[1][2]: 1–4 There is a long history of attempts to understand and control behavior deemed to be aberrant or deviant (statistically, functionally, morally, or in some other sense), and there is often cultural variation in the approach taken.
[8] In the late 18th century, the idea of humanitarian treatment for the patients gained much favor, due to the work of Philippe Pinel in France.
"Dix, more than any other figure in the nineteenth century, made people in America and virtually all of Europe aware that the insane were being subjected to incredible abuses.
Things began to change in the year 1946, when Mary Jane Ward published the influential novel titled The Snake Pit, which was made into a popular movie of the same name.
[10] That same year, the National Institute of Mental Health was also created, which provided support for the training of hospital employees, and research into the conditions of the patients.
During the Stone Age, trepanning was performed on those who had mental illness, to literally cut the evil spirits out of the victim's head.
By the time of the Greeks and Romans, mental illnesses were thought to be caused by an imbalance of the four humors which lead treatments like the draining of fluids from the brain.
If exorcism failed, some authorities advocated steps such as confinement, beating, and other types of torture to make the body uninhabitable to witches, demons, and spirits.
Beginning in some hunter-gatherer societies, animists have believed that people demonstrating abnormal behavior are possessed by malevolent spirits.
This idea has been associated with trepanation, the practice of cutting a hole into the individual's skull in order to release the malevolent spirits.
Performed by religious authorities, exorcism is thought of as another way to release evil spirits who cause pathological behavior within the person.
[17] The Greek physician Hippocrates, who is considered to be the father of Western medicine, played a major role in the biological tradition.
Hippocrates and his associates wrote the Hippocratic Corpus between 450 and 350 BC, in which they suggested that abnormal behaviors can be treated like any other disease.
Kendra Cherry, MSEd, states: "The medical approach to abnormal psychology focuses on the biological causes of mental illness.
[20] The term sociocultural refers to the various circles of influence on the individual, ranging from close friends and family, to the institutions and policies of a country, or the world as a whole.
Discriminations, whether based on social class, income, race and ethnicity, or gender, can influence the development of abnormal behaviour.
[21] The number of different theoretical perspectives in the field of psychological abnormality has made it difficult to properly explain psychopathology.
Inattentive symptoms include not listening, careless errors, disorganization, losing personal belongings, becoming easily distracted, and forgetfulness.
These personality traits include callousness, deceitfulness, lack of remorse, apathy, manipulation of others, impulsiveness, and grandiosity.
[30] SAD can develop after a traumatic and/or embarrassing experience has occurred while the person was being observed by other people.
PTSD can manifest a large variety of symptoms, including, but not limited to, nightmares, flashbacks, avoidance and/or physiological reactions related to stimuli regarding the trauma, shame, guilt, anger, hypervigilance, and social withdrawal.
[36] Section II of the DSM-5 Contains a wide range of diagnostic criteria and codes used for establishing, and diagnosing the vast amount of abnormal psychological constructs.
[36] Section III of the DSM-5 contains the various methods and strategies that are used to make clinical decisions, understand culture, and explore emerging diagnoses.
The goal of these methods is to induce a catharsis, or emotional release in the patient, which should indicate that the source of the problem has been tapped, and it can then be treated.
There are many potential problems associated with this style of therapy, including resistance to the repressed memory or feeling, and negative transference onto the therapist.
It is considered to be one of the core elements needed for therapeutic effectiveness, and a significant contributor to not only the well-being of the patient, but society as a whole.
It is felt that using CBT in a group setting aids in giving its members a sense of support, and decreasing the likelihood of them dropping out of therapy before the treatment has had time to work properly.
The treatment often helps the patients cope with the disorder they have, and how they can adapt to their new lives without developing new problems, such as depression, or negative schemas about themselves.
[27]: 102–103 Although somewhat controversial, due to data that suggests a lack of effectiveness in children older than 10 years old, play therapy has been shown to be a valuable treatment.
Critics argue that such language can lead to individuals feeling marginalized, perpetuating a sense of "otherness" and reinforcing the stigma associated with mental health issues.