The site below provides extensive listings of psychological disorders. Suppose your supervisor at work assigns you the task of putting together a set of "screening instruments" your company could use for employees to self-determine if they have one or more of these disorders. Your supervisor says to "take your time and put together a thick manual of screening tests, personality tests, and so on, to cover every possible mental problem our employees might have." Do you see any moral, legal, or ethical concerns with this situation? What would you tell your boss? (HINT: Be sure to look at several of the links on the site below as you ponder the questions.)
There has been a controversy regarding premenstrual syndrome (PMS) and a psychological disorder called premenstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD). The site below will help you answer the questions "What are the similarities and differences between PMS and PMDD?" and "Why are these two diagnoses controversial?" Can you see why feminists might be particularly concerned about the "mental disorder" called PMDD?
Dissociative identity disorder (DID), formally know as multiple personality disorder (MPD) has sparked debate in the psychological/psychiatric community for a number of years. One theory, suggesting that DID doesn't really exist at all, asserts that DID may be iatragenic, that is, created or at least enhanced by therapists and the therapy process itself. Read the description of DID at the site below and form an opinion: Is DID possibly iatragenic? If so, could a therapist unknowing create or contribute to this disorder?
