Causes of mental disorders
A variety of factors contribute to the development of mental health disorders.
Psychopathological disorders are linked to a combination of prenatal, biological and health
factors, along with family and environmental influences when growing up, and social,
political and cultural parameters.
Prenatal, Biological and Health factors
Prenatal mother’s conditions and pregnancy implications have been connected to the
presence of mental disorders in their offspring. For example, the risk of psychosis is found to
be associated with maternal infection exposure (Zhou et al, 2021). In addition, high levels of
alcohol use during pregnancy may cause drug dependence and depression in the offspring
(Easey et al. 2019). According to Smith et al (2001), low birth weight is associated with
schizophrenia. Genes too play an important role because some genetic physical disorders and
disabilities affect the way people feel and cause a tendency to depression. Our genes also
predetermine our general vulnerability to specific mental disorders, if we have inherited
certain genes related to them.
Family and Environmental Influences
Family factors such as the children’s perception of the parental care and control they receive
are linked with mental disorders tendency (Berry, 2019). This perception might be different
from reality or from the parents’ point of view. People who were mistreated as children by
their families also have been reported to show anxiety, suicidality, depression and aggressive
behaviours at much higher rates.
Psychoanalyst John Bowlby formulated the attachment theory and identified four types of
attachment; secure, anxious-ambivalent, disorganised and avoidant. Early attachment styles
and especially insecure types may lead to mental health issues, during adulthood (Palitsky et
al, 2013).
Transitions and significant life events such as divorce or separation affect the way people feel
and behave (Berry, 2019). For example, unresolved life-cycle issues and dysfunctional
processes could lead to the expression of panic disorder (Oppenheimer & Frey, 1993).
Physical or sexual abuse or neglect during childhood have a strong connection to mental
health disorders (Berry, 2019).
Environmental factors such as poor housing, lack of amenities, poverty, lack of education and
low medical care can also affect mental health (Berry, 2019)
Social, Political and Cultural factors
Various social and cultural factors may cause mental health. Society and culture play a major
role in mental disorders since they influence the prevalence, expression and understanding of
mental disorders and symptoms. First of all, different cultures have different perceptions of
what behaviours are considered normal or abnormal. For example, n western cultures, a
woman refusing to leave the house alone would be considered abnormal and might indicate
eg agoraphobia, while in a different culture where it is the norm that a woman does not leave
the house without a chaperone, it would not indicate mental illness or abnormal behaviour. It
could be that certain beliefs or prejudice may prevent patients to seek professional help from
a psychologist or a psychiatrist. In addition, certain cultures and ethnicities, such as the
British Bangladeshi, overlook emotional issues and focus more on physical symptoms (Berry,
2019).
, Poor economic circumstances, poor access to healthcare and education, high unemployment
rates and human rights violations are some political factors that contribute to the development
of mental disorders.
The combination of all the above factors, biological, psychological and sociocultural
altogether with life events such as job loss or separation, affect the mentality of human
beings, so one cannot oversimplify the causes of mental disorders.
Types and Characteristics of mental disorders
According to the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders,
personality disorders are persistent patterns of behaviour, thinking and feeling that cause
significant distress and reduced interpersonal functionality and quality of life. These
psychiatric conditions are rigid, maladaptive and they do not occur as a result of substance
abuse or medication (DSM-5, 2013).
DSM-5 categorizes personality disorders in three clusters, based on their similarities.
Cluster A is characterized by odd or eccentric behaviour. Disorders in this group refer to a
person’s ability to relate to others, leading the person to behave in a way that is considered
strange by those around them. Characteristics of cluster A include suspicion, mistrust,
jealousy, social awkwardness and many more. It includes Paranoid, Schizoid and Schizotypal
disorders.
Cluster B comprises of erratic, dramatic and emotional behaviour and includes Antisocial,
Borderline, Histrionic and Narcissistic personality disorders. People in this cluster seek
attention, are manipulative, impulsive etc. The sufferer has difficulty in regulating their mood
and emotions, where frequent and rapid alterations are observed, with the person being very
sad and then very happy. These changes also appear in their view of others, using an
idealization-devaluation mechanism. A typical example in this cluster is Borderline
Personality Disorder (BPD), which is characterized by unstable relationships and moods, as
well as frequent self-harming behaviours.
Cluster C has anxious and fearful features. It includes Avoidant, Dependent and
Obsessive-Compulsive Disorders. People in this group of disorders are shy and sensitive to
criticism and rejection. They have dependent and submissive characteristics and especially
the Obsessive-Compulsive type of disorder is characterized by features or rigidity and
perfectionism. The disorders of Cluster C are characterized by intense fear and anxiety
which dominates the existence of the individual. This results in the person withdrawing
socially, as in the example of Avoidant Personality Disorder. These individuals are often
misunderstood by their social environment because it is easy to misinterpret their fear of
rejection as indifference and loss of interest in social interactions.
For the diagnosis of a personality disorder, a mental health professional is required. Studying
long-term symptoms and dysfunctional patterns of behaviour for more than a year is also
required. In some cases, people may have more than one disorder and show characteristics or
symptoms that are often confusing. Each person is unique, so a full medical and personal
history is required.
