The understanding of abnormality has always been shaped by a societal perspective on mental illness. The study of mental illness and abnormality has been in existence for more than 3,000 years. One of the ways of understanding abnormality in history was through a spiritualized approach. During those days, many people would come up with assumptions and theories about how the spiritual realm would affect mental wellbeing and result in mental illness. The field of abnormal psychology and mental illness has developed over the years through the development of medicine. The result has been a scientific approach to understanding mental illness and abnormality. This review analyzes the relationship between historical/societal perspectives of abnormality and mental illness.
Previous Views of Abnormality and Mentality Illnesses
Ancient Times to 500 BC
The earliest views of abnormality were shaped by the belief that abnormality was caused by demons, evil spirits, witches, and gods taking control over the body. Abnormality was thus perceived defined as a form of demonic possession caused by someone engaging in behavior that was contrary to religious beliefs and practices. The views of mental illness were that evil spirits had to be removed so that someone could find healing (Kauffman & McLennan, 2017). The treatment for abnormality involved a technique using trephination where a stone instrument removed part of the skull, which created an opening, ending a person’s mental affliction. Exorcism was also used where evil spirits could be cast out of a person through the use of flogging, starvation, magic, prayer, and taking medicinal drinks.
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The understanding of abnormality and mental illness was further advanced by Hippocrates, who lived between 460 and 377 BC. He denied the observation that demons and evil spirits caused abnormality and mental illness. He viewed abnormality to be similar to physical disorder, and it had natural causes. The observation that abnormality had internal causes led to the view that taking care of the body will result in a reduction of the possibility of mental illness. The treatment for mental illness thus involved modifying one’s environment through having a tranquil lifestyle, exercising, and abstinence from indulging (Laios et al., 2020). Hippocrates also had the perception that mental illness when the four main fluids or humors, including the blood, black bile, phlegm, and yellow bile had an imbalance.
The Greeks were among the first people to correctly diagnose abnormality as a form of hysteria that required medical attention. Their understanding led to the prescription of treatment for a mental condition. People that were diagnosed with hysteria were found to showcase most of the symptoms, and a significant part of the population was women (King et al., 2020). Most of the patients that showed signs of abnormality and mental illness had symptoms of confusion, loss of sensation, and paralysis.
Middle Ages
There was multiple progress made in the Middle Ages where the Catholic Church rose to power, and there was a fall of the Roman Empire. Abnormality was still defined and explained as possession by the devil and could be removed through methods like prayer, exorcism, flogging, chanting, holy water, and visiting holy sites. Scientific observations like those that had been developed by Hippocrates were thus disregarded. The views of mental illness were associated with group hysteria or mass madness, where a large number of the population portray false beliefs and similar symptoms. A large number of people believed that they were either possessed by wolves and thus imitated their behavior. The view of managing mental illness was that it could only be possible through exorcism and witchcraft (Kroll & Bachrach, 2019). The individuals that were mentally ill were thus mostly left to the clergy. Some of the mentally ill individuals were also treated well where they received various treatments like visits to holy places, sacrificed ointments, prayer, and mild exorcism.
The Renaissance 14th to 16th Centuries
The Renaissance period was a period of increased welfare and a greater understanding of the uniqueness of an individual. Johann Weyer, a German physician, was one of the earliest individuals that rebuked the church’s procedures of treating the mentally ill negatively. He observed that most of the individuals that were accused, tortured, hung, and burned were simply mentally disturbed and did not have any possession by demons or the devil. The observation was that abnormality was a form of illness that occurred when the mind was ill. However, the views of mental illness were strongly inclined to the fact that the illness was caused by demons and the devil. The book received multiple protests and was even banned from the church.
The views of mental illness changed, and the government increasingly saw that the mentally ill required special attention. Asylums and refugees for the mentally ill grew in the 16th century as the government realized that there were many people that had mental illness and were left in private homes. However, the mentally ill were placed in hospitals and were locked up. Such asylums became tourist attractions, and people would visit the locations to see the violence among the patients (Fernando, 2017). The perspective of mental illness was that the people were very violent and that they could not blend well in society and had to be chained up and placed in hospitals.
Moral Treatment of Mentally Ill
The eighteenth and nineteenth centuries were a period where the views of abnormality changed, and the mentally ill received more humane treatment. One of the main advocates for the humane treatment of the mentally ill was Phillipe Pinel, who lived between 1745 and 1826. He observed that the mentally ill were sick people, and they deserved to be treated with support and kindness. The views of mental illness were that the men deserved moral guidance, humane treatment, and their social, occupational, and individual needs were to be met. Pinel argued that chains be removed from the mentally ill, and they should be placed in better rooms with the sun and be removed from their dungeons. The result of such an approach led to an improvement in the general outcomes for the mentally ill (Pereira et al., 2019). In the United States, Benjamin Rush advocated for the humane treatment of the mentally ill where they were shown respect and sometimes given small gifts. While there was an improvement in the treatment of the mentally ill, there were still challenges in their treatment, like the invention of the tranquilizing chair. The improvements in the treatment of the mentally ill led to the creation of asylums that were habitable places where mentally ill individuals could recover. The result was that there was a general increase in the number of mentally ill patients.
Current Views of Abnormality and Mental Illness
The current views and definitions of abnormality and mental illness have been primarily shaped and influenced by two major schools of thought, the biological approach and the psychological approach. The psychological perspective observes that psychological and emotional factors are the main cause of mental disorders. On the other hand, the biological approach emphasizes that mental disorders were similar to physical disorders with natural causes that were related to different parts of the body.
