What kinds of things are psychiatric disorders?

2010 ◽  
Vol 41 (6) ◽  
pp. 1143-1150 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. S. Kendler ◽  
P. Zachar ◽  
C. Craver
Keyword(s):  
Psychiatric Disorders ◽  
Cultural Context ◽  
Causal Structure ◽  
Biological Species ◽  
Physiological Mechanisms ◽  
Socially Constructed ◽  
Causal Processes ◽  
Underlying Mechanisms ◽  
The Mind ◽  
Different Cultures

This essay explores four answers to the question ‘What kinds of things are psychiatric disorders?’Essentialist kindsare classes whose members share an essence from which their defining features arise. Although elegant and appropriate for some physical (e.g. atomic elements) and medical (e.g. Mendelian disorders) phenomena, this model is inappropriate for psychiatric disorders, which are multi-factorial and ‘fuzzy’.Socially constructed kindsare classes whose members are defined by the cultural context in which they arise. This model excludes the importance of shared physiological mechanisms by which the same disorder could be identified across different cultures. Advocates ofpractical kindsput off metaphysical questions about ‘reality’ and focus on defining classes that are useful. Practical kinds models for psychiatric disorders, implicit in the DSM nosologies, do not require that diagnoses be grounded in shared causal processes. If psychiatry seeks to tie disorders to etiology and underlying mechanisms, a model first proposed for biological species,mechanistic property cluster(MPC)kinds, can provide a useful framework. MPC kinds are defined not in terms of essences but in terms of complex, mutually reinforcing networks of causal mechanisms. We argue that psychiatric disorders are objectively grounded features of the causal structure of the mind/brain. MPC kinds are fuzzy sets defined by mechanisms at multiple levels that act and interact to produce the key features of the kind. Like species, psychiatric disorders are populations with central paradigmatic and more marginal members. The MPC view is the best current answer to ‘What kinds of things are psychiatric disorders?’

scholarly journals Problem kategorii decyzji w kontekście naturalistycznego paradygmatu nauk społecznych

2021 ◽  
Vol 5 ◽  
pp. 55-69
Author(s):  
Piotr Łukomski
Keyword(s):  
Social Sciences ◽  
Cultural Context ◽  
Causal Structure ◽  
Cultural Meanings ◽  
Control Structures ◽  
Theoretical Structure ◽  
The World ◽  
Human Autonomy ◽  
The Mind ◽  
Explanatory Structure

Artykuł przedstawia tezę, że decyzja rozumiana jako akt wyboru jest możliwa do wyjaśnienia w ramach teorii kontroli, która przekłada się na rzeczywistą autonomię człowieka. Decyzja w tym ujęciu nie jest typem fenomenu oderwanego od przyczynowej struktury świata ani też rodzajem poręcznej konstrukcji teoretycznej w wyjaśnianiu zachowań, ale funkcjonalnym aspektem umysłu zgodnym (kompatybilnym) z naturalistycznym obrazem świata, obejmującym również humanistykę. W ramach takiej struktury wyjaśniania możemy umieścić decyzje jako element struktur kontroli, które funkcjonują równolegle do struktur przyczynowości i stanowią niezbędny składnik każdego autonomicznego systemu. Co więcej, przy założeniu, że umysł spełnia funkcję semantycznego silnika możemy zarysować kierunek badań, w ramach którego semantyka (język oraz znaczenia i treści kultury) może być interpretowana jako podstawa wyborów (decyzji) dokonywanych w ramach kontekstu kulturowego. The Problem of the Category of Decisions in the Context of the Naturalistic Paradigm of Social Sciences The paper presents the thesis that a decision understood as an act of choice could be explained within the framework of the theory of control, which implicates real human autonomy. A decision in this perspective is not a type of phenomenon detached from the causal structure of the world, nor a kind of handy theoretical structure in explaining behaviour, but a functional aspect of the mind compatible with the naturalistic view of the world, including the humanities. Within such an explanatory structure, we can place decisions as part of the control structures that function alongside causality structures and are a necessary component of any autonomous system. Moreover, if the mind acts as a semantic engine, we can outline the direction of research within which semantics (language, cultural meanings, and content) can be interpreted as the basis for choices (decisions) made within the cultural context.

