Introduction to Abnormal Psychology

You and your classmates chose to take this course for many reasons. The course might be required, or perhaps you thought learning about abnormal, deviant, or unusual behavior was intriguing. Or you might be interested in becoming a mental health professional and thought this course could help prepare you for such a career. Whatever the reason, you have likely known or will eventually know someone with a mental disorder. A mental disorder is a group of emotional (feelings), cognitive (thinking), or behavioral symptoms that cause distress or signicant problems. About 29.2 percent of adults worldwide have had a mental disorder in their lifetime (Steel et al., 2014). Students in our abnormal psychology classes often tell us that they know at least one person with a mental disorder. These students often say that they or an immediate family member— such as a parent, sibling, or child—had a disorder. A commonly reported disorder is depression, a problem that Travis seemed to be experiencing. Abnormal psychology is the scientific study of problematic feelings, thoughts, and behaviors associated with mental disorders. This area of science is designed to evaluate, understand, predict, and prevent mental disorders and help those who are in distress. Abnormal psychology has implications for all of us. Everyone has feelings, thoughts, and behaviors, and occasionally these become a problem for us or for someone we know. Travis’s situation at the beginning of the chapter represents some daily experiences people have with mental disorders.