Question

Narrate indicators of psychological disorders.

Answer 1

According to DSM-5, there are five criteria (indicators) for psychological disorders.

1. Clinically significant syndrome: In psychological disorders, there should be a cluster of symptoms together, i.e., a syndrome.
2. Distress and Impairment: There should be distress, i.e., psychological pain due to negative feelings and stress, as well as impairment, i.e., inability to perform appropriate roles in personal and social situations.
3. Dysfunction: If the symptoms lead to developmental or psychological dysfunctions, it signifies mental disorders.
4. Responses to stressors that are normally accepted responses, e.g., sadness experienced at the loss of a loved one or culturally sanctioned responses, are not considered as signs of mental disorders.
5. Behaviour which is only deviant but does not produce any disability/distress/dysfunction does not become a sign of mental disorder.