A proposal to classify happiness as a psychiatric disorder

Area of Science:

• Psychiatry
• Neuroscience
• Mental Health Classification

Background:

• Current diagnostic manuals lack a classification for happiness.
• Happiness, though positively valued, exhibits characteristics of a disorder.

Purpose of the Study:

• To propose classifying happiness as a psychiatric disorder.
• To introduce the diagnostic term 'major affective disorder, pleasant type'.

Main Methods:

• Literature review of existing research on happiness.
• Analysis of happiness's statistical abnormality and symptom clusters.

Main Results:

• Happiness is statistically abnormal.
• Happiness presents a discrete cluster of symptoms.
• Associated cognitive abnormalities and potential central nervous system dysfunction are noted.

Conclusions:

• Happiness meets criteria for classification as a psychiatric disorder.
• The proposed classification is 'major affective disorder, pleasant type'.
• The non-negative valuation of happiness is deemed scientifically irrelevant for classification.