Diagnosis, diagnosing and diagnostic culture
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Abstract
The medicalization of social problems produces significant effects on the possibility of intervention. However, its success has not led to meaningful progress, even though critical perspectives on medicalization date back to at least the mid-20th century and are still present today. This paper introduces the topic by addressing some of these perspectives. To advocate for problem-centered intervention, in this article, we aim to clarify and distinguish what is often confused in interventions carried out by psychologists, psychotherapists, and other professionals, not only in healthcare settings but also in families, schools, and other social structures. Diagnosis is defined and described as a technical act in medicine, highlighting differences in psychiatry. The act of diagnosing is then analyzed as an organizer of the relationship between the involved social actors, traditionally the patient and the physician, paying attention to differences stemming from the variety of contexts in which it occurs. Finally, we focus on diagnostic culture, referring to the extension beyond healthcare settings of a relational phenomenon that permeates everyday life and influences social coexistence regulation, an extension commonly referred to as the medicalization of social problems.
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