Causes of Psychopathology

The most important goal of researchers in the field of psychopathology is to
discover the causes (etiology) of each disorder. If the causes for disorders
were known, then psychologists could design effective treatments and, it
would be hoped, be able to prevent the development of many disorders. Unfortunately,
theories of psychological disorders are in their infancy, and
there are many more questions than there are answers. There is no general
agreement among psychologists as to where to look for answers to the question
of etiology. Consequently, some researchers stress the importance of biological
causes, other researchers focus on psychological processes in the
development of disorders, while still others emphasize the crucial role of
learning experiences in the development of behavior disorders. All these
approaches are important, and each supplies a piece of the puzzle of psychopathology,
but all approaches have their limitations.