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Measurement for a human science.

John Mirowsky1, Catherine E Ross

  • 1Department of Sociology, Ohio State University, 300 Bricker Hall, 190 North Oval Mall, Columbus, Ohio 43210-1353, USA. mirowsky.1@osu.edu

Journal of Health and Social Behavior
|July 5, 2002
PubMed
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Sociology of mental health measurement requires assessing human experience, not just diagnoses. Indexes, reflecting lived experiences, are superior to diagnoses for a human science approach.

Area of Science:

  • Sociology of Mental Health
  • Human Science
  • Measurement Theory

Background:

  • Measurement is critical in the sociology of mental health.
  • Existing diagnostic measures often fail to capture the full spectrum of human experience and suffering.
  • There is a need for measures that reflect how individuals feel, sense, and understand their lives.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To advocate for the use of indexes over diagnoses in measuring mental health.
  • To argue for the development of a human science in mental health research.
  • To empower individuals by providing information for self-understanding and control.

Main Methods:

  • Historical overview of diagnostic instruments in mental health.
  • Analysis of how diagnoses are made and their limitations.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Conceptual argument for the superiority of indexes in capturing human experience.

    • Main Results:

    • Diagnostic measures dichotomize emotions and exclude non-medicalized suffering.
    • Diagnoses create a reified image of disease, inaccessible to individuals.
    • Indexes better represent the nuances of human experience and suffering.

    Conclusions:

    • Indexes are more appropriate than diagnoses for measuring mental health in a human science framework.
    • A human science approach requires measures that reflect lived experience.
    • Empowering individuals through accessible information is key to understanding and controlling their well-being.