Pathologization

Pathologization can be characterized as the process through which differences in behavior, experience, or identity are framed, classified, or treated as clinical problems or disorders. This entry briefly introduces and discusses the conceptual complexity surrounding this phenomenon in theoretical psychology, clinical psychology, and psychiatry. First, it connects the phenomenon of pathologization to the boundary problem, that is, to theoretical and methodological difficulties in drawing a boundary between normal and pathological experiences. Then the entry moves on to discuss categorical and dimensional approaches to clinical classification and the core challenges each of them raises. The Debates and Challenges section further addresses the notion of vulnerability, medical and social models of pathology, and the key contribution of neurodiversity approaches within these debates. The Possibilities section concludes by connecting pathologization with debates surrounding identity and linguistic policies in the context of people receiving a psychiatric diagnosis.