Anthropology, Education, Sociology, and Social Phenomena

Medicalization

The process by which human conditions and problems come to be defined as medical conditions, and so become the subject of medical study, diagnosis, prevention, or treatment. This may result in health, medical, economic, sociological, and ethical issues.

National Library of MedicineMedical Subject Headings2026

Structured Summary

Abstract

The process by which human conditions and problems come to be defined as medical conditions, and so become the subject of medical study, diagnosis, prevention, or treatment. This may result in health, medical, economic, sociological, and ethical issues.

MeSH Record

Classification

Broader headings

Related Concepts

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MeSH Record

See Also

MeSH Record

Synonyms

9 entry terms
  • Demedicalization
  • Depathologization
  • Over Medicalization
  • Over Pathologization
  • Over-Medicalization
  • Over-Pathologization
  • Overmedicalization
  • Overpathologization
  • Pathologization

MeSH Record

Aspects Covered

12 allowable subheadings

Indexed with the subheadings classification, economics, education, ethics, history, instrumentation, legislation & jurisprudence, methods, organization & administration, standards, statistics & numerical data, trends.

MeSH Record

History Note

2013

MeSH Hierarchy

Tree Number

  1. I01w.880w.853.250w

AMA Style

References

  1. National Library of Medicine. Medicalization. Medical Subject Headings (MeSH). 2026. Unique ID D062528. http://id.nlm.nih.gov/mesh/2026/D062528
  2. Medicalization. In: Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Medicalization
  3. Medicalization. In: Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1134368