Learning Objectives

14.1 Provide examples of the criteria that psychologists must meet before considering any behavior abnormal, and describe why psychologists believe that labeling a psychological problem as an illness or a disorder can attach a stigma to it.
14.2 Identify four types of pertinent information the clinician uses to describe a patient’s full range of symptoms, and describe the unique behavioral issues associated with five types of disorders.
14.3 Describe the bio-psycho-social perspective and provide examples of how both genetic and environmental factors can contribute to psychological disorders.
14.4 For the major sections of the chapter, summarize how psychological disorders are defined and explained.