Diagnosing Demoralization in Consultation Psychiatry

Hopelessness, demoralization and suicidal behaviour: the backdrop to welfare reform in Australia

“…Other literature, often in the context of medical illness, considers demoralization as an inability to meet own or others’ expectations and an inability to cope or resolve difficulties [37,38]. de Figueiredo [39,40] outlines two key components of demoralization: general psychological distress and feelings of subjective incompetence.…”

Demoralization in Medical Practice

“…In this view, demoralization is always abnormal. 7 In contrast, Slavney 8 has argued that demoralization is not a psychiatric disorder at all, but a normal response to adversity. He likened demoralization to grief, which is a nonpathologic reaction to stress, but which may be a focus of clinical attention; grief is assigned a V code in the DSM-IV.…”

Diagnosis and Measurement of Subjective Incompetence: The Clinical Hallmark of Demoralization

“…A recent study found that demoralization is frequently associated with excessive use of primary care services [3]. Whether demoralization should be viewed as a normal or homeostatic response to stress or an abnormal state requiring treatment intervention has been the subject of debate [4,5,6]. This problem is particularly important because of the difficulty in differentiating between true mental disorders and homeostatic reactions to adverse life events [7, 8].…”