scholarly journals From syndromes to symptoms: Advancing our understanding of mental disorders

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Samuel Clack
Keyword(s):  
Mental Disorders ◽  
Diagnostic Categories ◽  
Symptoms Of Depression ◽  
Multi Level ◽  
Core Symptoms ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Symptoms And Signs ◽  
Different Levels ◽  
Epistemic Model ◽  
Insight Into

<p>Traditionally, psychiatric syndromes have formed the primary target of explanation in psychopathology research. However, these syndromes have been significantly criticised for their conceptual weakness and lack of validity. Ultimately, this limits our ability to create valid explanations of these categories; if the target is invalid then our explanations will suffer as a consequence. Using depression as extended example, this doctoral thesis explores the theoretical and methodological challenges associated with classifying and explaining mental disorders, and develops an alternative explanatory approach and associated methodology for advancing our understanding of mental disorders – the Phenomena Detection Method (PDM; Clack & Ward, 2020; Ward & Clack, 2019).   This theoretical thesis begins by evaluating the current approaches to defining, classifying, and explaining mental disorders like depression, and explores the methodological and theoretical challenges with building theories of them. Next, in moving forward, I argue that the explanatory target in psychopathology research should shift from arbitrary syndromes to the central symptoms and signs of mental disorders. By conceptualising the symptoms of a disorder as clinical phenomena, and by adopting epistemic model pluralism as an explanatory strategy, we can build multi-faceted explanations of the processes and factors that constitute a disorder’s core symptoms. This core theoretical and methodological work is then followed by the development of the PDM. Unique in the field of psychopathology, the PDM links different phases of the inquiry process to provide a methodology for conceptualising the symptoms of psychopathology and for constructing multi-level models of the pathological processes that comprise them. Next, I apply the PDM to the two core symptoms of depression – ¬anhedonia and depressed mood – as an illustrative example of the advantages of this approach. This includes providing a more secure relationship between the pathology of depression and its phenotypic presentation, as well as greater insight into the relationship between underlying biological and psychological processes, and behavioural dysfunction. Next, I evaluate the PDM in comparison to existing metatheoretical approaches in the field and make some suggestions for future development. Finally, I conclude with a summary of the main contributions of this thesis.   Considering the issues with current diagnostic categories, simply continuing to build explanations of syndromes is not a fruitful way forward. Rather, the complexity of mental disorders suggests we need to represent their key psychopathological phenomena or symptoms at different levels or aspects using multiple models. This thesis provides the metatheoretical and methodological foundations for this to successfully occur.</p>

scholarly journals From syndromes to symptoms: Advancing our understanding of mental disorders

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
◽  
Samuel Clack
Keyword(s):  
Mental Disorders ◽  
Diagnostic Categories ◽  
Symptoms Of Depression ◽  
Multi Level ◽  
Core Symptoms ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Symptoms And Signs ◽  
Different Levels ◽  
Epistemic Model ◽  
Insight Into

<p>Traditionally, psychiatric syndromes have formed the primary target of explanation in psychopathology research. However, these syndromes have been significantly criticised for their conceptual weakness and lack of validity. Ultimately, this limits our ability to create valid explanations of these categories; if the target is invalid then our explanations will suffer as a consequence. Using depression as extended example, this doctoral thesis explores the theoretical and methodological challenges associated with classifying and explaining mental disorders, and develops an alternative explanatory approach and associated methodology for advancing our understanding of mental disorders – the Phenomena Detection Method (PDM; Clack & Ward, 2020; Ward & Clack, 2019).   This theoretical thesis begins by evaluating the current approaches to defining, classifying, and explaining mental disorders like depression, and explores the methodological and theoretical challenges with building theories of them. Next, in moving forward, I argue that the explanatory target in psychopathology research should shift from arbitrary syndromes to the central symptoms and signs of mental disorders. By conceptualising the symptoms of a disorder as clinical phenomena, and by adopting epistemic model pluralism as an explanatory strategy, we can build multi-faceted explanations of the processes and factors that constitute a disorder’s core symptoms. This core theoretical and methodological work is then followed by the development of the PDM. Unique in the field of psychopathology, the PDM links different phases of the inquiry process to provide a methodology for conceptualising the symptoms of psychopathology and for constructing multi-level models of the pathological processes that comprise them. Next, I apply the PDM to the two core symptoms of depression – ¬anhedonia and depressed mood – as an illustrative example of the advantages of this approach. This includes providing a more secure relationship between the pathology of depression and its phenotypic presentation, as well as greater insight into the relationship between underlying biological and psychological processes, and behavioural dysfunction. Next, I evaluate the PDM in comparison to existing metatheoretical approaches in the field and make some suggestions for future development. Finally, I conclude with a summary of the main contributions of this thesis.   Considering the issues with current diagnostic categories, simply continuing to build explanations of syndromes is not a fruitful way forward. Rather, the complexity of mental disorders suggests we need to represent their key psychopathological phenomena or symptoms at different levels or aspects using multiple models. This thesis provides the metatheoretical and methodological foundations for this to successfully occur.</p>

