Mis-Mapping the Mind

Monday Night Philosophy explores the issues caused by the shift from a highly subjective to a purely descriptive, categorical approach for defining mental illness. Past diagnostic systems relied heavily on unsubstantiated notions about causes, but during the 1970s, developments in the field resulted in favoring new diagnostic systems based upon a checklist of observable symptoms, regardless of cause. These changes were formalized in the DSM-III revision (Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders) in 1980, the bible of psychology and psychiatry. Grelling will discuss the ongoing development of current and future diagnostic systems in the upcoming DSM-V, which will determine everything from insurance reimbursement to legal responsibility for crimes for decades to come.

Speaker: Kent Grelling, Ph.D., Psychologist