Clinical Psychology

• Defining mental disorders
• Distinguishing normal from abnormal
• Biological explanations of mental disorder
• The value of 'talking cures'

Defining mental disorders

Clinical psychologists diagnose and treat mental disorders. These include anxiety and mood disorders like depression and obsessive-compulsive disorder, eating disorders like anorexia nervosa, and psychotic disorders like schizophrenia. In all cases, people's behaviour goes beyond the acceptable norms of society and appears to be maladaptive, that is, likely to be harmful to themselves or others.

Distinguishing normal from abnormal

Mental disorders are often difficult to diagnose, because many symptoms are part of normal behaviour. For example, many people show symptoms of depression in response to the death of a loved one, but this is an expectable reaction. The psychologist must make a judgement as to the severity of symptoms and how long they have persisted. A disorder would only be diagnosed if a person showed no voluntary control over their feelings or behaviour. So a political prisoner who deliberately goes on hunger strike would not be diagnosed as anorexic.

Biological explanations of mental disorder

In their research, clinical psychologists try to establish what causes mental disorders. Some emphasise biological factors that lead to brain dysfunction. These include genetic predispositions to mental illness, as with schizophrenia, but also damage to the brain caused by accidents or by toxins like alcohol. Some disorders with a biological cause can be treated with drugs. For example, the drug clozapine is used to reduce the symptoms of schizophrenia by inhibiting excessive production of dopamine and other transmitters in the brain.

The value of 'talking cures'

Not all mental disorders have simple biological causes, and researchers must also consider the personal history of individuals in the search for causes and treatments. There are many different kinds of so-called "talking cures", but all therapies have the aim of overcoming maladaptive ways of thinking and behaving. It has been found that about 75% of people improve when given some form of therapy.