Question

Some attempted to explain it as a battle between good and evil, while others sought physical reasons. Compare and contrast the history of the supernatural tradition and the biological tradition of mental health disorders? Also consider how these heave influenced the contemporary focus on the five influences that must be considered as causes of any psychological disorder and give examples on health and/or behavior of each of the five influences. Do you think any one influence is more responsible than the others?

Answer 1

In ancient days, many civilizations viewed mental illness as demonic possession or punishment from god. Cultures viewed mental illness as religious issue rather than as health issue, although some tried to determine reason for such issue on biomedical basis like body humor theory by Hippocrates. Now, there is a paradigm shift from mental illness to mental health. We now trying to define mental health as capability of the individual to thrive positively in environment rather than just calling it as absence of illness.

Many cultures viewed the mental illness as punishment/curse from the god to an individual and tried to avoid the individual affected with mental health issues rather than helping to regain to normalcy. In modern biomedical view, mental health issues are perceived as imbalance of neurotransmitters affecting cognition and behavior. Here, the mental illnesses are addressed with medicines such as suppressants, receptor blockers, inhibitors, etc. Also social support and help provided to cope with situational stress and improve cognitive ability through cognitive and behavioral therapy. Counseling support provided to adapt to environment and be mentally fit.

In modern days, importance given to factors influencing mental health issues which are genetic factor, individual psychological factor, social and environmental factor, cognitive factor, medicine effects, etc. These influencing factors help to predict the individual's mental health and treat appropriately with right approach.

Let us try to examine 5 five influences considered as causes for psychological disorders:

1. Physical and biological factor: These include genetic factors affecting an individual's behavior pattern, any cognitive deficit such as hearing or visual impairment, motor impairment resulting in change in behavioral pattern. Number of family members affected with mental illness like depression or schizophrenia may influence individual getting same kind of mental illness. Also cognitive deficit will influence sensory perception of an individual resulting in deviant behavior. Example: Visual or hearing deficit may result in cognitive ability of an individual and thus affect decision making in certain situations resulting in deviant behavior.

2. Social and environment causes: There is an argument from long time about nature versus nurture influence on mental health. Let us consider one example here: An individual with high intelligence quotient may be good at academics which attracts good recognition from mentors resulting in healthy behavioral pattern. This may happen opposite for individual with low intelligence quotient resulting in deviant behavior. Social factors like learning to consume tobacco and alcohol by observing peers or elders will influence individual to develop addiction and deviant behavior affecting mental health.

3. Psychological factor: This relates to individual's coping skills, adapting to new stressors, etc. Difficulty with coping new stressors may result in mental illness. Example: If an individual fails to cope with loss of job, then individual may indulge in alcohol consumption or develop antisocial behavior both affecting mental health.

4. Medical factor: This factor refers to influence of medical ailments and side effects of drug on mental health of an individual. Example: An individual is taking medicine for chronic illness and develops some neurotic complaints as a result of chronic medicine use. Sometimes usage of illicit substances and drugs without prescription affect mental health of an individual. Also individual suffering from chronic physical illness may develop frustration and this may affect mental health.

5. Financial factors: This relates individual ability to have good life style and healthy living accommodation. If an individual fails to pay for housing or healthcare needs, then self-esteem and social expectation may deteriorate resulting in mental health issues. Example: Lack of money may result in malnutrition, lack of nutrition affects working ability, lack of working ability result in less earning, and again this low earning result in malnutrition and homelessness. This vicious cycle may produce frustration, feeling of hopelessness and helplessness in an individual. This will influence mental health in individual.

There is an argument that biologic and neurological science should be fundamental basis of psychiatry (Eric Kandel, 1998). If an individual is neurologically and physically fit, then chances of getting mental illness are less. Example: Individual with sound neurological and physical ability could make good decisions and try to cope with secondary stressors. Individual may not be influenced by other factors like social, financial, environment. Hence, we can say biologic and physical factors have more influence on mental health of an individual.