A social science perspective on the negotiation of a psychiatric diagnosis

Summary

In the mid-1960's, various terms were coined by psychiatrists in Israel to describe a psychopathological expression frequently seen in Jews of Persian origin in Israel. This paper explores the meaning and usage of these terms in a community mental health center. The definition and analysis of these labeling terms was approached (1) by examining the presenting symptoms in psychiatric intake records, (2) in a retrospective study of entire records of patients to whom the label had been affixed, and (3) by examining therapists' conceptions of the meaning of the term. The study found that these are non-specific and informal labels and bear no necessary correlation with a specific set of symptoms. It was concluded that this labeling could more profitably be viewed as an outcome of negotiation and interaction between the therapist and the Persian Jewish patient.