How Are Mental Disorders Conceptualized and Classified?
1. Mental disorders are classified into categories: The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) has evolved from Kraeplin’s categories of mental illness. It is a multiaxial system for diagnosing groups of symptoms in the context of related factors. 2. Mental disorders must be assessed before diagnosis: Assessment is the process of examining a person’s mental functions and psychological health in order to make a diagnosis. Assessment is accomplished through interviews, behavioral evaluations, and psychological testing. 3. Mental disorders have many causes: Disorders may arise from psychological factors, such as the family system or sociocultural context. They may be the result of learned, maladaptive cognitions. Biological factors also underlie mental illness. The diathesis-stress model looks at mental disorders as an interaction among multiple factors. In this model, stressful circumstances may trigger a disorder in an individual with underlying vulnerabilities. 4.
