Key Question Flashcards
A01 paragraph
Throughout history, the changing perception of mental health has impacted individuals in society.
Some behaviors that were classed as mental health disorders in the past were in fact a response to social factors.
This meant that people may have been classed as having a mental health disorder where as in the present day they would not have.
An example of this is homosexuality which used to be classsed as a mental disorder.
This had serious impact for induviduals who committed homosexual acts and were caught for doing so.
There is also a strong interplay between law and mental health diagnosis and therefor a huge implications for those individuals within society e.g Allan Turing who was chemically castrated as a result of being caught committing a homosexual act.
The changing perceptions of mental diagnosis has also changed the treatment methods.
As an example the number of psychiatric institutions as a result of political changes in 1962 which sought the closure of a number of victorian institutions.
In 2012 the number of psychiatric beds went from 150,000 to 27,000 (Independant).
Also there has been a shift in the methods of treatment from procedures like lobotomies to a care in the community model, which was a change as a result of the labor government.
Classification system (ICD& DSM)
The classification system of mental health disorders has changed over time. The DSM and ICD change in response to social norms both ejecting disorders and adding new emerging disorders. Therefore these classification systems take into account the changing nature of society and the impact a diagnosis may have on an individual within society. That said these classification systems may not be useful as a demonstration of diagnosis over time as it is meant to be a standardized tool. This could mean that it ignores novel disorders that aren’t yet classified or acknowledged across society at large. As a result of this, the perception of mental health may be a result of an invalid assessment tool.
However, the DSM and ICD are constantly changing and evolving including the harmination across the two diagnostic tools and revisions of the tools to include and disclude disorders as relevant. This is important as it shows how the perception of mental health disorders can be based on reliable tools.
Classification system ( 4D’s)
The classification system of diagnosis is impacted by social norms. Diagnosis systems are mindful of this and therefore make sure they stay in line with the 4 D’s. Therefore changing perception of mental health may be a result of positive changes in social norms.
Research
Reacher within psychology has had a massive impact on the perception of mental health disorders. An an example of this is Rosenhan, who massively questioned the validity of diagnosis when he found that within an institutionalized setting it was very difficult to distinguish the sane from the insane. Therefore he believed that all behavior is simply a result of the label (diagnosis) given. This has resulted in the diagnosis patients have received from mental health professionals being questioned, and lead to a general distrust of diagnosis validity within society. However due to the practical issues with Rosanhan’s study the changes in the perception of mental health caused by the study may not be valid e.g the observations have subjective interpretations of the doctor and patients behavior.
Treatment
The change in treatment has also impacted the society’s perception of mental health disorders. There has been a shift in treatment from institutions to care within the community. This not only allows patients to access help and support through sheltered accommodation and 24 hour crisis help while remaining within society. It also allows for a broader societal acceptance and understanding of mental health disorders allowing for a more positive and accepting perception of mental health disorders than in the past.
However as there is more awareness and exposure of mental health disorders it has also accessibat ed negative stigma and prejudice attached to it and therefore this new era of treatment may have more harmful impact on the perception of mental health disorders within society.
Conclusion
Overall the perception of mental health and mental health disorders has changed over time. Which has lead to patients being able to question the diagnosis given to them giving them autonomy but also a increased stigma around diagnosis.
Question
How has the perception of mental health and treatment of mental illness changed over time?
