The Position of Psychiatric Illness in Biomedical Theory: A Cultural Analysis

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Abstract
This paper presents the argument that the character of illness in psychiatry requires embracing phenomena which falls outside the area of concern of basic biologic sciences. The argument is developed by introducing the idea of a “theory of illness,” a cultural trait of a society, and by examining features of our biomedical theory of illness. The disease “depression” is then examined in terms of this theory. A basic point made is that an appraisal of any medical system involves dealing with social factors and cultural conventions. Another one is that the effective and prudent application of biomedical knowledge requires dealing with neurobiologic as well as social and cultural factors that in a complementary fashion provide understanding about the organization and meaning of behavior. An emphasis on the organization and meaning of behavior, with the aim of uncovering illness conditions which can be effectively controlled, is and very likely will continue to be a central concern of psychiatry.

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