Abstract

FRIAS, Lincoln  and  JULIO-COSTA, Annelise. The Misconceptions and Successes of the Campaign "No to the Medicalization of Life". Psicol. pesq. [online]. 2013, vol.7, n.1, pp. 3-12. ISSN 1982-1247.  http://dx.doi.org/10.5327/Z1982-1247201300010002.

The "No to the Medicalization of Life" campaign, organized by the Federal Council of Psychology, criticizes forcefully the identification and treatment of children with learning disabilities and Attention Deficit Hyperactivity Disorder. It begot an immediate response from entities related to psychiatry, neurosciences and neuropsychology. The purpose of this article was to explain what the campaign means by medicalization and to present its arguments against this practice (especially the argument of lack of scientific objectivity, the argument of the pressure from the pharmaceutical industry, the argument of stigmatization and the argument of adverse effects). The analysis of those arguments concludes that they are all flawed and that the campaign mixes a legitimate concern with the excessive and ill-informed medication (non-rational) with assumptions incompatible with science.

Keywords : Medicalization; learning disabilities; attention deficit hyperactivity disorder.

        · abstract in Portuguese     · text in Portuguese     · Portuguese ( pdf )