Mind Over Matter? II: Implications for Psychiatry

2001 ◽  
Vol 35 (4) ◽  
pp. 488-494 ◽  
Author(s):  
Paul Schimmel
Keyword(s):  
Psychiatric Disorders ◽  
Neural Activity ◽  
First Principles ◽  
Explanatory Power ◽  
Explanatory Gap ◽  
Brain System ◽  
Causal Processes ◽  
The Mind ◽  
The Explanatory Gap

Objective: To explore concepts of causality within the mind and aetiology of psychiatric disorders in the light of the proposed formulation of the mind–brain problem. Method: Taking the two propositions of this formulation as ‘first principles’ a logical analysis is attempted. Results and conclusions: Neural activity cannot in principle be regarded as causing mental activity, or vice versa. Causal processes are most coherently conceptualised in terms of the ‘mind–brain’ system. Determination of causal and aetiological effects will always necessitate consideration of contextual evidence. Because of the ‘explanatory gap’ between explanation in neurophysiological terms and ‘mentalistic’ terms, whenever formulation in mentalistic terms is possible this will carry greater explanatory power; that is, it will carry meaning in the way a neural formulation cannot.

The Value of Neuroimaging Techniques in the Translation and Transdiagnostic Validation of Psychiatric Diagnoses - Selective Review

2020 ◽  
Vol 20 (7) ◽  
pp. 540-553 ◽  
Author(s):  
Anna Todeva-Radneva ◽  
Rositsa Paunova ◽  
Sevdalina Kandilarova ◽  
Drozdstoy St. Stoyanov
Keyword(s):  
Psychiatric Disorders ◽  
Psychiatric Symptoms ◽  
Medical Science ◽  
Self Report ◽  
Current Status ◽  
Diagnostic Tools ◽  
Main Concept ◽  
Directional Change ◽  
The Mind ◽  
Neuroimaging Techniques

: Psychiatric diagnosis has long been perceived as more of an art than a science since its foundations lie within the observation, and the self-report of the patients themselves and objective diagnostic biomarkers are lacking. Furthermore, the diagnostic tools in use not only stray away from the conventional medical framework but also remain invalidated with evidence-based concepts. However, neuroscience, as a source of valid objective knowledge has initiated the process of a paradigm shift underlined by the main concept of psychiatric disorders being “brain disorders”. It is also a bridge closing the explanatory gap among the different fields of medicine via the translation of the knowledge within a multidisciplinary framework. : The contemporary neuroimaging methods, such as fMRI provide researchers with an entirely new set of tools to reform the current status quo by creating an opportunity to define and validate objective biomarkers that can be translated into clinical practice. Combining multiple neuroimaging techniques with the knowledge of the role of genetic factors, neurochemical imbalance and neuroinflammatory processes in the etiopathophysiology of psychiatric disorders is a step towards a comprehensive biological explanation of psychiatric disorders and a final differentiation of psychiatry as a well-founded medical science. : In addition, the neuroscientific knowledge gained thus far suggests a necessity for directional change to exploring multidisciplinary concepts, such as multiple causality and dimensionality of psychiatric symptoms and disorders. A concomitant viewpoint transition of the notion of validity in psychiatry with a focus on an integrative validatory approach may facilitate the building of a collaborative bridge above the wall existing between the scientific fields analyzing the mind and those studying the brain.

