1. The myth of mental illness (Szasz, 1970)
Matt Jarvis
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2. The myth of mental illness
Practical applications Kurt Lewin once said that there is ‘nothing so practical as a good theory.’ Szasz’ paper is an excellent example of this because, although he is presenting a theory rather than scientific data, his ideas have been influential in clinical psychology, giving psychologists a powerful and radical way to view their patients. The mainstream ‘medical model’ still dominates psychiatry, which is still the most powerful profession in mental health. However, clinical psychology is increasingly challenging the medical model and many psychologists agree with Szasz that, while some mental-health conditions are really physical illnesses with mental symptoms, many cases of so-called mental illness can be understood as individual responses to people’s circumstances. This is a useful idea for psychological therapists.
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3. The myth of mental illness
Ethical issues While Szasz’ ideas have been helpful to mental-health professionals working to understand the cause of individuals’ symptoms, they have also portrayed mental-health professionals, in particular psychiatrists, in a very negative light. We should always be a bit cautious about doing this because we may end up discouraging people in psychological distress from seeking professional help. This may in some cases put their safety at risk.
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4. The myth of mental illness
Idiographic rather than nomothetic The majority of theories in psychology are nomothetic, aiming to produce general rules that hold true for large numbers of people. This is certainly true of the medical model, which explains all mental illness in biological terms. Szasz’ idea that for many people symptoms of ‘mental illness’ are personal responses to their living circumstances, takes a more idiographic approach, i.e. it is concerned with what is happening for the individual. This is a useful counterpoint to nomothetic approaches to mental health and mental illness.
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5. The myth of mental illness
Scientific status Like many more holistic and idiographic approaches to psychology, Szasz’ theory is open to criticism over its status as good science. It is for example a very difficult theory to test directly. Szasz himself rejects the scientific method.
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6. The myth of mental illness
Holist rather than reductionist Whereas the medical model is reductionist, seeing the complexity of mental health and psychological distress in purely biological terms, Szasz’ theory can be seen as more holistic, taking account of the whole individual and their circumstances. This can be seen as a strength of Szasz’ approach.
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