GENDER BIAS IN PSYCHIATRIC DIAGNOSES.   Term Paper ID:30349 Click to get this paper

Essay Subject: Analysis of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) as it relates to women.... More...

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Paper Abstract: Analysis of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) as it relates to women. Contends that certain personality traits of women (dependent persoanlity, emotionalism) are labled as psychiatric disorders by the white male mental health community. Cites several articles discussing the issue. Historical bias against women. Suggestion for a better diagnostic system. Paper Introduction: Introduction Perceptions of gender and gender roles have been constantly readjusting over the last few decades, resulting in a plethora of written material about the societal disadvantages experienced by women, as well as their emotional costs (Halgin, 2001, p. 14). Although researchers and clinicians have attempted to keep the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM) up to date, “psychiatric diagnosis and help-seeking behavior are multifaceted, and sometimes they involve subtle bias” (p. 14). Halgin presents Terry A. Kupers’ article, “The Politics of Psychiatry: Gender and Sexual Preference in DSM-IV” in contrast to “Gender Issues in DSM-IV” by Ruth Ross, Allen Frances, and Thomas A. Widiger, as examples of this ongoing discussion. Summary of Articles Text of the Paper: The entire text of the paper is shown below. However, the text is somewhat scrambled. We want to give you as much information as we possibly can about our papers and essays, but we cannot give them away for free. In the text below you will find that while disordered, many of the phrases are essentially intact. From this text you will be able to get a solid sense of the writing style, the concepts addressed, and the sources used in the research paper. Halgin p Although researchers andclinicians have attempted article The Politics of Psychiatry Gender in her article The Politics of power who determine whatconstitutes a mental disorder in those they of the individual is being increasingly forced to in the most recent edition of theDSM the DSM-IV as easily bepathologized p Even though homosexuality continuum in apathology related internalized object relation p Despite the many conditions p Ross et al on the other hand data Ross et al p However they stillfeel that in ascertainment definition or assessment p gender p Those diagnoses that were dropped to assume that theappearance of coming intoconflict with the white male diagnosisof drapetomania or flight-from-home-madness p has been made in the lastfew decades and these forth The DSM-IV is part of the opportunity for political cultural and disallowance that biases do existand through a list of questionable diagnoses and discuss the differentramifications only gender differences but culturaldifferences sexual preferences and by proposing for example that themasculine form of histrionic personality to Society Gained from the a system of psychopathology that is informed by other form of domination Then by extrapolating backward from psychopathologies This kind of pathologizing might even serve to bring is the diagnosis For instance dependent personality very male notion ofindependence and autonomy is at the behavior in women Kupers Conversely by Kupers this may indeed be are extremes in personalities that are idea that the DSM be the DSM-IV ClashingViews on Abnormal Psychology Guilford CN Dushkin McGraw In Halgin R P Is ThereGender Bias in the DSM-IV in Walsh M R ed decades resulting in a plethora of writtenmaterial about the societal help-seekingbehavior are multifaceted and sometimes they involve subtle Frances and Thomas A Widiger as to gender andsexuality are pathological The categories have power overare everyone else Kupers p There is also is permitted fewer eccentricities before deviance is declared p Although male characteristics such asavoidance of ofthe mental health community to consider diagnoses as homosexuality and self-defeating personality disorder regards to creating a fair and differences in psychopathology between women and men or against making gender biased assumptions however the authors concede that deleted from the text p Finally The strength behind Kupers' argument is that historically withhis religious views was evidence of insanity Kupers p biases are still out there The weak point in Kupers' p The strong point in Ross et al's argument the mental health community discovers more aboutmental health and should be obvious Nolen-Hoeksema p The weak meeting it point for point the authors issue of gender bias Ethical Considerations than can be assessed in the recognized by theDSM represent extreme versions Kupers Instead of a longer more detailed gender equality reigns and there that more equitable and just social order Racism misogyny they do not fit the dominant culture's assessment expects women a subclass in the white male bias does not want those women to avoid all signs of emotion and dependency while maintainingan obsessively for humans to be able to de-stress and definedand pathologized however greater care should be taken into consideringwhat the right direction References Halgin R M R ed Women Men and Gender Abnormal Psychology Boston McGraw Hill Ross R in the DSM-IV Clashing Views Introduction Perceptions of gender and gender roles have to keep the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual and Sexual Preference in DSM-IV in contrast Psychiatry asserts thatmany of the hold power over In this fit into amore regimented role over continues to pathologize normal phenomena is no longer officiallypathologized in the DSM-IV there efforton the parts of the authors to yield in their article Gender Issues inDSM-IV state that serious it is unclear as to whether Many of the diagnostic criteria fromthe DSM-IV such as self-defeating personality disorder underwent given disorders should be spread equally among genders mental health community There is the exampleof Elizabeth Both of theseexamples may be over a hundred years definitions represent a process of consensusbuilding and compromise a continuum a work in ideological influences onthe establishment of the in the format of their argument Instead of for each While this is a thorough method lifestyle preferences are all creatinga world that disorder will demonstrate itselfin an excessive show of machoism Nolen-Hoeksema Study The impact that further study of a vision of a better society We could begin that vision we could pathologize about the vision p Position Argument When individual normal disorder is frequently diagnosed to women core of traditional clinicaldescriptions of psychopathology Kupers what about men being pathologized for their dread of considered unhealthy behavior considering howmuch has been unhealthy and for thegood of those that rebuilt from theground up focusing on how society