---
title: "Meaning & Key Takeaway of: Psychiatric illnesses were classified…"
description: "\"“Psychiatric illnesses were classified into two major groups—organic illnesses and functional illnesses—based on presumed differences in their origin. ..."
image: "https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/40f/eric-kandel-10189_illness_psychiatric-illnesses-were-classified-in_2711102.jpg"
---

#  Psychiatric illnesses were classified into two major…

![“Psychiatric illnesses were classified into two major groups—organic illnesses and functional illnesses—based on presumed differences in their origin. That classification, which dated to the nineteenth century, emerged from postmortem examinations of the brains of mental patients.” quote by Eric Kandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/40f/eric-kandel-10189_illness_psychiatric-illnesses-were-classified-in_2711102.jpg)   [Download](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/40f/eric-kandel-10189_illness_psychiatric-illnesses-were-classified-in_2711102.jpg) [Open image](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/i/40f/eric-kandel-10189_illness_psychiatric-illnesses-were-classified-in_2711102.jpg)

> ““Psychiatric illnesses were classified into two major groups—organic illnesses and functional illnesses—based on presumed differences in their origin. That classification, which dated to the nineteenth century, emerged from postmortem examinations of the brains of mental patients.””

[Eric Kandel](https://sms4smile.com/quotes/author/eric-kandel/)

## About This Quote

This interpretation was drafted with AI assistance. It is one reading of the quote, not the author's own explanation.

Historical classification of psychiatric illnesses into organic vs. functional based on presumed origins, rooted in 19th‑century postmortem brain studies.

**In simple terms:** Old categories split mental illness by cause.

Key Takeaway

Recognize limits of outdated labels.

Themes

psychiatry history science

Mood

critical inquisitive

Type

academic historical

When to use this quote

- clinical diagnosis
- research
- education
- policy making

Key Concepts

nosology brain pathology

Questions to Reflect On

- Are these distinctions still useful?
- How might classification evolve?

A Different Perspective

Modern neuroscience shows overlap between categories.

★ ★ ★ ★ ★   No ratings yet

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