Psychological Abnormality and Depression: Approaches and Prevalence

Running head: PSYCHOLOGICAL ABNORMALITY
PSYCHOLOGICAL ABNORMALITY
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1PSYCHOLOGICAL ABNORMALITY
Task 1
‘Abnormal psychology’ comprises characteristics which are considered ‘atypical’ to the
normative standards of society (Levine et al. 2018). According to Rosenhan and Seligman
(1989), an individual possesses abnormal psychological characteristics if they are incapable of
performing daily essential activities. Such abnormality is characterized by an individual
displaying unconventionality, unpredictability and irrationality in his or her actions, engagement
in behaviors which violate social expectations along with being maladaptive to others as well as
self and whose presence generally causes uneasiness to others (Murphy 2017). This definition is
largely subjective since not all unconventional behaviors may be abnormal but rather, helpful,
empowering and positive for the individual. A person engaging obsessively compulsively in self
grooming practices, may feel positive in the performance of such activities. Individuals engage
in a variety of unconventional and self-threatening activities which are not necessarily abnormal
such as adventure sports or alcohol consumption (Goette et al. 2017). In accordance to Jahoda
(1958), an individual can be considered to be abnormal if he or she displays deviation from
standards of ideal mental health. Such a definition encompasses ideal mental health as one where
an individual perceives one’s personality positively, engages in optimistic social relationships,
exhibits independent and autonomous decision-making and displays the ability of future self
improvement (Marková and Jesuino 2018). Such a definition is highly subjective to a large
extent since it is impossible for an individual to possess all these characteristics, and despite
lacking in some these abilities, may still be healthy and functional in his or her present
environment. Racial and cultural subjectivity may be present since such definitions may largely

2PSYCHOLOGICAL ABNORMALITY
be formulated by white, upper class individuals and hence, may be inconsiderate of the
psychological uniqueness in women or culturally and racially diverse populations (Pelling 2017).
Concepts of abnormality are widely dependent on cultural backgrounds and the societal
perceptions of the community resided by an individual (Wong et al. 2016). For example, certain
groups belonging to tribal or aboriginal populations and across societies of Southern and South
Eastern Asia, idol worship and treating or serving a deity as a separate spiritual entity through
offerings or sacrifices is widely prevalent but may be considered abnormal in Western societies
or populations adhering to atheism or with an absence of idol worship (Sue et al. 2015).
Likewise, various societies remain in possession of ‘entomophagy’ - a practice of consuming
insects as a staple dietary food. Such a prevalent and popular dietary practice may be considered
highly abnormal and even unethical across populations not engaging in such behaviors or where
insects are viewed with disgust (Butcher, Mineka and Hooley 2017).
As observed from the above definitions the perception of abnormality is largely
dependent on normative standards of personal autonomy and independence. According to
common societal standards, an individual who is capable of performing daily activities with
independence, autonomy and efficiency is considered to be normal (Bartels and Peters 2017).
Hence, individuals who display a deviation in the form of a dependency may be considered as
abnormal, as observed in the definitions of functional ability formulated by Rosenhand and
Seligman (1989) (Kring et al. 2017). Hence, such judgments about abnormality can be largely
observed in classification of disorders such as ‘separation anxiety’ or ‘dependant personality
disorder’ where an individual’s preference to cling to others or inability to conduct independent
decision-making is considered as an abnormality and a ‘psychological disorder’ (Becker et al.
2016). Similarly, disorders characterized by uniqueness of an individual’s cognitive processes,

3PSYCHOLOGICAL ABNORMALITY
such as ‘autism’ is largely considered abnormal due to the individual not adhering to established
standards of independent function, intelligence and cognition (Hawks et al. 2019).
Task 2
Depression is a debilitating psychological disorder characterized by persistent feelings of
pessimism, hopelessness, melancholy and a loss of interest towards performance of activities
which were once desirable to an individual (Drapeau et al. 2017). The mechanisms of depression
acquisition have undergone explanation using various approaches, of which, the humanistic and
biological approaches comprise as prevalent ones. The biological approach to depression
attempts to explain the underlying causative mechanism of depression using a pathological
perspective associated with a deviation from general homeostatic mechanisms outlined my
neurotransmission (Beck and Bredemeier 2016). Hence, in accordance to the biological
approach, depression is a caused due to disturbances in the functioning of neurotransmitters such
as serotonin and dopamine and abnormalities in corticosteroid release resulting in inhibition of
the hypothalamus-pituatary axis and the dopamine system coupled with the hindrances to the
limbic system – the emotion-regulation center of the brain (Brown et al. 2016). The biological
approach also views depression as a causative effect due to genetic predisposition (Cown and
Browning 2015). In contrast, the humanistic approach to depression, attempts to view an
individual holistically, who is capable of achieving optimum potential and self actualization and
hence, he or she may be depressed due to inabilities to cope with existing situations and
circumstances of their life. Hence, an individual may be sad, depressed and lose an interest over
their lives due to recent traumatic or challenging life situations which pose to be a barrier against
their abilities to exhibit their highest potential (Park and Kim 2018).