Understanding psychopathology. The study of abnormal or altered mental processes.

Defining Psychopathology

Psychopathology can be understood in a simple way as the study of processes that are abnormal or altered in the mind.

The objective of this discipline is to be able to describe, predict, explain and change the patterns of functioning that are considered abnormal in an individual.

It focuses on the investigation of the causes and possible treatments for the various psychopathological conditions that a person may experience.

Psychopathology is, therefore, the scientific study of psychological disorders, a discipline that helps us understand different mental illnesses.

Mental Processes that Can Be Altered

The mental processes that psychopathology studies are those that allow us to interact with our environment and respond to the stimuli we receive.

These processes are very numerous, but among them are attention, memory, concentration, orientation, language and also intelligence.

When these processes do not occur at their best, it is understood that there is an alteration that can be the subject of study of psychopathology.

If the information we receive from the outside is not processed reliably, not due to an external error but due to an internal process, we can speak of a disorder.

What is Considered an "Abnormal" Process?

Rather than a simple distinction between what is normal and abnormal, psychologists in this field focus on the level of discomfort.

Behavior is considered "abnormal" when it is creating problems in a person's life or when it is harmful to others around them.

A mental disorder is characterized by a psychological dysfunction that causes physical or psychological discomfort or impairment in a person's functioning.

Furthermore, this behavior is not expected according to the social and cultural standards in which the person lives, indicating a clear maladjustment.

In these cases, when a behavior is problematic, some type of mental health intervention to