Which criterion states that abnormal behavior significantly interferes with daily life?

• A. Dysfunction
• B. Distress
• C. Feeding and eating disorders
• D. Flat affect

Answer: (A)

Impairment in daily functioning is the key measure here. When behavior significantly disrupts a person’s ability to work, study, interact with others, or take care of themselves, it signals dysfunction in everyday life. That disruption is what diagnostic frameworks use to identify a mental disorder, beyond just unusual thoughts or feelings. In this question, “significantly interferes with daily life” directly describes that impairment, so it best fits.

Distress refers to emotional suffering and can accompany disorders without necessarily implying impairment in functioning. The other options aren’t criteria: one is a category of disorders (feeding and eating disorders), and the other is a symptom (flat affect) rather than a judgment about overall functioning.