Key study: Szasz’s study
Area Mental Health (Applied)
Files
Notes
Aim
To revisit Szasz’s earlier idea of the medicalisation + politicalisation of abnormal
behavior in light of modern development in psychiatry
Method
Essay on psychiatry (doesn’t involve Ps or procedures) → secondary method
Outline Szasz’s view of mental illness (Findings)
Szasz believed that so-called mental illness was behavior that society found
deviant and undesirable → abnormal behavior shouldn’t be regarded as
mental illnesses or a medical condition that requires pharmaceutical
treatment.
He suggested that mental illnesses are either misdiagnosed physical
illnesses (e.g. neurosyphilis) or non-diseases (e.g. ADHD), labelled
medically so deviant behavior can be treated away → makes society feel
better but not really helping the patient.
He believed abnormal behavior + psychiatric responses to them should be
matters of laws, morals and rhetoric and should be treated with humanistic
talking therapies.
He described involuntary psychiatric intervention (sectioning) as morally
illegitimate.
He compared the experience of being institutionalised with being imprisoned
→ concluded that taking people’s freedom on the grounds of a disease is a
direct violation of human rights.
Explain what is meant by the medicalisation of mental illness according to Szasz
(Findings)
Medicalisation of mental illness is when behavior is made to appear as if it’s
a medical problem because doctors intervene and provide treatment.
Key study: Szasz’s study 1
Area Mental Health (Applied)
Files
Notes
Aim
To revisit Szasz’s earlier idea of the medicalisation + politicalisation of abnormal
behavior in light of modern development in psychiatry
Method
Essay on psychiatry (doesn’t involve Ps or procedures) → secondary method
Outline Szasz’s view of mental illness (Findings)
Szasz believed that so-called mental illness was behavior that society found
deviant and undesirable → abnormal behavior shouldn’t be regarded as
mental illnesses or a medical condition that requires pharmaceutical
treatment.
He suggested that mental illnesses are either misdiagnosed physical
illnesses (e.g. neurosyphilis) or non-diseases (e.g. ADHD), labelled
medically so deviant behavior can be treated away → makes society feel
better but not really helping the patient.
He believed abnormal behavior + psychiatric responses to them should be
matters of laws, morals and rhetoric and should be treated with humanistic
talking therapies.
He described involuntary psychiatric intervention (sectioning) as morally
illegitimate.
He compared the experience of being institutionalised with being imprisoned
→ concluded that taking people’s freedom on the grounds of a disease is a
direct violation of human rights.
Explain what is meant by the medicalisation of mental illness according to Szasz
(Findings)
Medicalisation of mental illness is when behavior is made to appear as if it’s
a medical problem because doctors intervene and provide treatment.
Key study: Szasz’s study 1
