Following are ways in information about mental disorders can be gathered:
• Case studies:
o Case studies refer to the process or record of research conducted to investigate a disease, person, group, or situation within a certain time period.
o Case studies provided good amount of information and research data on the mental orders. Example, clinical studies by Emil Kraepelin and Eugen Bleuler offered detailed accounts of patients who were suffering from manic depression and schizophrenia.
o However, the case studies have a disadvantage that the case studies are presented from the researcher point of view, which could be a biased. Another disadvantage is generalizability – they conclusion arrived in the case studies cannot be applied to other cases and people living with the same abnormality.
• Self-report data:
o Self-reported data can be obtained from the individuals in the form of questionnaires and surveys.
o While the self-reported data is an excellent way to obtain information, it is completely dependent about an individual’s ability to report or explain his or her condition.
• Observational approaches:
o The observational approach includes recording behavioral patterns and biological variables by trained observers.
o Researchers are utilizing technology, such as functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) and transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) in order to study the brain function.