Defining 'mental disorder' in legal contexts

Autor: Jamie Walvisch
Rok vydání: 2017
Předmět:
Zdroj: International Journal of Law and Psychiatry. 52:7-18
ISSN: 0160-2527
DOI: 10.1016/j.ijlp.2017.04.003
Popis: Despite its widespread use, the term “mental disorder” has proven remarkably difficult to define. This is of grave concern in those legal contexts which crucially depend on the classification of an individual’s mental health condition as a “mental disorder”. It creates a likelihood that individuals will be treated in an inconsistent and unprincipled fashion, which is unacceptable in a legal system which purports to operate under the rule of law. This article examines the way in which the term “mental disorder” should be defined in legal contexts. It critiques the approach taken by the two main psychiatric manuals currently in use (the DSM-5 and the ICD-10), as well as four suggested alternatives: Boorse’s biostatistical theory; Wakefield’s harmful dysfunction theory; Jaspers’ lack of meaningful connections approach; and the psychological view of mental disorder as maladaptive behavior. It recommends the adoption of a context-specific, purpose-based approach that focuses on the normative concerns of the law.
Databáze: OpenAIRE