Mental Illness Among Formosan Aborigines As Compared with the Chinese in Taiwan

1962 ◽  
Vol 108 (453) ◽  
pp. 134-146 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hsien Rin ◽  
Tsung-Yi Lin
Keyword(s):  
Mental Illness ◽  
Mental Disorders ◽  
Social Development ◽  
Chinese Population ◽  
Characteristic Features ◽  
Relationship Of ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Different Levels

Following the socio-psychiatric surveys on the Chinese population in three communities from 1946 to 1948 (Lin, 1953), similar studies were carried out in Taiwan (Formosa) from 1949 to 1953 on four aboriginal tribes. The purpose of these studies was to investigate the characteristic features of mental disorders among the aborigines and the relationship of the occurrence of mental illness to their differential levels of social development. The present paper reports the main results of the comparative psychiatric surveys on 11,442 aborigines distributed among tribal groups of different levels of acculturation.

scholarly journals Molecular Biology and Genetics Teaching at Different Levels of Education

2020 ◽  
Vol 5 (5) ◽  
pp. 293-297
Author(s):  
Tetiana Khrypunova ◽  
Keyword(s):  
High School Students ◽  
Molecular Biology ◽  
Secondary School Teachers ◽  
School Teachers ◽  
School Students ◽  
Medical Faculties ◽  
The Difference ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Different Levels ◽  
Insight Into

This article is focused on mapping out the form and extent of education of genetics and molecular biology in high schools in Czech Republic and impact of liberalization of education compared to education in Slovac Republic, where education is partly liberalized, and Ukraine, where education is centralized. We have evaluated the available literature, subjective satisfaction of students and retrospective evaluation from absolvents of adequacy of education according to further studies on universities or colleges. In this article we concentrated on gymnasiums and lyceums, because genetics and molecular biology is taught (as separate disciplines) in these types of school and relevant part of students continue studying them in colleges and universities. Among the students of universities who answered the questions of our questionnaire were students of the biological, biochemical and medical faculties, because they were the ones who continue to study these subjects in universities. Material and methods. Our research was based on studying the available literature concerning current legislation of the selected countries (mainly the difference between education systems of countries), as well as surveys among middle and high school students, university students and secondary school teachers in the form of a questionnaire. We are aware of the fact that the amount of data we have obtained in the research is not entirely sufficient to create a picture of the overall situation, but we hope that the obtained data will still provide some insight into the situation as a whole. According to collected data we have divided taught topics into several categories: depending on the extent and depth of immersion in the topic of teaching; the degree to which they are understandable to students; and the degree to which the topics are sufficient for further study at universities. We compared the results of the above countries and outlined the relationship between them. Conclusion. We noted several changes that had occurred in education under the influence of the liberalization

Intermittent abstentionism and multi-level mobilisation in Italy

Modern Italy ◽  
2009 ◽  
Vol 14 (2) ◽  
pp. 167-181 ◽  
Author(s):  
Guido Legnante ◽  
Paolo Segatti
Keyword(s):  
Electoral Campaigns ◽  
The Past ◽  
Voting Participation ◽  
Territorial Differentiation ◽  
Multi Level ◽  
Run Up ◽  
The Impact ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Clear Increase ◽  
Different Levels

This article is focused on one of the most relevant novelties in the Italian electoral market of the past decade: the emerging phenomenon of intermittent abstentionism. Rather than an increase in overall abstentionism rates, aggregate and survey data show a clear increase in the number of floating voters who swing between voting and non-voting. After a description of the characteristics of intermittent abstensionists, the article discusses the relationship between different electoral systems at different levels of government and territorial differentiation as far as voting participation is concerned. It then discusses the impact of intermittent abstentionism on the results of the 2006 general election where the parties’ electoral campaigns appear to have been aimed at mobilising intermittent abstensionists. The article concludes with some considerations of the Italian electoral cycle, particularly in relation to the changes generated by the run-up to the 2008 elections.

Diversity within management levels and organizational performance: employees’ perspective

2019 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 110-130 ◽  
Author(s):  
Subhash C. Kundu ◽  
Archana Mor ◽  
Sandeep Kumar ◽  
Jahanvi Bansal
Keyword(s):  
Organizational Performance ◽  
Employee Perceptions ◽  
Primary Data ◽  
Multiple Sources ◽  
Content Type ◽  
Common Method Bias ◽  
Method Bias ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Different Levels ◽  
Insight Into

Purpose The purpose of this paper is to investigate the relationship between employees’ perceptions of diversity within management levels (i.e. senior management, middle management and lower management levels) and perceived organizational performance. The study also examines differences in perceptions of diversity within different levels of management across nature and ownership forms of organizations. Design/methodology/approach Primary data were gathered from a sample of 400 employees from 162 organizations of diverse industries operating in India. Statistical techniques like analysis of variance and stepwise multiple regressions were used to analyze the data. Findings Employee perceptions of diversity at the senior, middle and lower management levels of organizations are weakly, most significantly and positively, and negatively related to perceived organizational performance. It has also been found that the perceptions of diversity within different levels of management differ across nature and ownership forms of the organization. Research limitations/implications The study relies on self-reported questionnaires as the method of data collection, which can lead to common-method bias. Hence, further studies can collect data by using multiple sources. In addition, future researchers can employ both subjective and objective measures to fetch results that are more valid. Practical implications To harvest the benefits of diversity, organization should foster positive perceptions among employees toward diversity. Originality/value The study gives new insight into why employees’ perceptions are significant in considering the possible outcomes of diversity.

