Is mental illness a social construct or biological fact?

Answer 1

There are many forms of mental illness that are indeed linked to biological phenomena. For example, schizophrenia is caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain. Just as diabetics don't produce enough insulin because of dysfunction in the pancreas, schizophrenics don't produce enough lithium. There's no social construct there.
There are other forms of mental illness that are linked to physical injury of the brain etc. Many victims of strokes have a resulting alteration of their personalities, tastes, behaviour etc. A brain tumor can also produce symptoms that look like dementia or mental illness. It's not all about social constructs. Many people ARE wounded in their personalities by experiences, but there are indeed others who simply have an organic problem in which the "mental illness" is a symptom, not the disease.

Answer 2

This is a good question for different reasons, I don't think there is a right answer really.

When you say mental illness it depends which one your talking about to decide what we think caused it. For example Autism..can be seen as a mental illness, I don't think this is constructed by society, Its a genetic, scientificly researched illness- parts of it are socially constructed, like the medication, what the definate characteristics are etc...but at the end of the day it's a biological fact.

Many other mental illnesses like depression are caused by a chemical imbalance in the brain..this arguing biological fact again, however society can influence this condition, it influences how we view it, how we stereotype it and its often things in society such as dicrimination, pressure, prejudice, abuse etc which cause people to fall into a depression so therefore some mental illnesses do have Societal contrusts or at least influences in it.

I think people maybe angry with this question because it suggests that perhaps mental illnesses don't realy exsist and that people are "creating/constructing" them which is not the case. I have suffered from severe depression, was even suicidal and there is no way that I wanted to feel that, so i wasn't making it up, it was a FACT that was happening to me.

Answer 3

that all depends on the type of mental illness. certain mental illness can be passed through genetics and depending on wether the mental illness is recessive or dominant and wether the mental condition is homo or heterozygous it can skip 1,2,3 or 4 or 100 generations and there are still many conditions that arent yet identified as either environmental or physical in structure. another q' that cannot really be answered in a small dialogue box on yahoo.

Answer 4

It is a biological fact. It has existed since the dawn of time and will always be with us. Numpties like Thomas Szatz who say that it does not exist and is a conspiracy foisted on people by capitalism to control their revolutionary energies are deluded and ignorant.

Answer 5

biological fact. Go to a mental hospital and take a look around. The unfortunate people who hear voices, or believe they're god, have chemical imbalances, or other biological causes.

Answer 6

When it hurts when you burn yourself, is that a social construct, or biological fact? Emotional pain is pain too, and obviously hearing voices isn't a wonderful thing.

Answer 7

Well I'd say it's a bit of both. If your parents have had mental health problems then you are more predisposed to them yourself. But also in this day and age mental health issues are more rife, this must have something to do with the pressures of the modern society.

Answer 8

It can be a combination of both. Some people may be more prone to it if it's in their family history but the environment can have a strong impact in how this person develops. Let's say children who like to hurt animals, if this is not addressed they may become violent adults.

Answer 9

The AMA considers it to be a biological fact.

Society can construct "attitudes" and "responses",etc. , but cannot alter the biology of the brain...yet.

Answer 10

Having worked in the Medical Profession for over 30yrs one would think that I have a "medical opinion" on the matter but I think I can best sum it up that I believe it is both.
If one were to really dig into the background of those that are suppose to have a mental illness I would almost bet you that more than 85% of those who are being treated for mental illnesses have come from situations that would most definately make anyone mentally ill.. . . . called dysfunctionalism.
Parents today depend too much on schools,TV,computers,
out of the home activities and places and in some instances,other people to teach their children to live in society and therefore they grow up sadly lacking coping skills/living skills and behavior skills.
Though mental illness is more widely recognized and accepted than it was 50yrs ago,I think if the research were to go deeper I think that it would be proven that today there are more mentally ill people today than 50yrs ago and I believe that to be because of the "need" to have a "label" for one anothers behavior.
I find that people today LIKE being able to find an excuse for unacceptable behavior therefore when nothing else can be found to be physically wrong for them,it is just labeled "mental illness" when in reality "US" as a society are becoming lazy and more acceptable of unacceptable behavior if the person doing unacceptable behavior has been "diagnosed" mentally ill.
I am a very strong believer that "spare the rod and spoil the child" and thought I'm not a child abuser,I have found a destinct connection from the bottom of a child who is projecting unacceptable behavior to their brain.
Spank a child for unacceptable behavior and somewhere in their brain they begin to realize that unacceptable behavior has consequences and it isn't long before the child begins to learn.
Punish a child for unacceptable behavior by taking away a toy,sitting them in time out etc and I believe after awhile the child begins to cope with the situation with an attitude of "Oh well,I didn't want it anyway" and they just don't get the point that bad behavior sows repercussions.
Years ago,there was LESS ADHA disorders,there was less Bi-Polarism and I attribute it clearly to the fact that children learned to control this behavior because they knew if they got out of order they would be certainly disciplined and discipline controlled alot of things as it would today if people did it right.
Having come from a dysfunctional family myself and projecting some of that same behavior onto my children there could certainly be a certain amount of "mental illness" because of dysfunctionalism but I believe it to be "learned mental illness" and not a brain malfunction which is what I would call MENTAL ILLNESS.
I have a brother who has been diagnosed by a female Dr.as being Bi-Polar but it certainly seems strange to me that his fits of Bi-Polarism only appear when he deals with women and children. When he is faced with men his own size or bigger who refuse to take his behavior his Bi-Polaism rarely rears it's ugly head. Mental Illness I say NOT. Controller,manipulator and temper tantrum thrower. . . I say YES and he's learned when it will work to his best interest and that's when he uses it,if it is going to get his @&%( whipped,he keeps it under control. . . .so you tell me.