Models of Disability and the Translation to Psychiatric Categories

Abstract

This chapter focuses on models of disability with an aim of recognising the value of these models in understanding psychiatric categories. Challenging traditional models that promote a deficit-based framework, models that take a critical position are considered. It is recognised that some models offer radically different conceptions of disability, and emphasise that psychiatric disability is layered, complex, and always culturally, historically, and socially derived. The chapter acknowledges some of the criticisms of the models, and particularly presents a discussion of the language of the medical model and its influence in the field. The focus is therefore to critically consider some of the tensions that have been created by the different perspectives of disability in terms of their application to the area of mental distress.