Focus: The importance of diagnosis
Vol. 37 No. 1 (2026)
Clinical practice rediscovers social justice: the Power Threat Meaning Framework
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All claims expressed in this article are solely those of the authors and do not necessarily represent those of their affiliated organizations, or those of the publisher, the editors and the reviewers. Any product that may be evaluated in this article or claim that may be made by its manufacturer is not guaranteed or endorsed by the publisher.
Published: 30 April 2026
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The publication of the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, 5th Edition (DSM-5) in 2013 was met with mixed reactions: some hailed it as a fundamental innovation in the field of diagnosis, while others denounced its underlying assumptions as basically unchanged from the problematic previous editions. In the same year, the British Psychological Society published a position statement calling for a paradigm shift in the classification of behaviors and experiences in relation to psychiatric diagnoses. Five years later, in 2018, shortly before the release of the International Classification of Diseases, 11th Revision (ICD-11), the British Psychological Society published the Power Threat Meaning Framework (PTMF, hereafter PTM) in both full and summary form. Over the following seven years, the model gained considerable international dissemination: translations have multiplied, and the summary version is now freely available in Spanish, Norwegian, Swedish, and Italian. At the same time, the PTM has generated lively debate: training initiatives have been launched, some services have experimented with its adoption across different sectors, and it has become a key reference text for part of the critical movement in the United Kingdom and beyond. After outlining its origins and aims, this article examines the nature and method of the PTM, highlighting its epistemological and political positioning. The article then analyses the framework’s core ideas and their innovative aspects, outlines its areas of application and the criticisms it has attracted, and concludes by reflecting on its potential as an instrument for reconnecting clinical practice and social justice.
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How to Cite
Clinical practice rediscovers social justice: the Power Threat Meaning Framework. (2026). Ricerca Psicoanalitica, 37(1). https://doi.org/10.4081/rp.2026.1137
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