Pathology and Clinical Practice

Psychopathology

Track 16: Psychopathology

Psychopathology is the study of mental illness and particularly of severe disorders. The purpose of psychopathology is to classify mental illness, elucidate its underlying causes, and guide clinical psychiatric treatment accordingly. Mental behaviours or social disorders seen generally as unhealthy or excessive in a given individual, to the point where they cause harm or severe disruption to the sufferer's lifestyle, are often called "pathological" (e.g., pathological gambling or pathological liar).