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Deep sadness and a wish to be left alone in the weeks after a close family member dies is usually not counted as a disorder. Which element of the American Psychiatric Association definition covers this?
ADisturbances must be observed by a trained clinician
BDisturbances must not be culturally expected responses
CDisturbances must continue for longer than six months
DDisturbances must be described as painful by others
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: B. Disturbances must not be culturally expected responses
1. The formal definition sets four requirements, and the fourth concerns culturally expected reactions.
2. Disturbances in thoughts, feelings and behaviours must be socially unacceptable responses to the events that prompted them.
3. Great sadness and withdrawal after a bereavement are natural and expected, so that reaction fails this requirement.
4. No element of the definition sets a six-month floor, requires a witness, or asks other people to rate the pain.
_Source: OpenStax Psychology (1st ed., CC BY 4.0), Ch 15 "Psychological Disorders", section 15.1 What Are Psychological Disorders?_
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