Purchase Solution

Mental Illness

Not what you're looking for?

Ask Custom Question

Describe how psychologists use specific diagnostic criteria in the diagnosis of mental illness. Explain the difference between changes in behavior when they are temporary (such as distress, irrationality, unpredictability, and unconventionality) and when they are long term and may indicate a mental illness.

Purchase this Solution
Solution Summary

This solution describe specific diagnositc criteria in diagnosing mental illness.

Solution Preview

The primary resource used by psychologists to determine a mental disorder and/or mental illness is drawn from the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV-TR [APA], 2000) criteria. However, from a psychological perspective, the term abnormal used to assess a mood indicating the presence of mental illness has not been adequately defined in the DSM-IV-TR. Therefore, there may be the potential by practitioners to confuse normal or common mood changes, and a mental disturbance such as depression. For instance, the DSM-IV-TR offers no operational definition for a mental disorder, but refers to different types of psychopathology at different levels. Basically, the DSM-IV-TR criteria implies a distinction between a "mental" and a medically-determined physical disorder.

The DSM -IV-TR (2000) describes a mental disorder within concepts of distress, dysfunction, disability, disadvantage, irritation, patterns, etiology and statistical deviation. On this basis, based on DSM criteria, what is considered as deviating from the "norm" is related to mental phenomena and described as abnormal behavior. Thus, to aid in diagnosing a mental illness or ...

Purchase this Solution
Free BrainMass Quizzes
Emotional Intelligence: A Beginning

An introduction to an emerging branch of Psychology-Emotional Intelligence.

Common Characteristics of Qualitative Methods

This quiz evaluates the common characteristics seen in qualitative methodology.

How can you tell if your loved one is suicidal?

This is a small quiz to help determine if a loved one is suicidal and what steps should be taken to help stop suicide.

Theories of Work Motivation

This quiz tests the student's understanding of the major theories of work motivation from an organizational behavior perspective.

Perspectives of Psychology

A review of main theoretical perspectives and those most closely associated with them

View More Free Quizzes
Related BrainMass Solutions

  • Mental Illness vs. Physical Illness

    38047 Mental illness vs Physical illness Q. Why would a person make fun of someone having a mental illness and not a person with a physical illness? Q. Will society ever accept mental illness as an illness?

  • Strategies to Reduce Mental Illness Stigma

    One strategy that may be used to reduce the stigma associated with mental illness is to educate the general public about mental illness and the differing levels of mental illness that individuals may have.

  • Mental Health Treatment

    It will also provide knowledge to the larger population who create the stigma experienced by the individual with mental illness. Being an advocate for individuals with mental illness also helps to debunk the myths associated with mental illness.

  • Relationship between mental illness and dangerousness

    397565 The relationship between mental illness and dangerousness is briefly correlated. Discuss research studies on the relationship between mental illness and dangerousness.

  • This posting addresses escorting mentally ill prisoners.

    The main issue in transporting or escorting inmates that have a mental illness is that people with a mental illness oftentimes look for the greatest opportunity to exhibit the symptoms of their mental illness.

  • Mental illness as a legal concept

    397564 Mental illness as a legal concept Explain the following statement: "Mental illness is not synonymous with psychological disorder." What are the implications of mental illness as a legal concept?

  • Article Analysis on Mental Illness Stigma

    Dependent variables: self-disclosure (of mental illness at work), seeking assistance for mental illness, attitudes concerning appropriate forms of workplace accommodations for workers with mental illness, beliefs about hiring people with mental illness

  • Mental versus physical illness

    34229 Mental versus physical illness What is society's view on mental illness? How do some people differ in opinion? Why do society accept joking about a person having a mental illness and not a physical illness such as cancer?

  • US Attitudes Toward Mental Illnesses

    449773 Discuss U.S. attitudes toward mental illness as it relates to the different etiological models of pathology.

  • Treating Mental Illness in the United States

    One barrier that prevents people with mental illnesses from receiving the care they need, are the funding barriers for public mental illness services.

View More Related Solutions