The Impact of Culture on Reactions to Promise Breaches: Differences Between East and West in Behavioral Integrity Perceptions

2016 ◽  
Vol 43 (2) ◽  
pp. 273-315 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ray Friedman ◽  
Ying-Yi Hong ◽  
Tony Simons ◽  
Shu-Cheng (Steve) Chi ◽  
Se-Hyung (David) Oh ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Cultural Context ◽  
Work Life ◽  
Communication Style ◽  
The West ◽  
Behavioral Integrity ◽  
Cultural Contexts ◽  
East And West ◽  
Different Cultures ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The U.S

Behavioral integrity (BI)—a perception that a person acts in ways that are consistent with their words—has been shown to have an impact on many areas of work life. However, there have been few studies of BI in Eastern cultural contexts. Differences in communication style and the nature of hierarchical relationships suggest that spoken commitments are interpreted differently in the East and the West. We performed three scenario-based experiments that look at response to word–deed inconsistency in different cultures. The experiments show that Indians, Koreans, and Taiwanese do not as readily revise BI downward following a broken promise as do Americans (Study 1), that the U.S.–Indian difference is especially pronounced when the speaker is a boss rather than a subordinate (Study 2), and that people exposed to both cultures adjust perceptions of BI based on the cultural context of where the speaking occurs (Study 3).

scholarly journals Exploring patient-provider interactions and the health system’s responsiveness to street-connected children and youth in Kenya: a qualitative study

2021 ◽  
Vol 21 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Embleton Lonnie ◽  
Shah Pooja ◽  
Gayapersad Allison ◽  
Kiptui Reuben ◽  
Ayuku David ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Qualitative Study ◽  
Health System ◽  
Health Systems ◽  
Cultural Context ◽  
Healthcare Providers ◽  
Children And Youth ◽  
Economic Factors ◽  
Health Coverage ◽  
Socially Constructed ◽  
Prompt Attention

Abstract Background In Kenya, street-connected children and youth (SCY) have poor health outcomes and die prematurely due to preventable causes. This suggests they are not accessing or receiving adequately responsive healthcare to prevent morbidity and mortality. We sought to gain insight into the health systems responsiveness to SCY in Kenya through an in-depth exploration of SCY’s and healthcare provider’s reflections on their interactions with each other. Methods This qualitative study was conducted across 5 counties in western Kenya between May 2017 and September 2018 using multiple methods to explore and describe the public perceptions of, and proposed and existing responses to, the phenomenon of SCY in Kenya. The present analysis focuses on a subset of data from focus group discussions and in-depth interviews concerning the delivery of healthcare to SCY, interactions between SCY and providers, and SCY’s experiences in the health system. We conducted a thematic analysis situated in a conceptual framework for health systems responsiveness. Results Through three themes, context, negative patient-provider interactions, and positive patient-provider interactions, we identified factors that shape health systems responsiveness to SCY in Kenya. Economic factors influenced and limited SCY’s interactions with the health system and shaped their experiences of dignity, quality of basic amenities, choice of provider, and prompt attention. The stigmatization and discrimination of SCY, a sociological process shaped by the social-cultural context in Kenya, resulted in experiences of indignity and a lack of prompt attention when interacting with the health system. Patient-provider interactions were highly influenced by healthcare providers’ adverse personal emotions and attitudes towards SCY, resulting in negative interactions and a lack of health systems responsiveness. Conclusions This study suggests that the health system in Kenya is inadequately responsive to SCY. Increasing public health expenditures and expanding universal health coverage may begin to address economic factors, such as the inability to pay for care, which influence SCY’s experiences of choice of provider, prompt attention, and dignity. The deeply embedded adverse emotional responses expressed by providers about SCY, associated with the socially constructed stigmatization of this population, need to be addressed to improve patient-provider interactions.

scholarly journals Modeling the mind: Assessment of if…then… profiles as a window to shared and idiosyncratic psychological processes

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Vivian Zayas ◽  
Randy T. Lee ◽  
Yuichi Shoda
Keyword(s):  
Social Cognitive ◽  
Processing System ◽  
Cognitive Tasks ◽  
Affective Processing ◽  
Causal Inferences ◽  
Causal Processes ◽  
Recent Developments ◽  
Key Aspects ◽  
The Mind ◽  
Personality System

