Normality in Mental Health

Issues and Debates – A History of Psychological Practice

In this course, Dr Marc Williams (Cardiff University) explores the history of psychological practice, contextualised primarily around our understanding of mental health. In the first lecture, we think about how normality has been classified over time, looking at classification manuals like the DSM and ICD, and some of the consequences of differing classifications. In the second lecture, we think about the biopsychosocial model and its influence over the elements of cognitive behavioural therapy. Next, we think about psychological formulation and its more holistic view of clients undergoing therapy. In the fourth and final lecture, we think about the balance of power between therapist and patient/client, and how this has changed to become more equal over time.

Normality in Mental Health

In this lecture, we think about how normality has been classified over time, in the context of mental health, focusing in particular on: (i) how the DSM-V classifies a mental health disorder; (ii) how definitions and treatment proposals for different characteristics and conditions have changed over time, using the example of Alan Turing as someone who was subjected to hormone ‘treatment’ because he was homosexual, something that is suspected to have contributed to his suicide; (iii) the debate on whether clinically classifying variations in traits like attention span does more harm or good to the recipients and others.