The Expression of Psychopathology - Essay Example

Perceptions and Causes of Psychopathology Introduction Culture is defined as a combination of behavioral meaning, norms and reference points utilized by members of a given society to make their exceptional view of the world and learn their character. A number of variables like traditions, values, religion, moral thoughts and other aspects of the society compose it. The extent of any possible linkages that exist between culture and its elements with clinical phenomena is common with psychiatric diagnosis, in particular, is broad and involved. Overview of how culture is a factor determining the expression of psychopathology Cultural psychiatry is concerned with the definition, description and the management of each psychiatric condition and in as much as they reflect and are all subject to a patterning influence by the cultural factors. Cultural psychiatry tends to recognize the difference that exist between etiology and the pathogenesis of psychological phenomena and accepts the assistance of neurosciences of reinforcing and expounding factors in pathology (Plante, 2013). The clinician must always comprehensively understand the cultural identity and the effects fully recognized and evaluated. With some several factors involved, culture actually plays a number of roles in the diagnostic process. Cultural factors may have a strong effect as the major triggers of psychopathology. Cultural factors may even contribute to higher or lower standards of severity of symptoms related to psychiatry like those of delayed help when seeking some responses to the appearance of sensitive symptoms in a relative. The cultural factors may also act as agents of the expression of clinical signs that tend to show the key themes of the historical period in which the ailment appears. Though, they are decisive factors in treatment. Causes of psychopathology by using either the diathesis-stress models The diathesis-stress model refers to a theory in the field of psychology that attempts to explain character as a pre-dispositional vulnerability combined with stress from life experiences. It is very clear that a large range of personal differences does exist between people in their vulnerability to the development of any disorder. Diathesis tends to interact with the subsequent response of stress on a given person (Plante, 2013). Therefore, the diathesis-stress model tends to serve and explore how generic characteristics interact with environmental influences to come up with disorders like anxiety or depression. The model asserts that, if the combination of all predisposition and stress exceeds a given threshold, the individual will automatically develop a psychological condition. The model also helps in understanding the linkage of nature and nurture in the susceptibility to disorders related to psychology throughout the lifespan of an individual. The model assists in the determination of who will and will not develop a disorder. It helps to know the reason person A and person B may be depressed while person B is not depressed even under the same circumstances. It has been used to explain the reasons why some given people are at a high risk of developing a particular psychological order than another person. In an example, those children who have some family history of being affected by depression are said to be at more risk of developing a related disorder (Ozer, 2012). A person or a child, who has some family history of depression and has been exposed to some particular stressors such as those of exclusion, would have a high chance of developing depression than those with the same history but their social interactions are positive and they relate well to their peers. The model asserts that, protective factors like positive social networks and high self-esteem can counteract the impacts of stressors and curb the effects of the disorders. Many psychological disorders tend to have vulnerability window that makes an individual have a high likelihood of developing a given disorder than the others (Ozer, 2012). The model presumes that, all the people have a given level of diathesis for any of the psychiatry disorders. The differences that exist between individuals suggests that, minor stressors on individuals may lead to a given disorder is those people with high vulnerability. It presupposes that, diathesis combined with stress act together to produce a disorder. For example, minimal stress is required for melancholy to occur in persons with a strong depressogenic schema. The models explain that, the absence of diathesis means that there will be no effect of stress so; even extreme stress will not lead to the growth of the disorder. When diathesis is present, the disorder appearance will be conditional on the degree of stress. The meaning of this is that, the increase of stress leads to an increase of the risk for the disorder in that particular person who possesses the diathesis (Ozer, 2012). However, most of the disorders related to psychiatry domain have a polygenic basis that tends to allow for the variations of the diathesis agent that include variations in the neurotransmitter activity levels. In such a case as above, the disorder would increase as a function of the stress and strength of the diathesis. Nonetheless, it must be noted that the interactions of stress and a diathesis might not be static and tends to change from time to time. Diathesis may decrease or increase so that the amount of stress needed for pathology development may increase or decrease respectively (Ozer, 2012). The phenomenon, therefore, provides an excellent example of the dynamic traits of the interactions between vulnerability and stress. The repeated occurrences of a given disorder may lead neuronal changes that tend to lead to more sensitivity to stress. The theory proposes that diatheses may always change and more or less stress becomes important to activate the vulnerability factors. It is however not clear how diathesis tends to change under negative circumstances influences leading to an increase in vulnerability. Explain the changes in societys perception of psychopathology as a function of historical period The understanding of psychology as a mental illness was introduced during the time when mental illness was understood as an entity of philosophical speculations. Psychopathology was first used in Germany by in the year 1878 and was used to refer to clinical psychiatry. As a discipline and a method, it was Teodule Ribot, a French philosopher who used it. The philosopher treated Psychopathological method as a pathological psychology, a psychology science branch that was different from generic psychology. There existed a laboratory of pathological psychology during this period. The denomination was changed in France because of the ambiguity terms. Karl Jaspers came up with psychopathology element in 1913 and published general psychopathology (Plante, 2013). From that time, there has been the growth of many approaches in the society in the field. However, a quick historical view of psychopathology displays that, in any moment, an important approach to the psychopathology phenomenon was taken in any of its major branches like phenomenological psychopathology and social psychopathology. The society has been learning about the discipline through these branches and their perceptions tend to change from one discipline to the other (Plante, 2013). References Ozer, S. (2012). Perceptions of Psychopathology in Relation to Socio-cultural Changes Among Ladakhi Youth. Psychol Stud, 57(3), 310-319. Plante, T. (2013). Abnormal psychology across the ages. Santa Barbara, Calif.: Praeger Publishers. Read More