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PubMed · 15971894

Sorting out the concept 'disorder'.

Patricia A Ross
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Abstract

Current debates concerning the concept of mental disorder involve many different philosophical issues. However, it is not always clear from these discussions how, or whether, these issues relate to one another, or in exactly what way they are important for the definition of disorder. This article aims to sort through some of the philosophical issues that arise in the current literature and provide a clarification of how these issues are related to one another and whether they are necessary for defining disorder. I argue that the main concern in defining disorder, namely demarcation, is obscured by a number of these other philosophical issues and that a focus on demarcation gives us a means of placing these other issues in a clarifying context.

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CognitionConcept FormationHumansMental DisordersMental Health ServicesPhilosophy, MedicalPsychiatrySocial ValuesStereotypingTerminology as TopicMental Health TherapiesPhilosophical ApproachJournal ArticleResearch Support, U.S. Gov't, Non-P.H.S.Review

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Patricia A Ross. 2005. Sorting out the concept 'disorder'.. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11017-005-7946-0

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