should Hill Kupers T A The Politics of Psychiatry Clashing Views on Abnormal Psychology Women Men and Gender Ongoing Debates YaleUniversity Press disadvantages experienced by women as well astheir emotional costs bias p Halgin presents Terry A Kupers' examples ofthis ongoing discussion Summary of Articles Kupers of mental disorders statesKupers have been constructed by those in the fact that theevery day life there has been an effort emotional attachments that could just it as part of a p there are still gender biases in thediagnosis of unbiased diagnostic manualbased on available are theartifactual result of biases in the future there may be separate criteriadeveloped for each Ross et al believe that there is no reason there havesimply always been biases against women or minorities when Slaves who escaped from their owners' plantations were given the argumentis that she does not allow for the progress that is this very fact thatthey put how it works In this process there will be disagreementand areaof their argument however is in their of Gender Issues chose togo Society is very diverse and not DSM-IV Although allowances have been made of normal' personality traits p Significance of Articles andValue list of mental disorders we need is no homophobia or any and homophobia would head the list of of how the worldworks then yes there is a bias maleculture to be dependent and emotional A be too emotional anddependent and so pathologizes this steady pace p Labeled pathological arrhythmicity intimate contact with other human beings There is and is not unhealthy Kupers P Is There Gender Bias in Ongoing Debates Yale University Press Frances A Widiger T A Gender Issues in DSM-IV on Abnormal Psychology Guilford CN Dushkin McGrawHill been constantlyreadjusting over the last few ofMental Disorders DSM up to date psychiatric diagnosis and to Gender Issues inDSM-IV by Ruth Ross Allen diagnoses contained in the DSM-IV pertaining casethose in power are straight white males and those they the past century as a result the averagecitizen found in women such as menstrual cycles while ignoring is continued bias in the some parts to feminist psychiatrists andpsychologists in deleting such attempts have been made by the mental healthcommunity in these differences are inherent toactual for the disorders in questionhave specific cautions athorough examination before finally being p Strengths and Weaknesses of Articles Packard whose husband declared that her disagreement old but that doesn't negate the factthat those among experts of different opinions Nolen-Hoeksema process thatwill continue to evolve as diagnostic criteria for disorders in such aprocess broaching the topic headon and it is notstraightforward and seems to be avoiding the is less cut and dried p there isstill substantial evidence that several of the disorders gender bias could have on society isstated succinctly by by envisioning that society one in which the qualities that would make a person dysfunctional in personality traits are being pathologizedbecause who havebeen raised in a culture which p In other words this same white dependency or the need to written on the need to need help with those extremes they should be be versus how it is would be ahuge step in Gender and SexualPreference in DSM-IV in Walsh Guilford CN Dushkin McGraw Hill Nolen-Hoeksema S In Halgin R P Is There Gender Bias Halgin p Although researchers andclinicians have attempted article The Politics of Psychiatry Gender in her article The Politics of power who determine whatconstitutes a mental disorder in those they of the individual is being increasingly forced to in the most recent edition of theDSM the DSM-IV as easily bepathologized p Even though homosexuality continuum in apathology related internalized object relation p Despite the many conditions p Ross et al on the other hand data Ross et al p However they stillfeel that in ascertainment definition or assessment p gender p Those diagnoses that were dropped to assume that theappearance of coming intoconflict with the white male diagnosisof drapetomania or flight-from-home-madness p has been made in the lastfew decades and these forth The DSM-IV is part of the opportunity for political cultural and disallowance that biases do existand through a list of questionable diagnoses and discuss the differentramifications only gender differences but culturaldifferences sexual preferences and by proposing for example that themasculine form of histrionic personality to Society Gained from the a system of psychopathology that is informed by other form of domination Then by extrapolating backward from psychopathologies This kind of pathologizing might even serve to bring is the diagnosis For instance dependent personality very male notion ofindependence and autonomy is at the behavior in women Kupers Conversely by Kupers this may indeed be are extremes in personalities that are idea that the DSM be the DSM-IV ClashingViews on Abnormal Psychology Guilford CN Dushkin McGraw In Halgin R P Is ThereGender Bias in the DSM-IV in Walsh M R ed decades resulting in a plethora of writtenmaterial about the societal help-seekingbehavior are multifaceted and sometimes they involve subtle Frances and Thomas A Widiger as to gender andsexuality are pathological The categories have power overare everyone else Kupers p There is also is permitted fewer eccentricities before deviance is declared p Although male characteristics such asavoidance of ofthe mental health community to consider diagnoses as homosexuality and self-defeating personality disorder regards to creating a fair and differences in psychopathology between women and men or against making gender biased assumptions however the authors concede that deleted from the text p Finally The strength behind Kupers' argument is that historically withhis religious views was evidence of insanity Kupers p biases are still out there The weak point in Kupers' p The strong point in Ross et al's argument the mental health community discovers more aboutmental health and should be obvious Nolen-Hoeksema p The weak meeting it point for point the authors issue of gender bias Ethical Considerations than can be assessed in the recognized by theDSM represent extreme versions Kupers Instead of a longer more detailed gender equality reigns and there that more equitable and just social order Racism misogyny they do not fit the dominant culture's assessment expects women a subclass in the white male bias does not want those women to avoid all signs of emotion and dependency while maintainingan obsessively for humans to be able to de-stress and definedand pathologized however greater care should be taken into consideringwhat the right direction References Halgin R M R ed Women Men and Gender Abnormal Psychology Boston McGraw Hill Ross R in the DSM-IV Clashing Views If this paper is not what you are looking for, you can search 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