The Concept of Mental Illness

Therefore, in its attempt to define mental illness, psychology is characterized by an inherent contradiction that has plagued its capacity to assert itself as a valid and objective science. The training of psychologists and psychiatrists has also integrated the two approaches without acknowledging the conflicting concepts of mental illness. While psychiatrists are trained in the skills of diagnosis and psychopharmacology, they also acquire skills for psychotherapy (Luhrmann, 2000, p. 7).

The Biomedical Concept of Mental Illness

Psychiatrists and psychologists have tried to build the biomedical model of mental illness for over a century

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nt others. The elements of loneliness and the dependency are exclusively connected with women's depression. Therefore, it is the dysfunctional upbringing and the sex roles of women that have contributed to the women's tendency to have depression (Peele, 1981, p. 816). However, this explanation is usually disregarded by psychiatrists who treat depressed female patients with drugs. In fact, psychiatrists who adhere to the biomedical conception of mental illness get around the social psychological explanation by claiming that the dependency of women derives from the nervous system. Liebowitz and Klein (1979) propose that depressed individuals suffer from an abnormal regulation of the neurotransmitter-like substance phenylethylamine. According to them, the depression can be eliminated by injecting the antidepressant phenelzine. By offering drug therapy to individuals, psychiatrists remove the incentive for patients to deal with their feelings of depression and grow from their past experiences. Essentially, some depressed individuals may need to change the personal and social aspects of their existence. Instead, they develop a dependence on their psychiatrists to numb their feelings with drugs (Peele, 1981, p. 816). Thus, the accusa
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Approximate Word count = 5308
Approximate Pages = 21 (250 words per page)

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