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Thomas Szasz argued in 1960 that what are labelled symptoms of mental illness are better described as which of the following?
AProblems in living
BInherited brain defects
CFailures of moral will
DDelayed grief reactions
Answer & Solution
Correct answer: A. Problems in living
1. Szasz held that genuine illness is defined by detectable abnormalities in bodily structure or function.
2. Because the conditions in question showed no such abnormality, he refused to call them disorders at all.
3. He recast them as problems in living, a phrase that still echoes when people speak of mental health problems.
4. Inherited brain defects run opposite to his argument, and he framed nothing in terms of moral failure or grief.
_Source: OpenStax Psychology (1st ed., CC BY 4.0), Ch 15 "Psychological Disorders", section 15.1 What Are Psychological Disorders?_
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