Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

Classification of Illness01:17

Classification of Illness

The meaning of illness is individualized to each person who experiences an alteration in health. In contrast, disease is a medical term indicating a pathological change in the structure and function of the body or mind. It is a condition that has specific symptoms and boundaries.
An illness is a response to a disease in which the person's level of functioning is changed compared with a previous level. The general classification of illness includes acute and chronic.
Acute illness is severe and...
Concepts of Health and Illness01:29

Concepts of Health and Illness

Health is a condition of the body, mind, and spirit where an individual remains free from illness. Similarly, wellness is an active state, including living a lifestyle that promotes physical, mental, and emotional health. Physical health is critical for the overall well-being and can be affected by lifestyle, activity level, diet, and behavior. The highest attainable standard of health is a fundamental and universal human right. Consider Lisa, a fifteen-year-old born with congenital...
Models of Health Promotion and Illness Prevention II01:18

Models of Health Promotion and Illness Prevention II

The person's health status fluctuates continually, varying from being in good health to becoming ill and returning to being healthy. To understand the concept of illness prevention, there are two models. First, the health-illness continuum model is a graphic representation of an individual's wellness. It states that a person is considered healthy in the absence of physical disease and the presence of good emotional health.
The agent-host-environment model states that disease results from...
Toxoplasmosis01:28

Toxoplasmosis

Toxoplasmosis, a zoonotic disease caused by the protozoan Toxoplasma gondii, poses significant public health challenges globally due to its high seroprevalence and varied clinical manifestations. As an obligate intracellular parasite, T. gondii can infect all warm-blooded vertebrates, but felids are its only definitive hosts, shedding unsporulated oocysts into the environment. Humans typically acquire the infection through ingestion of tissue cysts in undercooked meat or oocysts from...
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)01:27

Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) serves as the primary classification system for mental health disorders, providing standardized diagnostic criteria for clinicians and researchers. First published by the American Psychiatric Association (APA) in 1952, the DSM has undergone several revisions to reflect evolving psychiatric understanding. The fifth edition, DSM-5, released in 2013, introduced key updates that expanded diagnostic categories and modified diagnostic...
Factors Affecting Illness01:18

Factors Affecting Illness

When a person's physical, emotional, intellectual, social development or spiritual functioning is compromised, this deviation from a healthy normal state is called illness. Illness creates stress that in turn harms individuals. Irritation, anger, denial, hopelessness, and fear are behavioral and emotional changes an individual experiences in the phases of illness. A variety of factors influence a person's health and well-being.
For instance, risk factors are connected to illness, disability,...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same journal

Negotiation of Sleepwalking in the Age of Algorithms: Agency, Interpretation and Everyday Adaptations.

Sociology of health & illness·2026
Same journal

Pharmacological Practices Among Chilean University Students: Between Emotional Mediations, Performance Demands, and Health Mandates.

Sociology of health & illness·2026
Same journal

In Search of Genetic Agency: On the Uses and Actionability of Direct-to-Consumer Genetic Test Results in Biohacking Practices.

Sociology of health & illness·2026
Same journal

Algorithmic Choreography: Redefining Human and Non-Human Relations in Digital Health.

Sociology of health & illness·2026
Same journal

Economic Cynicism, COVID-19 and Deaths of Despair in Rural Ohio Counties.

Sociology of health & illness·2026
Same journal

Contextualising, Conceptualising and Constructing At-Homeness: Towards an Integrative Framework for Residential Care.

Sociology of health & illness·2026

Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 16, 2026

The MODS method for diagnosis of tuberculosis and multidrug resistant tuberculosis
23:06

The MODS method for diagnosis of tuberculosis and multidrug resistant tuberculosis

Published on: August 11, 2008

Morgellons: contested illness, diagnostic compromise and medicalisation.

Brian Fair1

  • 1Department of Sociology, Brandeis University, Waltham, MA 02453-2728, USA. bpf@brandeis.edu

Sociology of Health & Illness
|February 13, 2010
PubMed
Summary

Morgellons, a contested illness, impacted Delusional Parasitosis (DP) diagnosis. This study explores patient empowerment versus medical authority through doctor-patient compromise, analyzing online discourse and medical literature.

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 16, 2026

The MODS method for diagnosis of tuberculosis and multidrug resistant tuberculosis
23:06

The MODS method for diagnosis of tuberculosis and multidrug resistant tuberculosis

Published on: August 11, 2008

Area of Science:

  • Medical Sociology
  • Psychiatry
  • Health Communication

Background:

  • Morgellons represents a medically contested illness.
  • Its emergence influenced diagnostic processes for Delusional Parasitosis (DP).
  • Sociopolitical dynamics in contested illnesses involve patient empowerment and medical jurisdiction.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To analyze the intersection of contested and uncontested illnesses.
  • To bridge literature on contested illnesses and medicalization.
  • To examine patient empowerment and medical authority through doctor-patient compromise.

Main Methods:

  • Qualitative analysis of Morgellons discourse.
  • Examined pro- and anti-Morgellons websites (Morgellons.org, Morgellonswatch.com).
  • Analyzed popular media and peer-reviewed articles from PubMed.

Main Results:

  • The study reveals complex interactions between patient perspectives and medical authority.
  • Sociopolitical factors in Morgellons discourse highlight tensions in medical jurisdiction.
  • Doctor-patient compromise emerged as a key theme in navigating contested diagnoses.

Conclusions:

  • Contested illnesses like Morgellons challenge established diagnostic frameworks.
  • Understanding patient empowerment is crucial for medical authority.
  • Doctor-patient compromise offers a model for managing medically contested conditions.