Lecture 3 - concepts

Question 1

Nosology

Answer 1

The classification of diseases or disorders, often in the context of mental health. Nosology is shaped by historical and cultural factors and is not purely a scientific endeavor.

Question 2

Reification

Answer 2

Reification is the process of treating abstract constructs, like mental health diagnoses, as if they were concrete, real entities. In the context of psychiatry, reification occurs when a diagnosis (e.g., Major Depressive Disorder) is seen as a definitive explanation for an individual’s mental health problems, rather than a practical tool for organizing symptoms.

Question 3

Ecological Momentary Assessment (EMA)

Answer 3

A method of collecting data on an individual’s thoughts, behaviors, and emotions in real-time, typically through technology like smartphones or wearables.

Question 4

Pragmatic Kinds

Answer 4

A view that mental health diagnoses are useful tools for communication and treatment planning but do not represent natural categories with distinct boundaries.

Question 5

Multiple Realizability

Answer 5

The idea that the same mental health disorder (e.g., depression) can arise from different biological, psychological, or social processes, meaning there is no single, underlying cause for every case.

Question 6

limitations of reification

Answer 6

Assuming Diagnoses Are Diseases
Overlooking Individual Differences
In Research

Assuming Diagnoses Are Diseases: Reification can lead clinicians and researchers to treat diagnoses as if they are distinct diseases with clear boundaries, when in reality, they are often constructed categories based on arbitrary criteria. For example, the DSM’s definition of MDD requires five out of nine symptoms for at least 14 days—an artificial threshold that may not capture all relevant cases.

Overlooking Individual Differences: Reification ignores the fact that two individuals with the same diagnosis can have vastly different experiences. Treating MDD as a uniform disorder can lead to one-size-fits-all treatments that may not address specific needs.

In Research: Reification can skew research by focusing on predefined diagnostic categories rather than the underlying issues people face. For example, research into “biomarkers for depression” might not account for the fact that depression varies widely between individuals.