Historical Perspectives of Abnormal Psychology
Marisol Malagon
PSY/410
October 10, 2011
Maria I. Neely

Historical Perspectives of Abnormal Psychology In this paper I will examine the origin of abnormal psychology, include the challenges, which define, and classify normal, and abnormal behavior. I will provide an overview of how abnormal psychology has evolved into a scientific discipline, and analyze the psychosocial, biological, medical, and socio-cultural theoretical models related to the development of abnormal psychology. Scientific characterization regarding what is abnormal includes five criteria’s, they are: help seeking, irrationality or dangerousness, deviance, emotional distress, and significant impairment. Help seeking, irrational or dangerous, and deviance are indicators, which link abnormality under its circumstantial nature. Emotional distress and significant impairment are considered useful and functional scientifically, this makes the two preferred, in this day in age for psychopathology. The last two may happen externally of the realm of psychopathology, but this rarely happens without the two. The criteria acts together as an explanation, which is helpful for clinical standpoint but may not apply in all situations. Nevertheless, a complete comprehension regarding the history of abnormal psychology must be taken into account. The origin of abnormal psychology goes as far back before Biblical history (Damour & Hansell, 2008). The animal-spiritual approach is the earliest rationalization regarding mental illness, it was built by the thought of the metaphysical and spiritual world affects the corporeal, this belief entails practicing boring holes in an individual’s skull to release the evil spirit, this medical procedure took place 3000 B.C. beginning in Bolivia and Peru (Shieff, Smith, & Wadley, 1997). In 460 B.C.