Historical roots of the concept of mental illness

Abstract

Psychiatric diagnosis is one of the most important topics within the broad field of psychiatry. Clear, accurate definitions of the various disorders are essential for clinicians around the world to be confident that they are classifying patients in the same way, thereby enabling comparisons of treatment regimens and their outcomes. There are two major classification systems in use, one produced by the World Health Organization, the WHO International Classification of Diseases, Mental Disorders Chapter, and one by the American Psychiatric Association, the well known Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders. Both of these are being revised so this book from the prestigious World Psychiatric Association is especially timely.
In this book, leading experts in the field provide a broad and integrated coverage of the concepts, structure and context of psychiatric diagnosis. It begins by addressing mental health and illness around the world from historical, philosophical and cultural perspectives. Health is approached comprehensively, to include such aspects as resilience, resources and quality of life. The book then covers major specific psychopathology topics in Section II, including new categorizations and dimensional approaches. Section III concentrates on the complex problem of comorbidity, a primary challenge for modern diagnostic classifications in psychiatry. Finally, Section IV reviews emerging international diagnostic systems in psychiatry, considering innovative models and adaptations.
This book will be essential reading for anyone involved in the diagnosis of psychiatric disorders.