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Free will and mental disorder: exploring the relationship.

Gerben Meynen¹

¹Faculty of Philosophy and EMGO Institute, VU University Amsterdam, De Boelelaan 1105, 1081 HV, Amsterdam, The Netherlands. g.meynen@ph.vu.nl

Theoretical Medicine and Bioethics

|October 9, 2010

Summary

Mental disorders can impact free will and moral responsibility, as seen in philosophy and forensic psychiatry. Future research should include lived experiences of mental disorders to clarify this complex relationship.

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Area of Science:

Philosophy of Mind
Psychiatry
Forensic Psychology

Background:

The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM-IV) notes a potential "loss of freedom" as a feature of mental disorder.
The precise nature of this "loss of freedom" in relation to mental disorders remains unclear.
Existing literature in philosophy and forensic psychiatry acknowledges a link between mental disorders and compromised free will.

Purpose of the Study:

To explore the multifaceted relationship between mental disorders and free will.
To clarify how mental disorders may compromise free will and reduce moral responsibility.
To examine this connection within the domains of free will philosophy and forensic psychiatry.

Main Methods:

Analysis of philosophical arguments concerning free will and mental disorders.
Review of concepts and practices within forensic psychiatry related to mental state and responsibility.
Discussion of three philosophical senses of free will and their relevance to mental health conditions.

Main Results:

Philosophers frequently cite mental disorders as conditions that impair free will and diminish moral accountability.
Forensic psychiatry often uses the concept of compromised free will due to mental disorders to explain criminal responsibility assessments.
Despite acknowledgment, the specific mechanisms by which mental disorders affect free will are not clearly defined in either field.

Conclusions:

The relationship between mental disorders and free will requires further elucidation.
Understanding the impact of mental disorders on free will necessitates integrating the perspectives of individuals with lived experience.
Future research should incorporate first-person accounts to provide a more comprehensive understanding.