Dimensions of Psychological Problems

Author:

Lahey Benjamin B.

Abstract

A long-brewing revolution in how people think about psychological problems has finally reached a tipping point. Extensive scientific evidence now portrays psychological problems as problematic ways of thinking, feeling, and behaving that lie on continuous dimensions from insignificant to severe, with there being no hard line between “normal” and “abnormal.” These dimensions of psychological problems are highly correlated and overlapping. This means that people often experience psychological problems on more than one dimension at the same time. New longitudinal studies, in which the same people provide information about themselves over long parts of their lives, now indicate that the dimensions of psychological problems are dynamically changing rather than constant. Perhaps most important, these long-term studies reveal that psychological problems are commonplace and ordinary aspects of human lives. Surprisingly, nearly all people experience some distressing and impairing psychological problems at some time during their lives. These psychological problems range from simply uncomfortable to extremely distressing, problematic, and sometimes tragic. Nonetheless, psychological problems arise through the same natural processes as all aspects of behavior. That is, both adaptive and maladaptive patterns of psychological functioning are the result of the same natural interplay of genes and environments. Understanding these things about psychological problems should reduce people’s tendency to stigmatize these problems in themselves and in others. It will often be sensible for people to seek professional help to change them, but psychological problems are simply ordinary and commonplace parts of people’s lives.

Publisher

Oxford University Press

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