1. ETIOLOGY: BIO-
PSYCHOSOCIAL
FACTORS
MR. JAYESH PATIDAR
www.drjayeshpatidar.blogspot.com

2. INTRODUCTION…
• Many factors are responsible for
the causation of mental illness.
• These factors may predispose an
individual to mental illness,
precipitate or perpetuate the mental
illness.
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3. Predisposing 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 psychosocial influence.
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4. Precipitating Factors…
• These are events that occur shortly
before the onset of a disorder &
appear to have induced it. They
are…
Physical stress
Psychosocial stress
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5. Perpetuating Factors…
• These factors are responsible for aggravating
or prolonging the diseases already existing in
an individual.
• Psychosocial stress is an example.
• Thus, etiological factors of mental illness can
be:
1. Biological factors
2. Physiological changes
3. Psychological factors
4. Social factors
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6. 1. Biological Factors:
Heredity
Biochemical Factors
Brain Damage
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7. Count…
Heredity:
• What one inherits is not the illness or its
symptoms, but a predisposition to the
illness, which is determined by genes
that we inherit directly.
• Studies have shown that three-fourths
of mental defectives & one-third of
psychotic individuals owe their condition
mainly to unfavorable heredity.
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8. Count…
Biochemical Factors:
• Biochemical abnormalities in the brain
are considered to be the cause of some
psychological disorders.
• Disturbance in neurotransmitters in the
brain is found to play an important role
in the etiology of certain psychiatric
disorders.
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9. Count…
Brain Damage:
• Any damage to the structure & functioning of
the brain can give rise to mental illness.
• Damage to the structure of the brain may be
due to one of the following causes:
– Infection: Example, Neurosyphilis, encephalitis,
HIV infection, etc.
– Injury: Loss of brain tissue due to head injury
– Intoxication: Damage to brain tissue due to
toxins such as alcohol, barbiturates, lead, etc.
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10. Count…
– Vascular: Poor blood supply, bleeding
(intracranial hemorrhage, subarachnoid
hemorrhage, subdural hemorrhage)
– Alteration in brain function: Changes in blood
chemistry that interfere with brain functioning
such as disturbance in blood glucose levels,
hypoxia, anoxia, & fluid & electrolyte imbalance.
– Tumors: Brain tumors
– Vitamin deficiency & malnutrition, in particular
deficiency of vitamin B complex.
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11. Count…
– Degenerative diseases: Dementia
– Endocrine disturbances: Hypothyroidism,
thyrotoxicosis etc
– Physical defects & physical illness: Acute
physical illness as well as chronic
illnesses with all their handicapping
conditions may result in loss of mental
capacities.
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12. 2. Physiological Changes:
• It has been observed that mental disorders are
more likely to occur at certain critical periods of
life namely – puberty, menstruation, pregnancy,
delivery, puerperium & climacteric.
• These periods are marked not only by
physiological (endocrine) changes, but also by
psychological issues that diminish the adaptive
capacity of the individual.
• Thus, the individual becomes more susceptible
to mental illness during this period.
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13. 3. Psychological Factors:
• It is observed that some specific personality
types are more prone to develop certain
psychological disorders. For example, those
who are unsocial & reserved (schizoid) are
vulnerable to schizophrenia when they face
adverse situations & psychosocial stresses.
• Strained interpersonal relationships at home,
place of work, school or college, bereavement,
loss of prestige, loss of job, etc.
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14. Count…
• Childhood insecurities due to parents with
pathological personalities, faculty attitude of
parents (over-strictness, over leniency),
abnormal parent-child relationship (over-
protection, rejection, unhealthy comparisons),
deprivation of child’s essential psychological &
social needs, etc.
• Social & recreational deprivations resulting in
boredom, isolation & alienation.
• Stress, frustration & seasonal variations are
sometimes noted in the occurrence of mental
diseases. www.drjayeshpatidar.blogspot.in

15. Count…
• Marriage problems like forced bachelorhood,
disharmony due to physical, emotional, social
educational or financial incompatibility,
childlessness, too many children, etc.
• Sexual difficulties arising out of improper sex
education, unhealthy attitudes towards sexual
functions, guilt feelings about masturbations,
pre-& extra-marital sex relations, worries
about sexual perversions.
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16. 4. Social Factors:
• Poverty, unemployment , injustice, insecurity,
migration, urbanization.
• Gambling, alcoholism, prostitution, broken
homes, divorce, very big family, religion,
traditional, political upheavals & other social
crises.
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