Psych+Disorders+notes

Module 29: Thinking about Psychological Disorders
**Learning Goal #1:** Define what a psychological disorder is and the criteria used to judge psychologically disordered behaviors.

A psychological disorder is a harmful dysfunction in which behaviors are maladaptive, unjustifiable, disturbing, and atypical. - Maladaptive behaviors are destructive to oneself or others. - Unjustifiable behaviors are actions without rational basis. - Disturbing behaviors are troublesome to other people. - Atypical behaviors are so different that they violate social norms.

**Learning Goal #2:** Explain the development and influence of the medical model of psychological disorders. - Perspectives on psychological disorders have changed through the centuries. In the past, many “treatments” for psychological disorders were inhumane - French physician Philippe Pinel and other reformers worked to improve the treatment of people with psychological disorders. Pinel’s work led to the medical model of mental illness, the concept that mental diseases have physical causes that can be diagnosed, treated, and in most cases, cured.

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