Chapter 1
Mental Health, Mental Disorder, and Psychiatric–Mental Health Clients: Who Are They?
Learning Outcome 1
Define and explain mental disorder.
Concepts for Lecture
1. Facing the unknown in a psychiatric–mental health setting invites a variety of
feelings, concerns, and questions. Expectations related to caring for psychiatric–
mental health clients are influenced by a number of factors including personal
culture, upbringing, previous experiences, and media.
2. Psychiatric–mental health clients are everyday, ordinary people. Given the right
circumstances, anyone can experience a mental health problem ranging from mild
and temporary to severe and persistent.
3. Concepts of mental disorder and mental health are interactional and derive their
meaning not only from changes in brain structure and biochemistry but also from
how we define certain behavior and social conditions.
4. Mental disorder is a psychological group of symptoms in which the individual
experiences distress (a painful symptom), disability (impairment in one or more
important areas of functioning), or a significantly increased risk of suffering, pain,
loss of freedom, or death. Signs and symptoms of mental disorder are known as
psychopathology.
, 5. Mental disorders are identified, standardized, and categorized in the Diagnostic and
Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders–IV-TR published by the American Psychiatric
Association (APA).
Suggestions for Classroom Activities
· View and discuss the animation “Psychological Disorders and Treatment” found
on the Online Student Resources.
· Using “concept mapping,” construct a map of characteristics associated with the
concepts of mental illness.
· Complete the WebLink application assignment that accompanies this chapter.
· Have students describe various clinical locations where they may encounter
individuals with a mental disorder.
· Discuss common fears and concerns related to contact with individuals who are
experiencing a mental disorder.
Suggestions for Clinical Activities
· Using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders–IV-TR, compare
defining characteristics of several common mental disorders with the components
of the general definition(s) of mental disorder.
· Encourage students to assess client behaviors that give examples of the
characteristics within the definition of a mental disorder.
· Lead a discussion comparing rational and irrational fears and concerns related to
the psychiatric–mental health clinical setting.
, · Ask students to develop a list of questions for data collection that would be helpful
in the determination of a possible mental disorder.
· Ask students to keep a journal during the psychiatric–mental health clinical rotation
documenting their perceptions, beliefs, and feelings related to caring for clients with
mental illness. Ask them to compare the perceptions, beliefs, and feelings at the
beginning of the clinical rotation with the perceptions, beliefs, and feelings at the
end of the clinical rotation.
Learning Outcome 2
Analyze why the term deviant behavior lacks a definition that covers all situations.
Concepts for Lecture
1. The concept of mental disorder lacks a definition that covers all situations. A
sociologic definition of deviance is behavior outside the social norm of a specific
group; and in its social context, deviant does not mean “bad.” Behavior that is
considered bizarre or unreasonable in one cultural context may be considered
desirable in another. The appropriateness of behavior depends on whether it is
judged plausible or not according to a set of social, ethical, and legal rules that define
the limits of appropriate behavior and reality.
2. Deviant political, religious, or sexual behavior or conflicts primarily between an
individual and society are not labeled as mental disorders unless the deviance or
conflict is a symptom of dysfunction in the individual.
, Suggestions for Classroom Activities
Lead a discussion examining how culture and society influence views of mental
health and mental disorder.
Ask students to research different cultures and relate two behaviors or beliefs
that are valued in the culture being researched but would be labeled as bizarre in
contemporary western culture.
Ask students to compare social norms and appropriate behaviors and beliefs
among various groups comprising modern-day western society.
Role-play: Dress in a bizarre manner and encourage students to ask assessment
questions in order to determine if a mental disorder exists in the character that
you portray.
Open the class with an example of a current event in the media that reports
behavior and beliefs that are considered “bizarre” in western culture, but are the
norm for another culture.
Suggestions for Clinical Activities
Ask students to develop a list of questions that would be helpful in the
determination of culturally and socially appropriate behavior and beliefs versus
symptoms of a mental disorder.
