Grief following the death of a close family member is an example of an expected and culturally approved response. The experience of great sadness and a desire for solitude in this situation is considered natural and would not be classified as a mental disorder.

Example of an Expected Response: Grief

The APA's definition of a psychological disorder excludes disturbances that are expected or culturally approved responses to common life events. To be considered a disorder, the individual's reactions must be socially and culturally unacceptable in the given context.

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The American Psychiatric Association (APA) provides a formal definition of a psychological disorder that incorporates many features from Wakefield's harmful dysfunction model. This definition states that a psychological disorder is a condition involving: 1) significant disturbances in thoughts, feelings, and behaviors; 2) these disturbances reflect an underlying biological, psychological, or developmental dysfunction; 3) they cause significant distress or disability in an individual's life; and 4) they are not expected or culturally approved responses to life events.

American Psychiatric Association (APA) Definition of a Psychological Disorder

Spielman, R. M., Jenkins, W. J., & Lovett, M. D. (2020, April 22). Psychology (2nd ed.). OpenStax. https://openstax.org/books/psychology-2e/pages/1-introduction

OpenStax Psychology (2nd ed.) Textbook

According to the APA, a key criterion for a psychological disorder is the presence of significant disturbances. This involves inner experiences, such as thoughts and feelings, and outward behaviors that are unusual in a negative and self-defeating manner. These disturbances are often also unsettling to the people around the individual.

Significant Disturbances as an APA Criterion for Psychological Disorders

The APA specifies that disturbed patterns of thoughts, feelings, and behaviors must reflect a flaw, or dysfunction, in the underlying mechanisms responsible for healthy psychological functioning. These mechanisms can be biological, psychological, or developmental in nature.

Underlying Dysfunction as an APA Criterion for Psychological Disorders

For a condition to be considered a psychological disorder by the APA, the individual's inner experiences and behaviors must cause them significant distress or substantially impair their ability to function in daily life. This impairment is often referred to as functional, occupational, or social impairment.

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