Central and East European
Society for Phenomenology

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226393

Positive and negative aspects of the who definition of health, and their implications for a new concept of health in the future

Piet Van Spijk

pp. 209-227

Abstract

Working as a doctor in an outpatient psychiatric hospital, I had just finished the treatment of a young homosexual woman who had recently separated from her girlfriend. She experienced a strong grief reaction and came into treatment for this reason. She improved rather quickly, and it was at that moment that I was confronted with the following practical question: Does a homosexual person, who feels reasonably well, require further treatment? Is such a person healthy or not? What are the grounds for a "yes' or "no" in response to this question? The medical library of the University Hospital where I worked, and the medical literature in general, was of little help in answering such questions. I was surprised to find nothing there.

Publication details

Published in:

Taboada Paulina, Fedoryka Kateryna, Donohue-White Patricia (2002) Person, society and value: towards a personalist concept of health. Dordrecht, Springer.

Pages: 209-227

DOI: 10.1007/978-94-017-2570-5_10

Full citation:

Van Spijk Piet (2002) „Positive and negative aspects of the who definition of health, and their implications for a new concept of health in the future“, In: P. Taboada, K. Fedoryka & P. Donohue-White (eds.), Person, society and value, Dordrecht, Springer, 209–227.