Medicalization Defined in Empirical Contexts - A Scoping Review

Area of Science:

• Sociology
• Medical Sociology
• Health Studies

Background:

• Medicalization is a long-standing concept across disciplines, yet its definition has evolved.
• A clear understanding of how medicalization is defined in empirical research is lacking.
• This study addresses the research question: How is medicalization defined in empirical research and how do these definitions differ?

Purpose of the Study:

• To systematically review and categorize the definitions of medicalization used in empirical research.
• To identify the diversity and nuances in the conceptualization of medicalization.
• To provide a framework for understanding different perspectives on medicalization in academic studies.

Main Methods:

• A comprehensive scoping review of empirical research on medicalization was conducted.
• The review followed established scoping review methodology, including data charting and synthesis.
• Fifty empirical studies were included after screening 3027 papers.

Main Results:

• Empirical studies exhibit diverse applications of the medicalization concept.
• Ten distinct categories of conceptual definitions for medicalization were identified.
• These definitions vary subtly but significantly, forming a framework with value-laden/neutral and micro/macro axes.

Conclusions:

• Empirical research on medicalization is characterized by heterogeneous definitions.
• This diversity highlights the complexity of medicalization but impedes study comparability.
• Future research should explicitly state and justify the definition of medicalization employed.