Question

Psychological Disorders have come a long way in their journey of understanding and treatment of disorders. To understand psychological disorders, we would require a brief historical account of how these disorders have been viewed over the ages. When we study the history of abnormal psychology, we find that certain theories have occurred repeatedly. Trace the history of disorders to understand their origin and leading to the latest developments.

Answer 1

1. Pre‑classical and ancient views (before 5th century BCE)
   • Explanations mixed supernatural and early naturalistic ideas; many cultures attributed disturbing behaviour to spirits or divine causes.
   • In classical Greece, physician–philosophers (e.g., Hippocrates, later Galen) proposed organic/biological causes (humour theory: blood, phlegm, black bile, yellow bile) and saw imbalance as producing temperament and illness.
2. Middle Ages (approx. 5th–15th centuries)
   • Supernatural/demonological explanations regained dominance in much of Europe; mental disturbance was often seen as possession or moral failing, leading to persecution (e.g., witch‑hunts).
   • At the same time, some Christian thinkers (e.g., St. Augustine) wrote about internal anguish and conflict, ideas that later informed psychodynamic thinking.
3. Renaissance and early modern period (15th–18th centuries)
   • Humanism and renewed medical inquiry shifted some emphasis away from purely theological explanations. Johann Weyer and others argued for medical/psychological causes and for treatment rather than punishment.
4. Enlightenment and 19th‑century reform
   • Scientific method and humanitarian impulses fostered asylum reform and “moral treatment” movements emphasizing humane care, occupation, and social environment.
   • Over the 19th century, institutional care expanded even while reformers pushed for better conditions and later moves toward community care.
5. Early 20th century - competing theoretical schools
   • Major psychological models emerged and competed as explanations and guides to treatment:
     • Psychodynamic (Freudian) focus on unconscious conflict and developmental roots.
     • Behaviourism focused on learned responses and conditioning.
     • Biological psychiatry emphasized brain, genes, and bodily causes.
6. Cognitive revolution and evidence‑based therapies
   
   • Cognitive and cognitive‑behavioural therapies (CBT) combined cognitive restructuring with behavioural techniques and became among the most empirically supported, short‑term treatments for many disorders.
   • Humanistic and existential therapies contributed emphases on meaning, self‑actualization, and therapeutic alliance.
7. Contemporary view: integration and biopsychosocial approach
   • A convergence of biological, psychological, and social perspectives led to the biopsychosocial model: disorders are understood as arising from interacting genetic/neurological, cognitive/emotional, and social/cultural factors.
   • Classification (DSM, ICD) and evidence‑based practice guide diagnosis and treatment planning.