Mental Health, Mental Disorder, and Psychiatric–Mental Health Clients: Who Are They?
Learning Outcome 1
Define and explain mental disorder.
Concepts for Lecture
1. Facing the unknown in a psychiatric–mental health setting invites a variety of
feelings, concerns, and questions. Expectations related to caring for psychiatric–
mental health clients are influenced by a number of factors including personal
culture, upbringing, previous experiences, and media.
2. Psychiatric–mental health clients are everyday, ordinary people. Given the right
circumstances, anyone can experience a mental health problem ranging from mild
and temporary to severe and persistent.
3. Concepts of mental disorder and mental health are interactional and derive their
meaning not only from changes in brain structure and biochemistry but also from
how we define certain behavior and social conditions.
4. Mental disorder is a psychological group of symptoms in which the individual
experiences distress (a painful symptom), disability (impairment in one or more
important areas of functioning), or a significantly increased risk of suffering, pain,
loss of freedom, or death. Signs and symptoms of mental disorder are known as
psychopathology.
, 5. Mental disorders are identified, standardized, and categorized in the Diagnostic and
Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders–IV-TR published by the American Psychiatric
Association (APA).
Suggestions for Classroom Activities
· View and discuss the animation “Psychological Disorders and Treatment” found
on the Online Student Resources.
· Using “concept mapping,” construct a map of characteristics associated with the
concepts of mental illness.
· Complete the WebLink application assignment that accompanies this chapter.
· Have students describe various clinical locations where they may encounter
individuals with a mental disorder.
· Discuss common fears and concerns related to contact with individuals who are
experiencing a mental disorder.
Suggestions for Clinical Activities
· Using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders–IV-TR, compare
defining characteristics of several common mental disorders with the components
of the general definition(s) of mental disorder.
· Encourage students to assess client behaviors that give examples of the
characteristics within the definition of a mental disorder.
· Lead a discussion comparing rational and irrational fears and concerns related to
the psychiatric–mental health clinical setting.
, · Ask students to develop a list of questions for data collection that would be helpful
in the determination of a possible mental disorder.
· Ask students to keep a journal during the psychiatric–mental health clinical rotation
documenting their perceptions, beliefs, and feelings related to caring for clients with
mental illness. Ask them to compare the perceptions, beliefs, and feelings at the
beginning of the clinical rotation with the perceptions, beliefs, and feelings at the
end of the clinical rotation.
Learning Outcome 2
Analyze why the term deviant behavior lacks a definition that covers all situations.
Concepts for Lecture
1. The concept of mental disorder lacks a definition that covers all situations. A
sociologic definition of deviance is behavior outside the social norm of a specific
group; and in its social context, deviant does not mean “bad.” Behavior that is
considered bizarre or unreasonable in one cultural context may be considered
desirable in another. The appropriateness of behavior depends on whether it is
judged plausible or not according to a set of social, ethical, and legal rules that define
the limits of appropriate behavior and reality.
2. Deviant political, religious, or sexual behavior or conflicts primarily between an
individual and society are not labeled as mental disorders unless the deviance or
conflict is a symptom of dysfunction in the individual.
, Suggestions for Classroom Activities
Lead a discussion examining how culture and society influence views of mental
health and mental disorder.
Ask students to research different cultures and relate two behaviors or beliefs
that are valued in the culture being researched but would be labeled as bizarre in
contemporary western culture.
Ask students to compare social norms and appropriate behaviors and beliefs
among various groups comprising modern-day western society.
Role-play: Dress in a bizarre manner and encourage students to ask assessment
questions in order to determine if a mental disorder exists in the character that
you portray.
Open the class with an example of a current event in the media that reports
behavior and beliefs that are considered “bizarre” in western culture, but are the
norm for another culture.
Suggestions for Clinical Activities
Ask students to develop a list of questions that would be helpful in the
determination of culturally and socially appropriate behavior and beliefs versus
symptoms of a mental disorder.
