mental health nursing

1. By- Ms. Snehal Kapadiya
M.Sc (N),
Mental health nursing
CONCEPTS OF NORMALAND
ABNORMAL BEHAVIOR

2.  Psychiatry as evident from the above is
concerned with abnormal behavior in its broadest
sense, but defining the concepts of normal and
abnormal behavior as such has been found to be
difficult.
 These concepts are much under the influence of
socio-cultural factors.
 Several models have been put forward in order to
explain the concept of normal and abnormal
behavior.

3. Some of them were:-
1) MEDICAL MODEL
 This model consider organic pathology as the
definite cause for mental disorder, according to
this abnormal people are the ones who have
disturbances in thought, perception and
psychomotor activities. The normal are the ones
who are free from these disturbances.

4. 2) STATISTICAL MODEL
 It involves the analysis of the responses on a test
or a questionnaire or observations of some
particular behavioral variables. The degree of
deviation from the standard norms arrived at
statistically, characterizes the degree of
abnormality.
 Statistically, normal mental health falls within two
standard
Deviations (SDs)of the normal distribution curve.

5. 3) SOCIO-CULTURAL MODEL
 The beliefs, norms, taboos and values of a
society have to be accepted and adopted by
individuals, breaking any of these would be
considered as abnormal. Normalcy is defined in a
context with social norms prescribed by the
culture. Thus, cultural background has to be
taken into account when distinguishing between
normal and abnormal behavior.

6. 4) BEHAVIOR MODEL
 Behavior that is adaptive, is normal, maladaptive
is abnormal. Abnormal behavior is a set of faulty
behaviors acquired through learning.