Discussion Forum Unit 1

What does Psychopathology and Mental Health mean to you?

In my opinion, psychopathology is the study of the origin and development of mental

disorders and how they are treated. A person’s mental health, to me, describes the general

wellness or lack thereof of their mind which will determine how well they can function in

their day-to-day tasks and in society as a whole. Unfortunately, there are some individuals

who suffer from poor overall mental health which causes them to be unable to function in

normal settings. Mental health issues can be managed in an outpatient setting with

psychotherapy and medication. However, depending on the severity of the mental health

issues, patients might require temporary hospitalization where they can receive the necessary

treatment or in extremely severe cases, permanent hospitalization might be the only option.

What is your definition of abnormal psychology?

If I have to define abnormal psychology, I would describe it as the study of the root

cause of the various types of mental health illnesses. The purpose of abnormal psychology is

to give practitioners the ability to diagnose, explain, identify the causes of and treat the

maladaptive behaviours in patients. The definition of abnormal psychology can be extended

to include the negative impact that an individual’s mental health has on those in their

immediate environment, such as their family relationships and friendships, as well as the

society on a whole.

What kind of experiences have you had with mental illness?

I’ve had experience with mental illness long before I was old enough to understand

what mental illness actually was. Growing up, I have had the unfortunate experience of
watching my mother struggle with clinical depression. When she experiences her episodes,

she literally becomes like a totally different person. As a child, I often watched my happy,

energetic mother with her bubbly personality transform into someone that I barely

recognized. She became sad, withdrawn and often lacked the desire to partake in activities

that would normally interest her. Watching my mother’s struggle over the years has been the

driving force behind me choosing psychology as a course of study. My mother has been able

to lead a pretty normal life due to the consistent care that she receives from the mental health

professionals. Her experiences have shown me that individuals who battle mental illness can

lead normal lives as long as they receive the adequate care they deserve.