Psychologists Label it as disorder when?
your behavior is deviant, distressful, and dysfunctional
Psychologists label a behavior as a disorder when it meets certain criteria outlined in the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM), which is a manual published by the American Psychiatric Association. The DSM defines a mental disorder as a syndrome characterized by clinically significant disturbance in an individual’s cognition, emotion, regulation, or behavior that reflects a dysfunction in the psychological, biological, or developmental processes underlying mental functioning.
To meet the criteria for a disorder according to the DSM, a person’s behavior must cause significant distress or impairment in social, occupational, or other important areas of functioning, and it must not be a result of culturally or socially sanctioned behavior.
In addition to the DSM, psychologists may also use other methods of assessment and diagnosis, such as interviews, self-report questionnaires, behavioral observation, and neuropsychological testing, to determine if a behavior is indicative of a disorder. Overall, the goal is to accurately diagnose and treat individuals in order to improve their mental health and well-being.
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