Explanatory Models of Illness and Psychiatric Rehabilitation: A Clinical Sociology Approach

Robert Sévigny; Sheying Chen; Elaina Y. Chen

doi:10.18778/1733-8077.6.3.03

Authors

Robert Sévigny University of Montreal, Canada
Sheying Chen Indiana University, USA
Elaina Y. Chen Indiana University School of Medicine, USA

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.18778/1733-8077.6.3.03

Keywords:

Explanatory Models of Illness (EMI), Social Psychiatry, Clinical Sociology, Rehabilitation of Schizophrenia, Case Study in China

Abstract

The notion of explanatory models of illness (EMI) epitomizes the theme of social representation in social psychiatry. This article illustrates a clinical sociology approach to the subject by revisiting the seminal work of Kleinman and reflecting on the use of EMI in studying severe mental illnesses, particularly in China. A general literature review is provided to show the complexity of the subject, and the work of clinical sociologist Sévigny over the past two decades is summarized. A case analysis is conducted to illuminate the many social factors that came to play in affecting the experiences and perceptions of schizophrenic patients and their significant others in the nation’s capital Beijing in the 1990s. Diverse “explanations” in the experience of schizophrenia are explored, including the medical, the psychogenic, and the psychosocial models, among such others as inheritance and religious beliefs. Implications for research and clinical practice are discussed, including extending EMI study beyond illness interpretation to emphasize social rehabilitation.

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Author Biographies

Robert Sévigny, University of Montreal, Canada

Robert Sévigny is Professor Emeritus of Sociology at University of Montreal, Quebec, Canada.
Sheying Chen, Indiana University, USA

Sheying Chen is Professor of Sociology and Associate Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs at Indiana University, New Albany, IN, USA.
Elaina Y. Chen, Indiana University School of Medicine, USA

Elaina Y. Chen is a clinical research assistant in the M.D. Program at Indiana University School of Medicine, Indianapolis, IN, USA. The project was supported by a grant from the Social Science and Humanities Research Council of Canada awarded to Prof. Sévigny (Principal Investigator).

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