human life, it is not that he feels like the core of the universe but a decisive part of it.

Summary of Chapters

INTRODUCTION: Establishes the professional difficulty of defining normality, critiquing the narrow reliance on diagnostic manuals and the potentially life-altering stigma of labels.

The criteria taken into account: Details four essential dimensions for assessing behavior: historical context, environmental integration, social relationships, and internal self-regulation.

Brief history about this dichotomy: Explores how social acceptance and historical perspectives influence the definition of what is considered normal, moving beyond static medical definitions.

CONCLUSIONS: Summarizes the necessity of incorporating morality, cultural context, and legal aspects as vital guidelines in psychopathological diagnostics.

Keywords

normality, abnormality, mental health, human behavior, psychopathology, DSM-5, ICD-10, morality, culture, self-regulation, diagnostic criteria, clinical psychology, identity, social stigma, ontology

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the fundamental focus of this essay?

The essay addresses the professional challenge of distinguishing between normal and abnormal behavior in clinical-health psychology, arguing against the exclusive reliance on standard diagnostic manuals.

What are the primary themes discussed in the work?

Key themes include the critique of current psychopathological diagnostic methods, the importance of cultural and historical contexts, the role of morality, and the implications of diagnostic labels on a person's life.

What is the main goal or research question of this study?

The main objective is to question the current medical guidelines used by professionals and to suggest new, more holistic ways of understanding the normality/abnormality dyad.

Which methods are utilized to conduct this research?

The study relies on a critical review of literature, theoretical models, and qualitative observations to highlight the limitations of current practices.

What topics are covered in the main body of the text?

The main body examines the perception of professionals, specific criteria for evaluating normality (historical, environmental, interpersonal, and personal), and a historical perspective on the dichotomy of social acceptance.

How would you characterize this paper with keywords?

The work is defined by concepts such as normality, abnormality, mental health, human behavior, morality, and the critique of psychopathological diagnostic systems.

Why does the author argue that DSM-5 and ICD-10 are insufficient?

The author argues they are insufficient because they focus primarily on medical consequences while ignoring essential factors like the subject's cultural idiosyncrasy, morality, and the historical moment.

How is "abnormality" defined in the context of this study?

Abnormality is explored as the antithesis of normality, reflecting a lack of rules or self-regulation, but the author emphasizes that this is often culturally relative.

• Auteurs: Yordanis Arias Barthelemi (Auteur) , Miriam Musle Lavalle (Auteur) , Francisco Franco López (Auteur) , Gladys Mora Albear (Auteur)
• Année de publication: 2023
• Pages: 6
• N° de catalogue: V1422960
• ISBN (PDF): 9783346980762
• Langue: anglais
• mots-clé: normality, abnormality, mental health, human behavior