Psychiatric diagnosis: the indispensability of ambivalence

Callard, F. (2014) Psychiatric diagnosis: the indispensability of ambivalence. Journal of Medical Ethics, 40(8), pp. 526-530. (doi: 10.1136/medethics-2013-101763) (PMID:24515564) (PMCID:PMC4112451)

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Abstract

The author analyses how debate over the fifth edition of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders has tended to privilege certain conceptions of psychiatric diagnosis over others, as well as to polarise positions regarding psychiatric diagnosis. The article aims to muddy the black and white tenor of many discussions regarding psychiatric diagnosis by moving away from the preoccupation with diagnosis as classification and refocusing attention on diagnosis as a temporally and spatially complex, as well as highly mediated process. The article draws on historical, sociological and first-person perspectives regarding psychiatric diagnosis in order to emphasise the conceptual—and potentially ethical—benefits of ambivalence vis-à-vis the achievements and problems of psychiatric diagnosis.

Item Type:Articles
Status:Published
Refereed:Yes
Glasgow Author(s) Enlighten ID:Callard, Professor Felicity
Authors: Callard, F.
College/School:College of Science and Engineering > School of Geographical and Earth Sciences
Journal Name:Journal of Medical Ethics
Publisher:BMJ Publishing Group
ISSN:0306-6800
ISSN (Online):1473-4257
Published Online:10 February 2014
Copyright Holders:Copyright © 2014 The Author
First Published:First published in Journal of Medical Ethics 40(8): 526-530
Publisher Policy:Reproduced under a Creative Commons License

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