Pathways to patienthood: Sick role and labeling perspectives

Two leading sociological theorists of mental illness, Parsons and Scheff, depoct the mentally ill as enacting a deviant social role which sets them apart from others. For each of these writers, persons so identified internalize the social definition of themselves which then serves as a guide for their future behavior. This social imagery specifies what kinds of people the mentally ill are, why they behave as they do and how to react to them in both the evaluative and interactional sense. Divergence between the theoretical perspectives arises chiefly over (1) the nature of the cues which set resocialization in motion and (2) the content of the cultural imagery incorporated into the individual's self-conception when he enters the mental illness role. In a study of psychiatric patients and the general public, we test a series of hypotheses which are derived from Parson's sick role and Scheff's labeling theories of mental illness. As a result of the research, both the theories are found wanting for (1) patients and the symptomatic public alike did not view themselves negatively which is what one would expect according to labeling and (2) patients and the public both were reticient to seek out professional assistance for their symptoms and problems, a find contrary to sick role theory. Suggestions for modifications of the theories are offered.