About the lecture

In this lecture, we think about defining abnormality and understanding what normality is in the context of mental health, focusing in particular on: (i) example behaviours which are deemed abnormal under certain circumstances but might be considered normal or expected under others; (ii) the four key factors which can impact how we view abnormality being statistical frequency, social norms, personal distress, and distress to others.

About the lecturer

Dr Jude Stevenson is a lecturer in the School of Psychology at the University of Glasgow, with a primary focus on mental health and well-being. Dr Stevenson’s research centres around body focused repetitive behaviours and is a UK ambassador for the TLC Foundation for Body Focused Repetitive Behaviours. Some of Dr Stevenson’s recent publications include 'Social media peer support groups for obsessive-compulsive and related disorders: understanding the predictors of negative experiences' (2021) and 'Pathogen disgust predicts stigmatization of individuals with mental health conditions' (2020).