Résumé :
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Through a critical examination of the psychiatric profession's reliance on the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental disorders, the authors explore the central role of diagnososis in the theory and practice of psychiatry. The set of beliefs that have guided the psychiatric profession sicne the creation of DSM-III are viewed as being tied to the the new extension of the biopsychiatric medical model. From a sociological perspective, the authors adress the issue of psychiatric nosology with reference to practice styles and professional dominance, and consider the impact of DSM's intrinsic social biases both within and outside psychiatry's traditionnally drawn boundaries. They conclude that working solely within the confines of a medical framework of diagnosis, with little attention to the wider social and cultural contexts that should surroun diagnostic practice, psychiatry will be unable to understand and explain the changing needs of its clientele.
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