Posted by alexandra_k on September 15, 2006, at 0:03:25
In reply to Re: internet and the manufacture of madness... » alexandra_k, posted by Phillipa on September 14, 2006, at 21:51:41
> Why does it have to be scientific
because we don't want people to be detained in psychiatric institutions against their will and be forced to take psychiatric medications against their will solely on the basis of a psychiatrists subjective judgement. that would be a form of... social control.
> docs diagnose by the behaviors they see
yes including verbal behaviour. behaviours (including verbal behaviour) can indeed be measured. there is fairly good inter-rater reliability for dxing certain symptoms. that doesn't show that it is completely objective (as by their own admission clinicians are supposed to exhibit 'clinical judgement' and the DSM can't be applied by people who haven't been trained / indoctrinated in diagnosis). self report is important too. the dysfunction notion is supposed to differentiate between mental illness (dysfunction within the individual) and 'problems in living' (no dysfunction within the individual but subjective distress), however.
poster:alexandra_k
thread:684913
URL: http://www.dr-bob.org/babble/social/20060911/msgs/686096.html