People’s behavior is characterized by stable if…then… profiles, or if in x situation then behavior a, but if in y situation then behavior b. But how do researchers conceptualize and measure if…then… profiles? Drawing from Cognitive-Affective Processing System (CAPS) theory, we discuss recent developments in assessing if…then… profiles, and how such profiles can provide a window for elucidating key aspects of the underlying personality system. Specifically, the Highly-Repeated Within-Person (HRWP) approach assesses how a behavior varies as a function of key features in a situation, and operationalizes if…then… profiles as regression betas. We illustrate how the HRWP approach can be applied to data from often-used social cognitive tasks, wherein an individual is exposed to a large number of situations that differ on a dimension that has been experimentally-manipulated by the researcher, and their behaviors to the situations are tracked. The HRWP approach allows researchers to more precisely assess a given individual’s if…then… pattern, make stronger causal inferences about a given individual’s personality system, and empirically investigate, rather than simply assume, if there are meaningful differences between individuals in the causal processes.

‘Soother of mind’ – meditation in psychiatric disorders: a narrative review

2021 ◽  
pp. 1-7
Author(s):  
Vinod Kumar ◽  
Shree Raksha Bhide ◽  
Rashmi Arasappa ◽  
Shivarama Varambally ◽  
Bangalore N. Gangadhar
Keyword(s):  
Psychiatric Disorders ◽  
Negative Symptoms ◽  
Psychotic Disorders ◽  
Psychotic Symptoms ◽  
Complete Absorption ◽  
Psychiatric Conditions ◽  
Biological Aspects ◽  
The Mind ◽  
Anxiety Depression ◽  
Meditative Practices

SUMMARY Meditation, a component of ashtanga yoga, is an act of inward contemplation in which the mind fluctuates between a state of attention to a stimulus and complete absorption in it. Some forms of meditation have been found to be useful for people with psychiatric conditions such as anxiety, depression and substance use disorder. Evidence for usefulness of meditation for people with psychotic disorders is mixed, with reported improvements in negative symptoms but the emergence/precipitation of psychotic symptoms. This article narrates the benefits of meditation in psychiatric disorders, understanding meditation from the yoga perspective, biological aspects of meditation and practical tips for the practice of meditation. We also explain possible ways of modifying meditative practices to make them safe and useful for the patient population and useful overall as a society-level intervention.

Artful Learning

2014 ◽  
pp. 299-322
Author(s):  
Randee Lipson Lawrence
Keyword(s):  
Learning Environment ◽  
Curriculum Development ◽  
Cultural Context ◽  
Indigenous Communities ◽  
Learning Objectives ◽  
Holistic Learning ◽  
True Nature ◽  
Learning Domains ◽  
Creative Learning ◽  
The Mind

This chapter begins with a critique of traditional models of curriculum development as overly rigid, fragmented, and disconnected from the true nature of the learner. Holistic learning is described as engaging the mind, body, heart, and spirit of the learner in relationship to the learning environment. Holistic learning is earth-centered, participatory, and inclusive of the cultural context of the learners. These various learning domains and their relationship to curriculum are discussed, including the application of learning from indigenous communities. Several examples of arts-based and creative learning activities are offered along with holistic ways of developing learning objectives and assessing learning.

Is Information Ethics Culture-Relative?

2009 ◽  
pp. 154-167
Author(s):  
Philip Brey
Keyword(s):  
Intellectual Property ◽  
Property Rights ◽  
Cultural Differences ◽  
Intellectual Property Rights ◽  
Cultural Context ◽  
Information Ethics ◽  
Freedom Of Information ◽  
Cultural Relativity ◽  
Moral Claims ◽  
Different Cultures

In this article, I examine whether information ethics is culture relative. If it is, different approaches to information ethics are required in different cultures and societies. This would have major implications for the current, predominantly Western approach to information ethics. If it is not, there must be concepts and principles of information ethics that have universal validity. What would they be? The descriptive evidence is for the cultural relativity of information ethics will be studied by examining cultural differences between ethical attitudes towards privacy, freedom of information, and intellectual property rights in Western and non-Western cultures. I then analyze what the implications of these findings are for the metaethical question of whether moral claims must be justified differently in different cultures. Finally, I evaluate what the implications are for the practice of information ethics in a cross-cultural context.

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