Psychiatric Diagnostic (DSM 5) Contexts of Psychopathological Interference in Conscience Formation and Functioning across the Youth-span: a Guideline

Abstract

Pastoral counselors as well as psychotherapists might readily engage with conscience sensitive psychiatrists at the moral psychological level in understanding psychopathological interferences in conscience formation and functioning. The timeline of conceptual efforts made thus far to chart the course of psychopathological interferences in conscience formation and functioning is demarcated. Conscience sensitive psychiatry requires durable, conceptual tools for organizing bio-psycho-social considerations refined according to current standard diagnostic conventions in order for research to continue but also for the sake of enabling meaningful conscience sensitive contributions to healing. The absence of a designated group of disorders centered upon conscience accentuates the need to provide an up-to-date supplemental typology that will promote conscience sensitivity in diagnostic considerations. A GUIDELINE is provided for considering types of psychopathological interference in conscience formation and functioning in the context of current psychiatric diagnostic conventions.