Classifying Madness
A Philosophical Examination of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders
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Beschreibung
Classifying Madness examines the conceptual foundations of the D.S.M., the main classification of mental disorders used by psychiatrists world-wide. It will be of interest to both mental health professionals and to philosophers interested in classification in science. The D.S.M. has become extremely controversial, and the possibility that there may be philosophical difficulties with it has become a commonplace in the mental health literature. Classifying Madness offers mental health professionals an opportunity to explore suspicions that there might be conceptual problems with the D.S.M. For philosophers, this book aims to contribute to debates in the philosophy of science concerning natural kinds, the theory-ladenness of classification, and the effect of sociological factors in science. These issues are normally approached via a consideration of the natural sciences and, as will be seen, approaching them via a consideration of psychiatry helps shed new light on old problems.
This book is about the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, more commonly known as the D.S.M. The D.S.M. is published by the American Psychiatric Association and aims to list and describe all mental disorders. Within its pages can be found diagnostic criteria for types of depression, types of schizophrenia, eating disorders, anxiety disorders, phobias, sleeping disorders, and so on. Also included are less familiar, and more controversial, conditions: Mathematics Disorder, Caffeine Intoxication, Nicotine Dependence, Nightmare Disorder. It must be admitted that the D.S.M. is not an exciting read. Its pages follow a standard format: Each disorder has a numerical code. This is followed by a description of the disorder, which includes information regarding prevalence, course, and differential diagnosis. Finally explicit criteria that patients must meet to receive the diagnosis are listed. These generally include lists of the symptoms that must be present, restrictions as to the length of time that the symptoms must have been troublesome, and clauses that state that the symptoms must not be better accounted for by some other condition.
A sustained philosophical critique of the D.S.M. Contains archive-based research on the history of the D.S.M.
This book is about the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (D.S.M.). The D.S.M. aims to list and describe all mental disorders, and is extremely influential in the US health system, international research and the pharmaceutical industry. The D.S.M. is important, but it is also controversial. The book offers a sustained philosophical critique of the D.S.M. that addresses concerns about its scientific basis, pressure from big business, and conceptual issues. The author sheds new light on longstanding problems, taking a critical but not antagonistic approach.
Autor*in
Rachel Cooper
Themen in »Classifying Madness«
classification diagnosis health philosophy of science psychiatry science
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From the reviews:
“Cooper’s Classifying Madness is an important text in the context of these recent works and a useful addition to the broader, more interdisciplinary, philosophy of psychiatry literature. … Its strengths are its straight-forward presentation, clear focus, and sensible reasoning. … The book will be accessible and of interest to a wide audience of philosophers of science, philosophers of psychiatry, psychiatrists, clinical psychologists, and other researchers interested in issues concerning the classification of mental disorders.” (Jonathan Y. Tsou, British Journal for the Philosophy of Science, Vol. 61 (2), June, 2010)
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