Psychiatric theories have evolved with the development of medicine and technology, with some focusing on the entire human mind and others on specific behaviors or mental health disorders. Theories can be influenced by cultural conceptions and are often based on observations of the brain rather than experiments. Looking back at past theories can help address possible bias in current research.
The types of psychiatric theories around the world have changed with the development of this type of medicine. The changes in theory are related not only to the development of ideas about the human mind, but also to changes in how humanity can look at that mind. It is sometimes helpful to think of psychiatric theories in terms of the breadth of their claims, with some making claims about the entire human mind while others only speak of small isolated areas. Furthermore, psychiatric theories can be divided into typologies related to the specific phenomenon addressed, such as motherhood or crime.
Some of the most important types of psychiatric theories concern the ways in which the human mind is believed to function as a whole. Extensive theories regarding self-perception, chemical interactions in the brain, or even evolutionary predispositions to certain behaviors have been disseminated. It is possible to conceptualize human consciousness in many different ways, as demonstrated by the highly divergent early theories of psychiatry in the many cultures of the world.
With technology that measures brain activity, it is possible to objectively observe not only the results of thought processes, but also the actual processes occurring. This type of analysis has opened up a whole new world of psychiatric theories that examine how the brain actually works and what these processes have to do with the behavior of human beings. Theories of this kind are often based on observations of the brain, not experiments with reactions.
Sometimes, psychiatric theories work within a specific type of behavior, such as criminal behavior. Likewise, this type of theory can only speak to certain types of people, such as men or women. Dividing all of humanity into relevant groups makes it possible to make more specific claims about how the mind works, since each of these groups is thought to have something relevant in common. Whether these statements prove helpful depends on how many similarities of the group are found in the mind.
Theories can also address specific areas of mental health, such as schizophrenia or bipolar disorder. Psychiatric understanding of these illnesses has changed over time, and some behaviors currently considered normal were once classified under the category of mental illnesses by psychiatrists. While psychiatry may appear to be an objective science, it is often influenced by contemporary cultural conceptions of the world, making it difficult for psychiatric theories to address objective truth. As a discipline with a long lineage, looking back at past theories within this practice can often help psychiatrists address possible bias in their own research.
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