Psychopathology

distressing thought or behavior pattern

German-Swiss psychiatrist and philosopher (1883–1969)

Psychopathology is the study of mental illness. It includes the signs and symptoms of all mental disorders. The field includes abnormal cognition, maladaptive behavior, and experiences which differ according to social norms. This discipline is an in-depth look into symptoms, behaviors, causes, course, development, categorization, treatments, strategies, and more.

American psychiatric classification and diagnostic guide, in periodic editions

Hypotheses about Adolf Hitler's mental state

In medicine, decompensation is the functional deterioration of a structure or system that had been previously working with the help of compensation. Decompensation may occur due to fatigue, stress, illness, or old age. When a system is "compensated", it is able to function despite stressors or defects. Decompensation describes an inability to compensate for these deficiencies. It is a general term commonly used in medicine to describe a variety of situations.

branch of scientific study

Psychobiography aims to understand historically significant individuals, such as artists or political leaders, through the application of psychological theory and research.

concept popularized by Polish psychiatrist Andrzej Łobaczewski, who advocated using the fields of psychology, sociology, philosophy, and history to account for such phenomena as aggressive war, ethnic cleansing, genocide, and despotism