FSU psych 201 Discussion 6: Defining Psychological Disorders

The issue for the week is whether or not we overdiagnose…Do we consider problems of living as mental health disorders? If 1/4 of our population is estimated to qualify as having a disorder, is it the “new normal”? In the reverse, supporters argue that we are finally recognizing and identifying and treating people whose lives were adversely affected. They argue that in the past, people suffered in silence and without getting help. Now we can intervene or even prevent those things that make living in our culture difficult.Where do you fall in this argument? Are we overdiagnosing and if so, in what areas? If not, what are the benefits to the level of diagnosing we are achieving. Please try and use some concrete examples and a source to support your argument.