Outline of abnormal psychology

Updated on Dec 09, 2024

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The following outline is provided as an overview of and topical guide to abnormal psychology:

Abnormal psychology – is the scientific study of abnormal behavior in order to describe, predict, explain, and change abnormal patterns of functioning. Abnormal psychology in clinical psychology studies the nature of psychopathology, its causes, and its treatments. Of course, the definition of what constitutes 'abnormal' has varied across time and across cultures. Individuals also vary in what they regard as normal or abnormal behavior. In general, abnormal psychology can be described as an area of psychology that studies people who are consistently unable to adapt and function effectively in a variety of conditions. The main contributing factors to how well an individual is able to adapt include their genetic makeup, physical condition, learning and reasoning, and socialization.

What type of thing is abnormal psychology?

Abnormal psychology can be described as all of the following:

An academic discipline – focused study in one academic field or profession. A discipline incorporates expertise, people, projects, communities, challenges, studies, inquiry, and research areas that are strongly associated with a given discipline.

One of the social sciences – concerned with society and the relationships among individuals within a society.

A branch of psychology – study of mind and behavior.

An applied science – discipline of science that applies existing scientific knowledge to develop more practical applications, like treating the mentally ill.

Essence of abnormal psychology

Abnormality

Mental disorder

Psychology

Psychopathology

Approaches of abnormal psychology

Somatogenic – abnormality is seen as a result of biological disorders in the brain. This approach has led to the development of radical biological treatments, e.g. lobotomy.

Psychogenic – abnormality is caused by psychological problems. Psychoanalytic (Freud), Cathartic, Hypnotic and Humanistic Psychology (Carl Rogers, Abraham Maslow) treatments were all derived from this paradigm.

Mental disorders

Mental disorder

List of mental disorders#Types of mental disorders – examples of mental disorders include:

Anxiety disorder

Bipolar disorder

Delusional disorder

Impulse control disorder

Kleptomania

Pyromania

Personality disorder

Obsessive–compulsive personality disorder

Schizoaffective disorder

Schizophrenia

Substance use disorder

Substance abuse

Substance dependence

Thought disorder

Treatment of mental disorders

Psychological evaluation

Psychotherapy

Psychiatric medication

Mental health professions

Mental health profession

Psychiatry

Clinical psychology

Psychiatric rehabilitation

School psychology

Clinical social work

Mental health professionals

Mental health professional

Psychiatrist

Clinical psychologist

School psychologist

Mental health counselor

History of abnormal psychology

History of mental disorders

History of mental disorders, by type

History of anxiety disorders

History of posttraumatic stress disorder

History of bipolar disorder

History of depression

History of major depressive disorder

History of neurodevelopmental disorders

History of autism

History of Asperger syndrome

History of obsessive–compulsive disorder

History of personality disorders

History of psychopathy

History of schizophrenia

History of the treatment of mental disorders

History of clinical psychology

History of electroconvulsive therapy

History of electroconvulsive therapy in the United Kingdom

History of psychiatry

History of psychiatric institutions

History of psychosurgery

History of psychosurgery in the United Kingdom

Lobotomy – consists of cutting or scraping away most of the connections to and from the prefrontal cortex, the anterior part of the frontal lobes of the brain. The purpose of the operation was to reduce the symptoms of mental disorder, and it was recognized that this was accomplished at the expense of the patient's personality and intellect! By the late 1970s, the practice of lobotomy had generally ceased.

History of psychotherapy