[Conflict and deficit in etiopathogenia]

Currently, there is a proliferation of theories and theoretical languages in the field of Mental Health. These different languages, with their accompanying discourse, can be a great source of confusion for the therapist, who is often forced to use them in clinical practice. The purpose of this paper is to describe and compare two principal theories in an attempt to integrate their different theoretical languages and approaches. To this end, two approaches in etiopathogenia, conflict and deficit, characteristic of two principal models, namely the medical-psychiatric model and the psychoanalytic-psychodynamic model, are described and compared. Firstly, deficit and psychic conflict are defined in the context of psychopathology. Secondly, Freud's complemental series is described and suggested as a model to enable the inclusion of both concepts in the etiopathology of mental disease. Thirdly, the diagnostic process is examined to illustrate how each model operates using a different methodology to collect data. In the field of psychiatry, clinical observation involves finding generalities to classify the disease in a nosography. In contrast, psychoanalysis investigates the conflict in the therapeutic relationship, and thus preserves the singularity of the subject. Finally, it is suggested that both models may be necessary and complementary, as they are both instrumental in the treatment of mental illness.