Deck 12: The Medicalization and Pharmaceuticalization of Society

Question 1

Which of the following provides an example of demedicalization?

A) Homosexuality
B) Pregnancy
C) Menopause
D) Marijuana use

Answer 1

Homosexuality

Question 2

Define what is meant by medicalization and give three examples of conditions that have become medicalized.

Answer 2

Answers will vary.

Question 3

Medicalization refers to:

A) A process whereby social problems such as spousal abuse are redefined as "medical" problems.
B) A process whereby a person goes from the sick role to the patient role.
C) A process whereby medicine becomes more efficacious over time as our understanding of disease and illness increases.
D) None of the above.

Answer 3

A process whereby social problems such as spousal abuse are redefined as "medical" problems.

Question 4

Describe the concept of healthism and its consequences for the medicalization and morality of risky behaviour and disease prevention.

Question 5

Clinical iatrogenesis refers to illness resulting from the intentional involvement of medical treatment.

Question 6

The sham surgery is an example of:

A) Medicalization
B) The placebo effect
C) Healthism
D) The medical gaze
E) Healthy-person syndrome

Question 7

Objects lacking in any religious or transcendent meaning are referred to as:

A) Profane
B) Sacred
C) Taboo
D) Prerogative

Question 8

According to Moynihan 2003), female sexual arousal disorder FSAD) is an example of:

A) A debilitating disease that has consequences for reproductive health.
B) A previously ignored condition that affects the quality of life of a large percentage of women.
C) A culturally specific outcome in Western developed countries resulting from menopause.
D) A syndrome that has been created by pharmaceutical companies.

Question 9

Medicalization of pain and suffering falls into which type of iatrogenic illness as proposed by Illich 1976)?

A) Clinical iatrogenesis
B) Conceptual iatrogenesis
C) Social iatrogenesis
D) Structural iatrogenesis

Question 10

The two principal components of the sick role as conceptualized by Talcott Parsons include a patient's ________________ and ___________________.

Question 11

Which of the following has NOT been included under the concept of healthism?

A) Alcohol consumption
B) Pregnancy
C) Obesity
D) Smoking

Question 12

Discuss the consequences on personal responsibility for a diagnosis of adult ADHD.

Question 13

Which of the following is NOT one of the levels in which medicalization can occur as proposed by Conrad 2000)?

A) Conceptual level
B) Institutional level
C) Interaction level
D) All are levels in which medicalization can occur

Question 14

Medicalization of expectation is a component of:

A) Clinical iatrogenesis
B) Conceptual iatrogenesis
C) Social iatrogenesis
D) Structural iatrogenesis

Question 15

Government assists in the process of medicalization through its legislative power.

Question 16

Which of the following institutions has lost the least control over their domain of practice to the process of medicalization?

A) Legal system
B) Religion
C) Legislative
D) The family

Question 17

Which of the following results in the invention of new diagnoses through redefining natural processes as diseases or conditions?

A) Off-label use of pharmaceuticals.
B) Direct-to-consumer marketing of pharmaceuticals.
C) The Therapeutic Products Directorate TDP) branch of Health Canada.
D) The replication of successful drugs by other pharmaceutical companies, commonly known as "me-too" drugs.

Question 18

Which of the following is NOT a symptom of social iatrogenesis as proposed by Illich 1976)?

A) Dependency of society on care
B) Medicalization of the human lifespan
C) Dependency of society on drugs
D) Medicalization of pain and suffering

Question 19

Which of the following is NOT a type of iatrogenic illness as proposed by Illich 1976)?

A) Clinical iatrogenesis
B) Conceptual iatrogenesis
C) Social iatrogenesis
D) Structural iatrogenesis

Question 20

The discovery of the drug Viagara used improved sexual performance among males was a result of:

A) The accidental discovery of a side-effect of a drug being developed to treat coronary artery disease.
B) Years of research to address the problem of erectile dysfunction and improve the quality of life of men with the condition.
C) The discovery of a rare, naturally occurring herb found only in the rain forests in Central America, specifically Costa Rica and Belize.
D) An attempt by pharmaceutical companies to find a drug that they could market to otherwise healthy men.

Question 21

Discuss the concept and consequences of the process of structural iatrogenesis.