etiological factors related to psychiatric disorders

1. ETIOLOGY: BIO- PSYCHOSOCIAL
FACTORS
BY: Mrs. EKJOT KAUR
LECTURER, SNS&R

2. INTRODUCTION
• Many factors are responsible for causation of
mental illness.
• These factors may predispose an individual to
mental illness, precipitate or perpetuate the
mental illness.

3. PREDISOPOSING FACTORS
• These factors determine an individual’s
susceptibility to mental illness.
• They interact with precipitating factors resulting
in mental illness. They are:
Genetic make up
Physical damage to the central nervous system
Adverse psychological influence

4. PRECIPITATING FACTORS
• These are events that occurs shortly before the
onset of a disorder and appear to have induced
it. They are:
 Physical stress
 Psychosocial stress

5. PERPETUATING FACTORS
• These factors are responsible for aggravating or
prolonging the disease already existing in an
individual.
• Thus, etiological factors of mental illness can be:
 Biological factors
Physiological changes
Psychological factors
Social factors

6. BIOLOGICAL FACTORS
Heredity
Biochemical factors
Brain damage

7. Heredity
• It is a predisposing factor to illness, which is
determined by genes that we inherit directly.
• Studies shown that:
¾ of mental defects and 1/3 of psychotic
individuals owe their condition mainly to
unfavorble heredity.

8. Biochemical factors
• Biochemical abnormalities in the brain are
considered to be the cause of some psychological
disorders.
• Disturbance in neurotransmitters in brain play
an important role in the cause of certain
psychiatric disorders.

9. Brain damage
• Any damage to the structure and functioning of
the brain can give rise to mental illness.
• Damage to structure may be due to:
 Infections
 Injury
 Intoxication
 Vascular
 Alteration in brain function
 Tumors

10. contt.....
 Vitamin deficiency and malnutrition
Degenerative diseases
Endocrine disturbance
Physical defects and physical illness

11. PHYSIOLOGICAL CHANGES
• It has been observed that mental disorders are
more likely to occur at certain critical period of
life – puberty, menstruation, pregnancy,
delivery, puerperium and climacteric.

12. PSYCHOLOGICAL FACTORS
• Specific personality person develop certain
psychological disorder. Ex: Unsocial and
reserved personality person are prone to develop
schizophrenia.
• Strained interpersonal relationships leads to loss
of prestige, loss of job, etc.

13. • Childhood insecurities due to parents faulty
attitude, abnormal parent- child relationship.
• Social and recreational deprivations resulting in
boredom, isolation.
• Marriage problems
• Sexual difficulites
• Stress, frustration

14. SOCIAL FACTORS
• Poverty
• Unemployment
• Injustice
• Insecurity
• Migration
• Urbanization
• Gambling
• Alcoholism

15. • Prostitution
• Broken homes
• Divorces
• Very big family
• Other social factors