What is the Difference Between Organic and Functional Mental Disorders?
🆚 Go to Comparative Table 🆚The difference between organic and functional mental disorders lies in the causative factors and the nature of the disorders.
Organic Mental Disorders:
- Caused by structural defects or physiological dysfunction of the brain.
- The causative factors are known.
- Examples include psychoses caused by brain injury, infections, or neurological diseases.
Functional Mental Disorders:
- Causative factors have not yet been identified.
- Symptoms are not attributable to any known medical, neurological, or substance-related disorder.
- Examples include psychoses that are not associated with any diagnosable pathophysiology.
In summary, organic mental disorders can be attributed to specific biological changes, while functional mental disorders have no identifiable cause and are not associated with any diagnosable pathophysiology. Both types of disorders can present with similar symptoms but have distinct underlying causes.
Comparative Table: Organic vs Functional Mental Disorders
The main difference between organic and functional mental disorders lies in the causative factors. Organic mental disorders have known causative factors, while the causative factors for functional mental disorders are unknown. Here is a table comparing the two types of mental disorders:
| Organic Mental Disorders | Functional Mental Disorders |
|---|---|
| Causative factors are known | Causative factors are unknown |
| Biological changes in tissues and organs can be measured | No damage to the brain or measurable biological changes |
| Symptoms may include agitation and irritability | Symptoms may include seizures and loss of balance |
| Results from various diseases, traumatic conditions, genetics, head trauma, and underlying disease conditions | Often related to a history of physical or sexual abuse or neglect in childhood |
| Complications can include substantial disability and poor quality of life, anxiety disorders, panic disorder, depression, and insomnia | Can lead to a loss of quality of life and wellbeing |
Despite the differences, both organic and functional mental disorders share some similarities:
- They belong to the group of mental disorders.
- They show certain similar symptoms.
- They affect neurological health.
- They cause a loss of quality of life and wellbeing.
- Mental Illness vs Mental Disorder
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- Mental Health vs Mental Illness
- Mental Illness vs Mental Retardation
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- Formal vs Functional Regions
- Functionalism vs Behaviorism
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- Functionalism vs Neofunctionalism
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- Disorder vs Disability
- Functional vs Non Functional Requirements
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- Physiological vs Psychological
- Depression vs Schizophrenia