Descriptive psychiatry

Descriptive Psychiatry

Descriptive psychiatry (pronunciation: /dɪˈskrɪptɪv saɪˈkaɪətri/) is a branch of psychiatry that focuses on the description and classification of psychiatric disorders based on their observable symptoms and behaviors, rather than their underlying causes or mechanisms.

Etymology

The term "descriptive psychiatry" is derived from the English words "description" and "psychiatry". "Description" comes from the Latin descriptio, meaning "a writing down or copy", and "psychiatry" comes from the Greek words psyche, meaning "soul", and iatros, meaning "healer". Thus, descriptive psychiatry can be understood as the "writing down or copy of the healing of the soul".

Related Terms

Psychiatric diagnosis: The process of identifying and classifying mental health disorders based on their symptoms and behaviors.
Psychopathology: The scientific study of mental disorders, including efforts to understand their genetic, biological, psychological, and social causes.
Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM): The standard classification of mental disorders used by mental health professionals in the United States.
International Classification of Diseases (ICD): The international standard diagnostic tool for epidemiology, health management and clinical purposes, including the analysis of the general health situation of population groups.

External links

Medical encyclopedia article on Descriptive psychiatry
Wikipedia's article - Descriptive psychiatry

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Descriptive psychiatry