Evolving Perspectives on Mental Health Diagnosis: From Madness to Mental Health Problems
This piece explores the shifting landscape of psychiatric diagnoses, emphasizing how societal perceptions of mental illness have evolved over time. Key terms like "madness" and "mental health problems" illustrate this change, alongside new diagnostic entities proposed in the DSM-5. The article highlights the challenges in diagnosing mental disorders, the impact of stigma, and the risks associated with vague diagnoses, particularly among vulnerable populations like children. It ultimately calls for a critical examination of how we define and treat mental health in contemporary society.
Evolving Perspectives on Mental Health Diagnosis: From Madness to Mental Health Problems
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Presentation Transcript
INTRODUCTION Mario Maj
“Whatever hardship came our way was all on the outside. Inside we knew, without doubt, that Life was aware of us and somehow had us in its care.” (Park, 1992)
“Whatever psychiatrists wanted to treat was generally accepted by the public and other professions. But not anymore.” (Kutchins and Kirk, 1997)
The evolving target of psychiatry MADNESS ↓ MENTAL ILLNESS ↓ MENTAL DISORDERS MENTAL HEALTH PROBLEMS
Proposed new diagnostic entities in the DSM-5 • Attenuated psychosis syndrome • Mixed anxiety depressive disorder • (subthreshold) • Suicidal behavioral disorder • Persistent complex bereavement disorder • Disruptive mood dysregulation disorder • Hypersexual disorder
“Despite many scientific advances, there are still no biological tests – based on genes, blood markers or brain scans – to help diagnose mental illness. Thus, diagnosis is based on description, a process that is, by its nature, subjective and vulnerable to criticism.” (Los Angeles Times, 2012)
“There has been a gradual psychopathologizing of everyday problems in living.” (HealthDay, 2012)
“Profoundly negative judgments, stigma and social exclusion are close partners with the judgment that someone has a mental disorder.” (Bolton, 2007)
“There’s already overuse of antipsychotics in children and adolescents, and having this vague diagnosis, regardless of its intent, will only increase misuse in this vulnerable population.” (Weiden, 2012)
“The extension of the concept of mental disorder is neither legitimate nor otherwise – it is just a matter of ongoing negotiation between the various stakeholders in the process of help-seeking and help provision.” (Bolton, 2007)
“Before various reproductive techniques were developed, infertility was simply a fact of nature; now that it can be treated, it is a medical problem.” (Elliott, 1999)
Impact of interventions on clinical outcome Drawbacks of referral to mental health services
