What does it mean that childhood is a “social construct”?
Ideas about childhood are shaped by culture and society, not just biology.
What is personal distress?
When a person feels emotional pain or discomfort.
What is statistical deviance?
Behaviors that are very rare compared to most people.
What is social non-conformity?
Behaviors that break social or moral rules.
Why does culture matter when defining abnormal behavior?
What is “abnormal” can depend on cultural and social context.
What is Wakefield’s “harmful dysfunction” idea?
A mental disorder causes harm and comes from a mental process not working properly.
What does “harm” mean in the harmful dysfunction model?
Behavior that causes problems based on cultural standards.
What does “dysfunction” mean in the harmful dysfunction model?
A mental system failing to do what it evolved to do.
How does the DSM-5 define a mental disorder?
A serious problem in thinking, emotions, or behavior that causes distress or disability.
Is stress after a loss (like death) a mental disorder?
No, if it is a normal and expected response.
Is socially deviant behavior always a mental disorder?
No, unless it is caused by a mental dysfunction.
Who was Thomas Szasz?
A critic who argued that mental illness is often misunderstood or over-diagnosed.
What were early biological views of mental illness?
Mental problems were caused by physical or biological factors.
What is psychoanalytic theory?
Mental disorders come from unconscious thoughts and early experiences.
What is behaviorism?
Focuses on learned behaviors and how the environment shapes actions.
What does it mean that race and ethnicity are social constructs?
They are created by society, not based on biology.
What role does poverty play in mental health?
Poverty increases stress and risk for mental health problems.
What are levels of racism?
Racism can exist at individual, institutional, and societal levels.
Why is exposure to police important in mental health research?
It can affect stress, trauma, and mental health in children and families.
What is positionality?
How a person’s background and experiences shape their perspective.
Why are lived experiences important in clinical psychology?
Personal experiences help shape how people understand mental health.
Why is childhood considered a social construct?
Different cultures define childhood differently.
What is a benefit of Szasz’s perspective?
It encourages questioning how society labels mental illness.
What is the minority stress model?
A theory explaining how discrimination harms mental health
