The biological paradigm of psychosis in crisis: A Kuhnian analysis

Pearson, Mark; Egglestone, Stefan R.; Winship, Gary

Abstract

The philosophy of Thomas Kuhn proposes that scientific progress involves periods of crisis and revolution in which previous paradigms are discarded and replaced. Revolutions in how mental health problems are conceptualised have had a substantial impact on the work of mental health nurses. However, despite numerous revolutions within the field of mental health, the biological paradigm has remained largely dominant within western healthcare, especially in orientating the understanding and treatment of psychosis. This paper utilises concepts drawn from the philosophy of Thomas Kuhn to explore the impact of what Kuhn terms ‘anomalies’ within the dominant biological paradigm: the anomaly of the meaningful utterance, the anomaly of complex aetiology and taxonomy and the anomaly of pharmacological inefficacy in recovery. The paper argues that the biological paradigm for understanding psychosis is in crisis and explores the implications for mental health nursing.

Citation

Pearson, M., Egglestone, S. R., & Winship, G. (2023). The biological paradigm of psychosis in crisis: A Kuhnian analysis. Nursing Philosophy, 24(4), Article e12418. https://doi.org/10.1111/nup.12418

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Jan 14, 2023
• Online Publication Date: Feb 13, 2023
• Publication Date: 2023-10
• Deposit Date: Jan 19, 2023
• Publicly Available Date: Feb 13, 2023
• Journal: Nursing Philosophy
• Print ISSN: 1466-7681
• Electronic ISSN: 1466-769X
• Publisher: Wiley
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• Volume: 24
• Issue: 4
• Article Number: e12418
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/nup.12418
• Keywords: Kuhn, mental health nurses, psychosis
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/16225803
• Publisher URL: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/nup.12418
• Additional Information: Received: 2021-12-10; Accepted: 2023-01-14; Published: 2023-02-13