Discussion Questions: Thoughts Regarding Psychological Disorder

Think about the three criteria for a psychological disorder. Read the following three vignettes and decide whether each of the individuals meet criteria for a psychological disorder.

Why or why not? What (if any) criteria are not met in each case?

Marla has been hearing voices for the last few years. She is frequently seen walking along the street and talking to herself in a loud and often bizarre manner. She is still able to function and to hold a job. She does not mind the voices and sees no reason to speak to a mental health professional about them.

Dan was in a horrible car accident 2 months ago. He is still very upset by the accident and keeps replaying the accident over and over in his head. Sometimes he even feels like he is reliving it. Dan wishes he could control these thoughts and stop them from happening. In order to feel safe driving again, he believes that he must sit on the ground and say a prayer out loud in front of each car door before he enters the car to drive.

Simon is extremely upset about the death of his brother 2 days ago. He has not been able to sleep or to eat, and he was barely able to take a shower and dress for the funeral. Since he found out about the death, he has spent most of his time crying and talking to relatives about his brother.

Assignment: Essays On Mental Illness

Based on the reading, write three short essays of two pages on the following each topic:

Summarize and discuss the major changes that have occurred since the 1950s in the treatment of people with mental disorders.

What are the strengths and weaknesses of structured and unstructured interviews?

How do humanistic theories and therapies differ from existential ones?

Use APA format
Include Sources to support your argument and a Citation page.

Journal: Please create a two page journal (800 words) to answer the following questions.

What are the sensory and/or cognitive perceptions of the individual? What symptoms is the person experiencing? What kind of treatment is the person receiving, and what observations might the person make about the treatment process that s/he is receiving? How does the individual feel? How do society, friends, and family treat the individual? What concerns might the person have? Try to view the disorder from the perspective of the person having it and relay what seems relevant to the disorder.