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On Wakefield's harmful dysfunction analysis of mental disorder.

R J McNally1

  • 1Department of Psychology, Harvard University, Cambridge, MA 02138, USA. rjm@wjh.harvard.edu

Behaviour Research and Therapy
|March 3, 2001
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

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Wakefield's harmful dysfunction analysis offers a rigorous framework for understanding mental disorder, defining it as a combination of natural dysfunction and resulting harm. This analysis prompts further examination into the necessity of evolutionary perspectives for defining psychological dysfunction.

Area of Science:

  • Abnormal psychology
  • Philosophy of science
  • Evolutionary psychology

Background:

  • Wakefield's harmful dysfunction analysis defines mental disorder as a hybrid concept.
  • It integrates a factual component (natural dysfunction) with a value component (resultant harm).

Discussion:

  • The necessity and feasibility of an evolutionary interpretation of dysfunction are questioned.
  • A nonhistorical causal role analysis of psychological function may suffice for disorder ascription.
  • The dysfunction component itself may be hybrid, containing factual and normative elements.

Key Insights:

  • Mental disorder is conceptualized as a dual concept: factual dysfunction and value-based harm.
  • The role of evolutionary theory in defining dysfunction requires critical evaluation.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Dysfunction may be understood through causal roles rather than solely evolutionary history.

    • Outlook:

    • Further research can explore non-evolutionary causal analyses of psychological dysfunction.
    • Clarifying the hybrid nature of the dysfunction component is crucial for refining the model.
    • This framework encourages deeper conceptual analysis in abnormal psychology.