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The Meaning of Insight in Clinical Psychiatry

Published online by Cambridge University Press:  02 January 2018

I. S. Marková  and
G. E. Berrios
I. S. Marková
Affiliation:
Fulbourn Hospital, Cambridge
G. E. Berrios*
Affiliation:
Robinson College, Cambridge, and Consultant and University Lecturer in Psychiatry, University of Cambridge, Addenbrooke's Hospital, Cambridge
*
∗Department of Psychiatry, Addenbrooke's Hospital (Level 4), Hills Road, Cambridge CB2 2QQ
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Abstract

Insight can be defined not only in terms of people's understanding of their illness, but also in terms of understanding how the illness affects individuals' interactions with the world. The term ‘insight’ encompasses a complex concept which should not be considered as an isolated symptom which is present or absent. Instead, it may be more appropriate to think of insight as a continuum of thinking and feeling, affected by numerous internal and external variables. Different psychiatric disorders involve different mechanisms in the process of impairment of insight; this may influence the ways in which insight should be assessed in clinical practice.

Type
Papers
Information
The British Journal of Psychiatry , Volume 160 , Issue 6 , June 1992 , pp. 850 - 860
Copyright
Copyright © The Royal College of Psychiatrists 

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