In the United States and Canada, psychological problems are classified by using the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Abnormal Disorders (DSM-IV-TR). It is the standard book used by psychiatric and psychological practitioners to diagnose a different condition.
Further explanation
This manual book nowadays is at its fifth edition. It was released in 2013. It is published by the American Psychiatric Association, covering all categories of psychological disorders for both children and adults. DSM-IV-TR described psychological disorders using five dimensions which are called as the axis.
• Axis 1: clinical syndrome
Clinical syndrome described clinical symptoms as the cause of significant impairment. Abnormal behavior disorders were classified into different categories; anxiety disorders, mood disorders, or eating disorders.
• Axis 2: personality and abnormal behavior
Personality and abnormal behavior described long-term problems. Personality disorders cause antisocial personality disorder and histrionic disorder which relates to how people engage with the world. It is characterized by deficits and intellectual impairment.
• Axis 3: the medical condition
This axis includes physical and medical conditions that affect or worsen axis 1 and axis 2. For example, brain injuries and HIV/AIDS.
• Axis 4: psychosocial and environmental problems
This axis includes social or environmental problems that impact axis 1 and axis 2. For example, the death of a loved one, unemployment, relocation, or divorce
• Axis 5: a global assessment of functioning
Axis 5 allowed the health professional to rate the client’s overall level of functioning. The health professional could better understand how other four axes interact and affect the patient.
Learn more
If you want to know more about this topic, we recommend you to take a look also on these questions below:
1. The field of psychology that studies the relationships between psychological factors and the prevention and treatment of physical wellness problems is known as? : brainly.com/question/4382580
Keywords: psychological problems, psychological disorder, abnormal behavior disorder
Subject: Health
Class: 10-12
Subchapter: Psychological problems