Medicalization can be defined as
the process by which some aspects of human life come to be considered as medical problems, whereas before they were not considered pathological
. In sociology, medicalization is not a “new” concept.
When did mental health become recognized?
Although references to mental health as a state can be found in the English language
well before the 20th century
, technical references to mental health as a field or discipline are not found before 1946.
How was mental ill health seen in the past?
For much of history,
the mentally ill have been treated very poorly
. It was believed that mental illness was caused by demonic possession, witchcraft, or an angry god (Szasz, 1960). For example, in medieval times, abnormal behaviors were viewed as a sign that a person was possessed by demons.
What is an example of medicalization?
Medicalization of Normal Health Variants
For example, while infertility has been common throughout history,
the rise of drugs and technological procedures to treat infertility
has led to an explosion in infertility diagnoses. It is now a medical condition that can be treated, an example of medicalization.
Why does medicalization occur?
Medicalization can be driven by
new evidence or hypotheses about conditions; by changing social attitudes or economic considerations; or by the development of new medications or treatments
.
What conditions have been typically medicalized?
Examples of medicalized disorders include
menopause, alcoholism, attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), anorexia, infertility, sleep disorders, and erectile dysfunction (ED)
[3].
When did childbirth become medicalized?
The Emergence of Medicalized Birth
By the late 1800s
, advances in pain relief, antiseptic and aseptic surgical practices, and surgical techniques and outcomes—alongside a rapid rise in people’s faith in scientific medicine—helped accelerate a transition to hospital childbirth.
What are the benefits of medicalisation?
Medicalisation in the medical literature
It includes
primary prevention, preventing diseases like diphtheria and polio
. Immunisations against several diseases are now given to every British baby. These have successfully eliminated most of these diseases and greatly reduced the incidence of others.
What was mental health like in the 1980s?
In 1980,
mental illness was the third most expensive class of disorders accounting for more than 20 billion dollars of health care expenditures
. Only the circulatory disorders including heart disease, stroke and hypertension, and all disorders of the digestive system, were more costly in the aggregate.
Why did the mental health movement start?
The campaign, established in 1996, was
fueled by the public’s newfound understanding of brain science and developments in psychiatric medication
. The narrative became about treating mental illnesses as the legitimate medical conditions they are — and that treatment works.
How was mental health treated in 1960s?
In the 1960s, social revolution brought about major changes for mental health care including
a reduction in hospital beds, the growth of community services, improved pharmacological and psychological interventions and the rise of patient activism
.
How were the mentally ill treated in the 1960s?
Starting in the 1960s,
institutions were gradually closed and the care of mental illness was transferred largely to independent community centers
as treatments became both more sophisticated and humane.
How did they treat mental illness in the 1800s?
In early 19th century America, care for the mentally ill was almost non-existent: the afflicted were usually relegated to prisons, almshouses, or inadequate supervision by families. Treatment, if provided, paralleled other medical treatments of the time, including
bloodletting and purgatives
.
What is medicalization healthcare?
Medicalization is
a process by which human problems come to be defined and treated as medical problems
. It involves the application of a biomedical model that sees health as freedom from disease and is characterised by reductionism, individualism, and a bias toward the technological (Box 1).
What is a positive consequence of medicalization?
Which of the following are positive consequences of medicalization? Those with medicalized conditions can
better access medical treatment
.
Who is responsible for medicalization?
Medicalization is often accompanied by the growth of medical technologies. In fact, medicalization is encouraged by
the drug companies
, who have a stake in promulgating the ideas that pregnancy, PMS, and menopause are diseases requiring treatment.
What is medicalization deviance?
The medicalization of deviance thus refers to the process whereby non-normative or morally condemned appearance (obesity, unattractiveness, shortness), belief (mental disorder, racism), and conduct (drinking, gambling, sexual practices) come under medical jurisdiction.
What are the levels of medicalization?
Medicalization can occur on at least three distinct levels:
the conceptual, the institutional, and the interactional levels
.
How did obesity become medicalized?
Medicalization becomes more thoroughly entrenched when more medical categories become involved. Obesity has done this by
broadening the terminology to include weight disorders, eating disorders and metabolic disorders
. Obesity then had to be defined as a disease in order to successfully medicalize it.
Why is obesity medicalized?
Obesity was medicalized for several reasons, with
the hopes of reducing the stigma of being “fat”, recognition of it being more serious than just will power, and to recognize its severity
. The medicalization of obesity makes it a physicians professional obligation to treat and diagnose obesity.
Is infertility medicalized?
Infertility is one example of a recently medicalized condition
for which biomedical treatment may exist along with other possible responses.
How has childbirth changed over the years?
Delivery time has increased
Compared to the 1960s, the length of labor has increased by two hours for first-time mothers, to an average of 6.5 hours. Some attribute the use of epidurals to the longer labor time, but modern-day moms are also older and have bigger babies.
What is a medicalized birth?
In the 1910s and 20s, state governments passed a series of regulations aimed at medicalizing birth—
steering birthing mothers to physicians’ practices instead of midwives
. “Medicalization of birth has saved a lot of lives,” says Dr.
Is childbirth a medical condition?
The medical model considers childbirth an illness
, the outcome is measured in perinatal and maternal mortality rates and the mother is a passive patient. The normal life event model considers childbirth a normal process, the outcome is measured in holistic terms and the mother is an active participant.