scholarly journals Unravelling multi-level governance systems

2020 ◽  
Vol 22 (4) ◽  
pp. 784-791
Author(s):  
Michael Zürn
Keyword(s):  
Political Institutions ◽  
Research Programme ◽  
Two Dimensions ◽  
Governance Systems ◽  
Multi Level ◽  
Political Communities ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Different Levels

One of the most important features of the multi-level governance research programme is the parallel conceptualisation of the vertical and the horizontal relationships within multi-level governance systems. Different systems of multi-level governance are characterised by the relationships between political institutions on the same level (Are there many task-specific organisations?) and by the relationship between different levels (On which level do we see political communities?). By conceptualising scale and community in a substitutive way as Hooghe and Marks in tendency do, some of the potentials are lost. I put forward the suggestion that treating the two dimensions as independent would allow for an even fuller picture of the dynamics of politics in multi-level governance systems.

Pre-morbid IQ in mental disorders: a Danish draft-board study of 7486 psychiatric patients

2009 ◽  
Vol 40 (4) ◽  
pp. 547-556 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Urfer-Parnas ◽  
E. Lykke Mortensen ◽  
D. Sæbye ◽  
J. Parnas
Keyword(s):  
Mental Disorders ◽  
Psychiatric Patients ◽  
Diagnostic Category ◽  
Mental Illnesses ◽  
Stress Disorders ◽  
Psychiatric Disease ◽  
Diagnostic Categories ◽  
Functional Patterns ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Normal Controls

BackgroundLongitudinal studies indicate that future schizophrenia patients exhibit lower IQ than healthy controls. Recent studies suggest that future patients with other mental illnesses obtain lower pre-morbid IQ. The aims of this study were to compare pre-morbid IQ among five diagnostic categories and normal controls, to examine the distribution of pre-morbid IQ, and to investigate the relationship between pre-morbid IQ and risk of mental illness.MethodA total of 7486 individuals hospitalized with psychiatric disease and 20 531 controls. IQ was measured at the draft board and hospital diagnoses [schizophrenia (Sz), non-schizophrenic, non-affective psychoses (NSAP), affective (AD), personality (PD) and neurotic/stress disorders (ND)] were followed up to ages 43–54 years. Individuals hospitalized ⩽1 year after appearing before the draft board were excluded.ResultsAll future patients obtained significantly lower pre-morbid IQ than controls (3–7 IQ points), AD had the highest IQ and PD the lowest. In each diagnostic category, decreasing IQ was associated with an increasing risk of becoming a patient [odds ratios (ORs) 0.5–2.5 over the full IQ spectrum]. IQ distributions was nearly normal and uni-modal.ConclusionsIQ deficits in each diagnostic category may reflect different functional patterns and temporal vicissitudes of the specific pathogenetic processes involved in different mental disorders.

Skeletal elements of crinoid echinoderms: High-resolution structural and microanalytical results

1983 ◽  
Vol 41 ◽  
pp. 194-195
Author(s):  
D. F. Blake ◽  
L. F. Allard ◽  
D. R. Peacor
Keyword(s):  
High Resolution ◽  
Marine Invertebrates ◽  
Sea Urchins ◽  
Structural Features ◽  
Sea Stars ◽  
High Resolution Tem ◽  
Relationship Of ◽  
The Relationship ◽  
Insight Into

Echinodermata is a phylum of marine invertebrates which has been extant since Cambrian time (c.a. 500 m.y. before the present). Modern examples of echinoderms include sea urchins, sea stars, and sea lilies (crinoids). The endoskeletons of echinoderms are composed of plates or ossicles (Fig. 1) which are with few exceptions, porous, single crystals of high-magnesian calcite. Despite their single crystal nature, fracture surfaces do not exhibit the near-perfect {10.4} cleavage characteristic of inorganic calcite. This paradoxical mix of biogenic and inorganic features has prompted much recent work on echinoderm skeletal crystallography. Furthermore, fossil echinoderm hard parts comprise a volumetrically significant portion of some marine limestones sequences. The ultrastructural and microchemical characterization of modern skeletal material should lend insight into: 1). The nature of the biogenic processes involved, for example, the relationship of Mg heterogeneity to morphological and structural features in modern echinoderm material, and 2). The nature of the diagenetic changes undergone by their ancient, fossilized counterparts. In this study, high resolution TEM (HRTEM), high voltage TEM (HVTEM), and STEM microanalysis are used to characterize tha ultrastructural and microchemical composition of skeletal elements of the modern crinoid Neocrinus blakei.

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