Biological Perspective
The biological perspective led to the development of mental illness by observing that it was caused by internal problems in the body. Emil Kraepelin, a German psychiatrist, discovered multiple symptoms of mental illness that occurred in clusters. It was identified that the syndromes had unique mental disorders with their own cause, prognosis, and cause. The behavioral and cognitive symptoms of syphilis with delusions further advanced the biological approach. The conclusion was that syphilis was one of the causes of general paresis. The cure for syphilis was identified when one of the patients that contracted malaria recovered from the symptoms.
The further development of a biological approach to mental illness led to the emergence of psychiatric and psychotropic drugs used to treat mental illness. The drugs do not necessarily cure mental illness but can improve a person’s symptoms. Some of the classes of psychiatric drugs used today include antidepressants that treat depression and anxiety, medications stabilizing mood used to treat bipolar disorder, and antipsychotic drugs that treat schizophrenia and other mental disorders. Such treatments are based on the fact that mental illness can be caused when there is an imbalance in hormones and neurotransmitters that negatively affect the brain (Moore & Mattison, 2017). The inclusion of the different kinds of medication help to create such balance.
Psychological Perspective
The psychological perspective of mental illness was primarily based on Freud’s psychoanalysis theory. Freud can be described as one of the modern views of the individuals that influenced the understanding of abnormality in the modern world. In 1896, Freud noted the systematic theory to account for abnormality. He proposed that abnormality develops when there is a conflict between the subconscious and conscious mind. While the point of view is objective in nature, there is scientific evidence that can support the theory. Freud’s theories were the observation that the personality has three distinct parts, the id, superego, and ego, where human behavior arises (Tambling, 2018). The id expresses aggressive and sexual instincts, the ego forms a balance among different issues, and the superego represents the social standards, moral rules, and conscience. Freud identified that the three parts generally work together to create a healthy personality. Mental illness occurs when there are conflicts among the different components, and the given conflicts do not get resolved.
The behavioral model is based on the perception that human beings learn a behavior, and abnormal behavior can be caused by the conditioning of an individual. The different types of conditioning investigated were classical and operant conditioning. Classical conditioning involves learning through association when two stimuli are linked together to produce stimuli, while operant conditioning involves learning through rewards and punishment. Classical conditioning can result in mental illness when one is exposed to certain types of stimuli. For instance, the development of certain phobias can be linked to classical conditioning.
The other perspective that impacts the understand of abnormality and mental illness is the sociocultural model. The observation is that abnormality can be caused by different social, cultural, and environmental factors that influence behavior. The environment in which an individual grows up can be perceived to influence the future behavior of a person. For instance, criminal behavior can be perceived to be caused by constant exposure to discrimination and poverty. The environment could also influence the learning model of an individual and how they respond to different stimuli.
Comparison and Contrasting of Previous and Current Perspectives
One of the similarities between the previous and current perspectives of abnormality and mental illness is the belief that abnormality is caused by demons and evil spirits. While such a belief is not central to the current understanding of abnormality, there are still religions that practice exorcism for the mentally ill and believe that mental illness is primarily caused by evils and spirits. Such a perception is similar to the historical perspective where abnormality and mental illness were perceived to have been primarily caused by demons and evil spirits.
One of the primary differences between the previous and current understandings of abnormality and mental illness is the basis of scientific facts. Throughout history, mental illness was a theoretical concept, and many people did not rely on scientific evidence when treating various mental illnesses. The result was that there were false beliefs regarding the causes of mental illness, like the fact that it is caused by demons and evil spirits. The current perspective of mental illness is based on science, where mental illness has been proved to be caused by changes in the biological structure and psychological problems. The further development of science has led to imaging studies on the brain that have improved the understanding of mental illness (Bloomfield et al., 2019). Further scientific research through the use of technology can facilitate additional improvements in the understanding of mental illness.
The past understanding of mental illness was also limited to individuals that showed severe kinds of disorders like psychotic symptoms like schizophrenia, manic depressive disorder, and autism. People that were considered mentally ill had severe challenges in operating well in society. However, the current understanding of mental illness includes a wide range of conditions like anxiety, depression, eating disorders, addictive behaviors (Zumstein & Riese, 2020). The current understanding of mental illness is thus more advanced and caters to the needs of the larger population.
The changes in the understanding of the causes of mental illnesses have resulted in a difference in the treatment approaches. In the past, treatments for the mentally ill were harsh, and they were placed in chains. The current views of treating the mentally ill have changed where there are psychiatric hospitals for those that show severe cases of mental illness. The modern treatment approaches increasingly follow biological and psychological treatment approaches as they are believed to be the main causes of mental illnesses. Treatments also include medications that strive to relieve the symptoms of mental illness.
The differences in the perceptions of the mentally ill led to differences in how the mentally ill were treated. Throughout history, the mentally ill were perceived to be violent people and were not part of society. They thus received inhumane treatments, with most of them being locked in dungeons and in chains. The changes in the understanding of the mentally ill have led to the belief that abnormality and mental illness are a form of sickness and that individuals need hospitalization. Such a mentality has resulted in a significant improvement in the treatment of the mentally ill, where they are placed in healthcare facilities and receive adequate care.
Conclusion
The analysis of previous and current perspectives of the understanding of abnormality and views of mental illness shows that there are multiple differences in the treatment of the mentally ill. The earlier perception of abnormality was that it was caused by evil spirits and demons. The result was that mental illness had a huge stigma where they were mistreated and placed in chains and dungeons. While there were scholars that observed that mental illness could have been caused by internal factors, most of their opinions were met with skepticism. The changes in understanding abnormality by observing that it was caused by biological or psychological factors led to changes in the perceptions of the mentally ill. Mental illness was perceived to be like another form of sickness, and the mentally ill individuals received better forms of treatment. The changes also led to an improvement in the scientific approach to understanding mental illness and better approaches to treatment.
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