The Overlap Between Clinical and Abnormal Psychology: Understanding Mental Disorders
Bhavya Sharma
Education Consultant at The Red Pen ? BSc. honors in Psychology, Krea University
Psychology?is?a?broad?and?diverse?field?that?includes?many?branches?and?subdisciplines.?Two?similar?professions?in?psychology?are?clinical?psychology?and?abnormal?psychology.?While?these?activities?differ,?there?is?significant?overlap?between?them?as?they?all?work?to?advance?our?understanding?of?mental?illness?and?provide?effective?interventions?for?those?who?experience?it.?This?article?explores?the?link?between?clinical?psychology?and?psychiatry?and?highlights?how?these?disciplines?work?together?to?address?the?complexities?of?trauma?and?mental?health.
Definition?of?Clinical?and?Abnormal?Psychology:?Clinical?Psychology?is?a?branch?of?clinical,?diagnostic?and?therapeutic?psychology. Psychologists?work?directly?with?individuals?to?reduce?psychological?distress,?improve?mental?health,?and?improve?overall?functioning.?They?use?a?variety?of?treatments?and?interventions?to?help?clients?overcome?problems.
Abnormal?psychology?is?the?study?of?abnormal?behavior?and?mental?disorders.?It?aims?to?understand?the?nature,?causes?and?prevalence?of?various?mental?disorders?and?to?discover?factors?that?contribute?to?abnormal?or?atypical?behavior.?Negative?psychology?studies?a?variety?of?issues,?including?negative?emotions,?anxiety,?personality?disorders,?and?more.
Overlap:
There?is?significant?overlap?between?mental?health?and?mental?illness.?Both?disciplines?focus?on?the?study?and?understanding?of?abnormal?behavior?and?mental?health.?However,?there?are?also?some?differences?between?the?two?fields.
Clinical?Psychology?is?a?broad?field?that?deals?with?the?evaluation,?diagnosis?and?treatment?of?various?mental?and?psychological?disorders.?It?is?associated?with?negative?and?negative?behaviors.
Psychologists?work?with?individuals?to?help?them?improve?their?overall?health?and?wellbeing.?They?may?use?a?variety?of?treatments?and?interventions?to?deal?with?psychological?problems.
Abnormal?psychology,?on?the?other?hand,?is?specifically?concerned?with?the?study?of?abnormal?behavior?and?mental?disorders.?It?explores?the?causes,?symptoms,?and?treatment?of?various?mental?disorders?such?as?depression,?anxiety,?schizophrenia,?and?personality?disorders.?Abnormal?psychologists?seek?to?understand?what?causes?abnormal?behavior?and?develop?effective?interventions.
Despite?the?differences,?there?is?a?lot?of?overlap?between?mental?health?and?mental?disorders.?For?example,?both?professions?recognize?the?importance?of?understanding?the?psychological,?biological,?and?social?factors?that?cause?and?sustain?mental?illness.?Their?goal?is?to?help?people?improve?their?health?and?quality?of?life.?Psychiatrists?and?psychologists?may?use?similar?assessment?tools,?such?as?interviews?and?psychological?assessments,?to?gather?information?about?a?patient's?symptoms?and?functioning.
In?general,?clinical?psychology?covers?a?wide?range?of?topics,?including?the?treatment?of?normal?and?abnormal?behavior,?while?abnormal?psychology?focuses?specially?on?the?study?of?abnormal?behavior?and?mental?health.
However,?both?play?an?important?role?in?understanding?and?treating?mental?illness?and?improving?mental?health.