Mental Health & Psychopathology I

Submitted by: Sehar Yasmeen, Zoubia Ali

Roll no.: L1F19BSSY1082, L1F19BSSY0186

Assignment # 1

History of Psychopathology & relation with Pakistan’s culture

Submitted to: Ma’am Khola Tahir

 PSYCHOPATHOLOGY

Psychopathology refers to the study of mental disorders in terms of their causes, development,

course, classification, and treatment. It is also divided into biological psychopathology, Child

psychopathology and Animal psychopathology.

HISTORY

In early times, psychopathology was considered as an effect of superstitions. Many

psychological issues which are now named as mental disorders, in past they were considered due

to evil spirits or demons. That concepts remained until 500 B.C. The only treatment for these

mental issues until then was Exorcism or either torturing the body so that the demon can get out

of the body. Even, they also used Trepanning, a technique in which a small instrument is used to

bore a hole in the skull so that the evil spirit can get out of the body. Then, around in 450 B.C.

Hippocrates denied that the abnormal behavior or illness is due to internal cause such as due to

imbalance of fluids in the body. He identified these fluids as:

 Blood

 Yellow bile

 Black bile

 Phlegm

After Hippocrates, Philosopher Plato also argued that human’s mind, body and spirit worked as a

unit. Any imbalance in the body fluids can bring distress and illness within human body.

After that, in 1793, Benjamin Rush published his first American textbook on Psychiatry named
as Medical Inquiries and Observations upon the Diseases of Mind. In that book, he stated

that mental illness can also be due to some psychological or social pressures. And he gave a

treatment for this as “Moral Management”.

In 19th century, Psychoanalyst Sigmund Freud brought psychotherapies which is a clinical

method to treat psychopaths by dialogues between patient and psychoanalyst.

In 21st century, Philippe Pinel believed that mental illness is due to excessive psychological and

social stresses. He said that mentally ill person can be treated by sympathy, compassion and

empathy.

Relation with Pakistan’s Culture

The historical backdrop of psychopathology can be identified with Pakistani culture as the vast

majority here still think that there is nothing similar to metal sickness, individuals either have

devils inside them or they are faking their psychological maladjustment. In Pakistan, particularly

in towns, individuals feel that dysfunctional behaviors are an untouchable so they don't discuss it

rather they become critical of individuals who go to a therapist. Seeking help from psychological

disorders is problematic in Pakistan. Families often hide mental illness to prevent patient from

adverse stereotyping.

Even after 7 decades, Pakistan is still facing health care issues. Due to lack of formally

functioning health care systems, traditional spiritual healers in Pakistan have the upper hand.

Those spiritual healers are named as Baba, Peer, Sayeen, Sufi etc. they perform in clinics,

shrines, mosques, residences and attributes mental illness to possession of evil spirit or magical

influence of enemies.
Along these lines, individuals confronting hardships with adapting in day-to-day existence fear

going to the mental treatment as they may be ridiculed. In any case, these days individuals are

beginning to know about the way that it's alright to have emotional wellness issues and it’s OK

to visit a clinician when you need to. Perhaps in the impending years individuals really feel much

more agreeable of going in treatment than they are currently.

GOVERNMENT ACTIONS

 Health became a provincial issue with 18th amendment in Pakistan’s law.

 Mental health act was approved by Sindh Provincial Assembly in 2013.

 The Lunacy act of 1912 governed mental health care prior to mental health ordinance

(MHO) of 2001.

 In 2014, Punjab government paned the Punjab Mental Health act.

 Moreover, government should do their best to inform public that the mental illness is

similar to the physical illness and can be treated in a proper way.

References

 https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Psychopathology#History

 https://courses.lumenlearning.com/abnormalpsychology/chapter/history-of-abnormal-behavior/