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Psychiatric Diagnosis and the Oppression of Women

Department of General Philosophy, University of Sydney, New South Wales, Australia.

The system of psychiatric diagnosis which has recently been adopted by most western coun tries has features, which in various ways, work against the interests of women. This is important as the diagnostic scheme is not a theoretical work which will lay gathering dust on the bookshelves in medical libraries, it is a practical tool which forms the basis for the categorization of 'the insane'. Once the label has been assigned, it is then quite likely that the person labelled will be encouraged or even forced to have certain treatments. This may cause disquiet if the initial labelling is suspect. The purpose of this article is to reveal problems lurking beneath the surface of this moderately bland-looking system of psychiatric diagnosis and to show how the Scheme may help perpetuate the oppression of women.

International Journal of Social Psychiatry, Vol. 31, No. 4, 298-305 (1985)
DOI: 10.1177/002076408503100408


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