The concept of mental disorder: diagnostic implications of the harmful dysfunction analysis.

摘要: What do we mean when say that a mental condition is medical disorder rather than normal form of human suffering or problem in living? The status psychiatry as discipline depends on persuasive answer to this question. answers tend range from value accounts see sociopolitical concept, used for social control purposes, scientific the concept strictly factual. I have proposed hybrid account, harmful dysfunction (HD) analysis, incorporates both and components essential elements disorder, applying physical conditions. According HD if it negatively valued ("harmful") fact due failure some internal mechanism perform function which was biologically designed (i.e., naturally selected). implications analysis validity symptom-based diagnostic criteria challenges cross-cultural use are explored, using comparison application DSM U.S. Taiwan.