Module 49 Introduction
Introduction to Psychological Disorders
610
“Who in the rainbow can draw the line where the violet tint ends and the orange tint begins? Distinctly we see the difference of the colors, but where exactly does the one first blendingly enter into the other? So with sanity and insanity.”
Herman Melville, Billy Budd, Sailor, 1924
Most people would agree that someone who is too depressed to get out of bed for weeks at a time has a psychological disorder. But what about those who, having experienced a loss, are unable to resume their usual social activities? Where should we draw the line between sadness and depression? Between zany creativity and bizarre irrationality? Between normality and abnormality? Let’s start with these questions:
- How should we define psychological disorders?
- How should we understand disorders? How do underlying biological factors contribute to disorder? How do troubling environments influence our well-being? And how do these effects of nature and nurture interact?
- How should we classify psychological disorders? And can we do so in a way that allows us to help people without stigmatizing them with labels?
- What do we know about rates of psychological disorders? How many people have them? Who is vulnerable, and when?