Psychology

Smith E. in his article, What is abnormal psychology defines abnormal psychology as a branch of psychology which deals with behaviors which are considered abnormal, along with psychological phenomena which have not been fully explained, such as dreams, altered mental states, and hypnosis (Smith, 2010). According to this article, the goal of this branch of psychology is to understand the root causes of such behavior, to determine how and if the behavior should be addressed, and to develop a treatment plan which will help an individual patient. It is through such a study that people who seek help from psychologists, counselors, and psychiatrists (Smith, 2010). According to Eysenck (1962), abnormal psychology is the study of defective systems. He uses an experimental approach in the study of abnormal psychology. It is however evident that his definition does not comprehensively cover the full essence of abnormal psychology.

New World Encyclopedia on the other hand defines abnormal psychology as the scientific study of abnormal behavior in order to describe, predict, explain, and change abnormal patterns of functioning. According to this encyclopedia, abnormal psychology studies the nature of psychopathology, its causes, and its treatments. Abnormal psychology can therefore be generally described as an area of psychology that studies people who are consistently unable to adapt and function effectively in a variety of conditions (New World Encyclopedia, 2008).

From the above definitions, we can conclude that abnormal psychology deals generally with behavior considered abnormal. But the question that arises at this point is what behavior is to be considered normal or abnormal Smith admits that there is difficulty in the definition of abnormality. He believes that the definition of abnormality can be slippery. It has undergone radical changes over time in the history of man. The conditions that are studied under abnormal psychology include maladaptive behaviors, mental and emotional disorders, and behaviors which cause significant discomfort. There is also a comprehensive guide available on behaviors that have been studied under this field which has been prepared by psychologists (Smith 2010).

David L. Gills who has been a lecturer at the University of Illinois suggests that the definition of abnormality has been associated with demons, gods, and magic. It has also been linked with bodily fluids, wandering uteruses, astral influences, and physical illnesses among other similar things. He believes that our concept of the nature and cause of abnormal behavior has a significant influence on how we conceptualize treatment and what people see in research, or more importantly, what they fail to see (Gills, 1989).

Davison in his book Abnormal psychology argues that our perception on abnormal psychology will determine the social and legal treatment we give to the affected. He is of the opinion that different nations adopt different ways of dealing with abnormal cases especially from the legal perspective. For example, the laws adopted in the United States are different from other nations as regards abnormality (Davison, 2000).

Peace believes that abnormality is a derivative concept. This is because it depends on the understanding of normality. Normality describes norms of behavior without prescribing what is healthy or adaptive (Peace, 2007).

Brief history of abnormal behavior
The debate on the causes of mental illness has been one of the primary concerns of abnormal psychology. Since time immemorial, people have sought to understand the mystery surrounding mental illnesses and have come up with different theories to explain the same. These theories fall under three main domains namely supernatural, scientific or humanitarian. During prehistoric times, people did not see the difference between medicine, magic and religion. This was between 10000B.C and 3000B.C. Between 1800 B.C- 1700B.C, the king of Babylonia issued laws and regulations that governed the practice of health care. Greek and Roman civilization occurred between 800B.C and 1000AD. Here, a much more scientific view of mental illness being developed with many concordant humanitarian treatments can be seen. But this did not prevent the mystical theories explaining mental illness from taking a firm stance. For example, it was explained that mental illness was as a result of God taking the mind away (Snitchler 2010).

During the middle Ages, there was almost no new scientific advance in the understanding of mental illness that was made. This age was marked by a resurgence of beliefs regarding spiritual causes of mental illness. When one had a mental illness, it was blamed on him and people thought he was being punished because of his wicked actions. In 1769, Benjamin Rush was appointed professor of chemistry and medicine at the college of Philadelphia. He is considered the father of American psychiatry since he instituted scientific research and made changes that improved the lives of mentally ill (Snitchler, 2010).

Clifford Whittingham Beers (1876-1943) founded the National Committee for mental hygiene whose task was to ensure that people with mental illnesses received more humane treatment. He had previously suffered a mental breakdown and was confined to asylum for three years. He published a book by the title A mind that found itself, giving an account of his experiences (Snitchler 2010).
Paul Bennett illustrates the difference in perception of mental illnesses from earlier days to modern times. He records that explanations of madness have existed for much of the history, and have varied markedly over time. For example, the Chinese had their bizarre ideas linking madness to supernatural forces. However, today things have changed. Modern treatment even requires thousands of individuals with chronic mental health conditions who would have required hospital care to be treated in the community (Bennett, 2006).

Theoretical models of abnormal psychology
There are several models that are used to explain and treat abnormal functioning. These include biological model, psychosocial model and socio-cultural model. These three models will be discussed in turns to get a clear picture of what each of them entails.

According to the socio-cultural model, people can best understand abnormal behavior if they look at it from the point of view of the social and cultural forces that affect individuals. There is a need to understand the norms of the society and the roles that a person plays in the social environment. Family structure and reaction of other people towards him or her are important aspects to consider under this model. This is a model that borrows ideas from both anthropology and sociology (Peace, 2007).

The biological model is the most dominant in the society today. It views abnormality as a mental illness, i.e. the brain is not working as it should. When you are behaving abnormally, this model will conclude that you are sick in the head. Since it is a disease like any other, it can be treated in hospitals with drugs and surgery. The medic analyses the symptoms and gives a prescription aiming to cure the illness. However, one can not test for mental illness, say, using blood samples or x-ray. The sickness is all in the head. (Peace, 2007).

The other model is the psychodynamic model. It is the oldest and the most famous. It holds that something happened in the past which we can not be able to deal with. This happening is what is believed to cause problems in the present. This happens when the memory is buried, or repressed, and has gone into the unconscious mind. Those who subscribe to this behavior believe that a persons behavior is highly determined by underlying psychological forces which he or she is no aware of, whether his or her behaviors are normal or abnormal. The aforementioned forces are seen to be dynamic, meaning that they interact with each other, an interaction that gives rise to behavior, thought and emotions (Peace, 2007).

It can therefore be concluded that abnormal psychology as a scientific discipline has undergone many changes. This is more so due to the difficulties involved in trying to define the concept of abnormality. However, since man admitted that abnormal psychology is more of a biological rather than a spiritual issue, much progress has been made in the understanding, appreciating and treating individuals who suffer from mental illnesses. It can be hoped that more progress will be made in this discipline to better the lives of the members of the society who suffer from mental disabilities.