Disgust And Psychiatric Illness: Have We Remembered?
Abstract
It has been argued that disgust has been forgotten by psychiatry. An overview of recent research on disgust is provided. Findings suggest that disgust is a predictor of the development of specific psychiatric conditions.
Research suggesting that disgust has a role in psychiatric illness has emerged (Phillips et al, 1998). Although a well-developed theory of disgust exists in the literature (Rozin & Fallon, 1987), it does not indicate how extreme disgust reactions relate to psychopathology. Briefly, disgust is readily distinguished from other emotions, has robust behavioural correlates such as avoidance and distinct facial expressions, and has specific physical effects such as nausea. Disgust follows a developmental pattern whereby the aforementioned reactions are taught by caregivers, generally as a defence against oral ingestion of items considered contaminated.
At its core, disgust means ‘bad taste’. The notion that disgust might have evolved from the food rejection system is evidenced by the gagging...