Deviance Approach

The approach I think is the most effective at explaining mental illnesses is the mental illness as deviance perspective. The mental illness as deviance perspective focuses on what society perceives and labels as “normal” and compares this standard with an individual’s emotions and actions to see if an individual differs from “normal”, along with his ability to conform to what society believes is “normal” (Kornblum and Seccombe, 2017).

The reason why I believe that this is the most effective at describing mental illness is because I see this play out in society currently. The idea that quickly comes to my mind is ADHD (attention deficit hyperactivity disorder). The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention website lays out the DSM-5 Criteria