which criteria define madness?

Answer 1

My partner

Answer 2

Madness is a popular culture term. The term in itself is extremely ambiguous (i.e. are we refering to someone with schizophrenia, bipolar disorder, or Antisocial Peronality Disorder, etc?).

Most mental disorders with their criteria are classified in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 4th edition revised (DSM-IV-TR). This book is a must have for any practicing mental health clinician, especially in the United States.

The International Statistical Classification of Diseases and Related Health Problem (ICD-10 chapter V) also lists criteria for mental disorders.

Answer 3

Whether the individual is suffering, unpredictable and irrational behaviour, whether their behaviour is statistically 'average', whether other people are suffering as a result of the behaviour, the inability to function and lead a normally-functioning life, a distorted view of the world, the frequency and intensity of abnormal behaviour.

Answer 4

The criteria set down by those who believe in their tiny little minds that they alone are sane.... and the fact that you can recite supercalifragalisticexbeallydocious backwards

Answer 5

Answering / Asking questions on Yahoo

Answer 6

emotional out of control, misplaces ideas and ideals in ones head, misreading situations.
you cannot define it, technical terms of madness come under all sorts of situations ansd different circumstances.

Answer 7

The problem with abnormality or madness (as you call it) is that everyone has got a different opinion on what it is (even Psychologists). However, in Psychology, there are 4 main definitions:

1. Statistical infrequency- a useful way of thinking about this is in terms of height. E.g. In the UK, the average height of a woman is 5ft 3 inches, so anyone taller than that (above the average) would be abnormal and anyone shorter than that (below average) would be abnormal, according to this defintion. However, a major problem with this definition is that it doesn't tell us the different between what is desirable ('good' behaviour) and what is undesirable ('bad' bahaviour). E.g. People with an IQ below 100 are regarded as 'stupid' (undesirbale), whereas people with IQ's over 100 are regarded as 'bright' or even 'geniuses' (desirable), yet according to this definition, even the 'stupid people' and the 'geniuses' are abnormal.

2. Deviation from Social Norms- according to this defintion, we are abnormal, if we go against the norms (ideas about what is acceptable and unacceptable behaviour/moral rules, if you like) of the society that we live in. E.g. someone who refused to give up their seat for an old woman on a bus would be regarded as socially 'deviant' (abnormal). The problem with this defintion is that different socities and even different social groups within a society have different views about what is normal and abnormal. Also, these views change over time. E.g. in the 1920s teenage mums were not only frowned upon but bundled off to mental hopsitals against their will. Today, however, no-one bats an eyelid, if we see a teenage mum walking doen the street.

3. Deviation from Ideal Mental health- According to a Psychologist called Jahoda, we should diagnose abnormal behaviour ('mental illness') in the same way that we would diagnose a physical illness, such as flu. After reading research into mental disorders, Jahoda came up with 6 things to look for when diagnosing abnormal behaviour. E.g. Failure to fulfil one's potential (aka. self actualisation). However, a problem with this definiton is that the criteria is rather broad and not everyone fulfils them all. E.g. Lots of people believe that they haven't fulfilled their potential but very few of these people would actually be diagnosed with a mental disorder.

4. Failure to Function adequately- this defintion focuses on what is normal for a particular person when leading their normal lives. E.g. If the life and soul of the party suddently became quiet and refused to go out anyway, then this definition would suggest that the person would be 'failing to function adequately', because the behaviour is 'out of character' for this person. A problem with this definition is that this assumption depends on a person's judgement. E.g. Many people with Schizophrenia are not aware that the behaviour isn't 'normal' and is distressing others. similarly, it might be normal for one family to scream that they hate each other, but someone else would find it distressing and therefore regard the family as abnormal.

As you can see, all of these definitions have strengths and weaknesses and therefore can't always be trusted when used to diagnose a disorder. E.g. One Psychologist called Rosenhan and a group of other people pretented to have the symptoms of schizophrenia and even though they stopped prenetending once they were admitted into a mental hospital, the medical staff still regarded them as having schizophrenia. However, the other patients did not! For this reason, Psychologists now use classification systems or a list of mental disorders stating which symptoms need to be presnt before a disorder is diagnosed. A disorder (e.g. depression) is more likely to be diagnosed if a person has more than one symptoms from different areas. E.g. People with depression could have:

1. A loss/gain of weight-a physical symptom (aka somatic/physiological area, in Psychology).

2. Negative thoughts, such as 'I'm worthless' (aka cognitive area, in Psychology).

3. Refusal/inability to do day to day tasks, such as getting out of bed (aka behavioural symptoms, in Psychology).

As you can probably see, we all have these problems from time to time without being depressed BUT if all kinds of symptoms like this are related to a persistent low mood and are experienced for 3 weeks or more, then a Psychologist is more likely to diagnose someone with depression.

The 2 main classification systems in Psychology are:

ICD 10-International classification system-this classification was designed by the World health organisation (WHO) and is more commonly used in countries, such as the UK.

DSM IV R-Diagnostic statistical manual 4 revised edition- thsi classification is more commonly used in countries, such as the USA.

These are not ideal but at least they are agreed (standardised).

I hope that this answers your question!

For further information, read one of the following:

Psychology for AS/A2 Level-Eysenck, M (units 2-abnormality and 4-individual differences).

Psychology for AS/A" Level-Cardwell, M, Clark, A and Meldrum C (see chapters on abnormaliy-AS Psychology and individual differences-A2 Psychology).

Psychology: The Science of Mind and Behaviou- Gross, R (see chapters on abnormality and diagnosing mental disorders).

http://www.mentalhealth.org.uk/information/mental-health-overview/

Information on diagnosing Mental disorders on the Mental health Foundation website

Answer 8

The inability to rashonlize logic and normality from the accepted norms of society.

Answer 9

a pop group of seven men, playing ska music from late 70s etc etc - but I guess this is not the kind of madness youre referring to...

Answer 10

No such thing as madness just different perceptions of the world.