Conceptions of abnormality are at the center of the study of mental health and healthy development, both generally and as applied to the adolescent period. Yet, what constitutes abnormality continues to be the subject of considerable debate and controversy. A close examination of the study of abnormality and disorder reveals that there are many ways to approach the notion of abnormality, all of which have their limitations and strengths.
Controversies surrounding conceptions of disorder and abnormality emerged quite forcefully a few decades ago, especially in popular culture, as they were sparked by the writings of Thomas Szaz (1971, 1974) who argued that mental disorders could be conceived as a function of subjective societal values and were, in essence, myths. Although his model was unable to explain why some socially disapproved beliefs were not deemed pathological (such as rudeness or some forms of racism), his conceptualization did focus on a key point of abnormality, which is...
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Levesque, R.J.R. (2011). Abnormality. In: Levesque, R.J.R. (eds) Encyclopedia of Adolescence. Springer, New York, NY. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4419-1695-2_471
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