Week 2: Causal Factors In Mental Health

Question 1

What are the necessary, sufficient and contributory causes of abnormal behaviour?

Answer 1

• aetiology
• necessary cause: characteristic X that must exist for a disorder Y to occur
• sufficient cause: condition that guarantees the occurrence of a disorder; if X occurs, then Y will also occur
• contributory cause: increase the probability of a disorder developing but is neither necessary nor sufficient for the disorder to occur

Question 2

What is the diathesis-stress model of psychological disorders?

Answer 2

• describe mental disorders that develop when someone with a pre-existing vulnerability for the disorder experiences a major stressor

Question 3

What is the biological perspective of abnormal behaviour? (Four categories of biological factors)

Answer 3

• mental disorders as diseases
  1. Genetic vulnerabilities
  2. Brain dysfunction and neural plasticity
  3. Neurotransmitter and hormonal abnormalities in brain and CNS
  4. Temperament

Question 4

What is the social perspective of abnormal behaviour? (social environment, causal factors)

Answer 4

• social environment as a source of: vulnerability to mental disorder, and resistance to mental disorder
• causal factors: low SES, unemployment, being subjected to prejudice and discrimination, social change and uncertainty