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The concept of mental illness
1Central Institute of Mental Health, Mannheim, West Germany.
Psychiatric Developments
|January 1, 1989
Summary
The concept of illness requires a disturbance of vital functions, not just symptoms. Defining mental illness necessitates understanding this general disease concept and its context.
Area of Science:
- Philosophy of Medicine
- Medical Ethics
- Social Sciences
Background:
- Recent discourse questions the existence of mental illness.
- Naive Cartesianism posits illness arises solely from physical causes.
- A clear definition of 'illness' is needed before addressing mental illness.
Purpose of the Study:
- To clarify the general concept of illness.
- To establish a framework for defining mental illness.
- To explore the relationship between general and specific disease concepts.
Main Methods:
- Conceptual analysis of the term 'illness'.
- Examination of social, legal, and medical contexts for disease definition.
- Distinguishing general disease concepts from specific disease concepts.
Main Results:
- Illness involves an involuntary, serious disturbance of vital functions.
- The general disease concept is context-dependent (everyday, social, legal, medical).
- Societal responses to illness involve institutionalization, norms, privileges, and duties.
Conclusions:
- The general disease concept is aetiologically neutral.
- Specific disease concepts can incorporate various explanatory models (physical or mental).
- Distinguishing illness from moral/legal deviations relies on the general disease concept.
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