Mental health is an aspect of one's overall well-being that has been gaining attention as of late. Just like physical health, one can also feel both well and ill. Psychopathology focuses on the latter condition.
What Is Psychopathology?
Generally, psychopathology is the in-depth study of issues and problems concerning mental health. It includes the word "pathology" which covers the etiology, development, and outcome of diseases. Psychopathology looks into the same aspects, specifically focusing on those related to mental health and mental illness.
The field can cover various elements, including behaviors, symptoms, causes (psychological, social, biological, genetic), development, course, categorization, and treatments.
As such, psychopathology focuses on problems linked to mental health and covers understanding such problems, classifying them, and treating them.
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Assessing Psychopathology
Depending on the exact mental condition, psychopathology signs could vary from case to case. Such signs could include mood changes, appetite changes, excessive fear or anxiety, distress, sleep disruptions, anger or irritability, self-harm or suicidal ideation, withdrawal or isolation, and coping difficulties.
While individuals can notice such changes among each other, there are specific professionals who utilize scientific and evidence-based approaches and treatments to psychopathology. These specialists are the ones who classify and diagnose mental illnesses.
Generally, there are two main systems used for the classification of mental illnesses. These are the DSM (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) and the ICD (International Classification of Diseases).
The American Psychiatric Association (APA) can be attributed to the creation of the DSM. The manual is used as a primary assessment basis for mental conditions. At present, there is the DSM-5-TR, which was published in 2022, that is used as the standard today. The manual covers diagnostic and identifiable criteria that professionals use for landing on specific mental illness diagnoses.
The ICD, on the other hand, is strikingly similar to the DSM. However, unlike DSM, the ICD's creation is attributed to the World Health Organization. This manual also covers other diagnoses, not just ones related to mental health.
The 4Ds of Psychopathology
When it comes to psychopathology, it is important to differentiate what counts as psychopathological and what counts as normal. How, then, do psychiatrists and psychologists differentiate things? Generally, this can be divided into four main areas: distress, dysfunction, deviance, and danger.
Distress refers to the negative emotions that a person feels within or that lead to discomfort to others. For people dealing with depression, extreme distress could be reported, rather than guilt or sadness.
Dysfunction, on the other hand, focuses on one's ability to complete daily functions. These activities could involve eating or going to work, among others. Among those dealing with depression, it may be reported that one is unable to get out of bed or that it takes much longer to finish regular daily tasks.
Deviance involves the emotions, thoughts, or behavior that deviate from the common and societal norms, while danger refers to putting either the self or others at risk.
These delineating factors enable the distinguishing of normal and psychopathological behavior.
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