noun
- the process of treating or classifying a condition, behavior, or experience as a medical problem requiring medical intervention or treatment
Usage: often used critically to describe the expansion of medical authority into areas traditionally considered social, behavioral, or normal human variation
Examples
- Critics argue that the medicalization of shyness has led to overdiagnosis of social anxiety disorder.
- The medicalization of aging has prompted debate about whether all age-related changes require medical treatment.
- Some scholars worry about the medicalization of childhood behavior problems that might be better addressed through education.
- The medicalization of grief after the loss of a loved one has raised ethical questions among mental health professionals.
- Advocates for disability rights challenge the medicalization of deafness, viewing it as a cultural identity rather than a disorder.