Many people have debated on what can be considered as a psychological problem and medical problem. Psychological issues are defined as illnesses associated with changes in emotion, thinking, and behavior (Minghetti et al., 2018). Some of these conditions are depression, dementia, schizophrenia, and anxiety. The medical problem is a broad term that includes all illnesses and disorders. Nonetheless, in some contexts, the term is explicitly used to denote any illness, injury, or disease except for mental illnesses. In this case, the claim that Major Depressive Disorder (MDD) is not a psychological problem but a condition that can be medically treated has its strengths and weakness.
One of the strengths of the claim is that it states that the condition can be medically treated. In this case, many people with MDD can recover after undergoing therapeutic sessions. For instance, Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and Continuous Aerobic Exercise Training (CAT) has been used to help individuals with MDD improve their condition (Halevy et al., 2019). Another strength of the claim is that it encourages people to exercise medical practices to treat the disease. Moreover, the statement can help people with the disorder change their thinking patterns, knowing that their condition can be treated.
Medical practitioners have different terms to classify health conditions, whereby health providers treat the disorders based on their classifications. Therefore, claiming that MDD is not a psychological problem differs with medical terms used to classify the disease. The condition is a mental health issue and involves the behavior, thinking patterns, and emotions of an individual (Minghetti et al., 2018). The characteristics of the condition, such as loss of interest in activities and having a persistently depressed mood, are common in people with psychological problems. Thus, MDD should be considered a psychological problem. In essence, the statement’s strength is mainly on the argument that MDD can be medically treated, while the weaknesses lie in the claim that MDD is not a psychological problem.
References
Halevy, N., Kreps, T. A., & De Dreu, C. K. (2019). Psychological situations illuminate the meaning of human behavior: Recent advances and application to social influence processes. Social and personality psychology compass, 13(3), e12437. Web.
Minghetti, A., Faude, O., Hanssen, H., Zahner, L., Gerber, M., & Donath, L. (2018). Sprint interval training (SIT) substantially reduces depressive symptoms in major depressive disorder (MDD): A randomized controlled trial. Psychiatry research, 265, 292-297. Web.