Although mental disorder categories were originally developed to explain and predict human psychology and behavior, in certain cases, namely, in cases involving animal caregiving and welfare, these categories have been extended to animal minds. This is in tension with the views of the majority of the scientific community, which tend towards skepticism about the utilization of mental health categories in non-human cases. This paper considers the feasibility of applying mental disorder categories to animals, and explores why different fields have drawn different conclusions on the matter. Using a comparison between human obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) and animal stereotypic behavior, and drawing on literature in psychiatry, philosophy of science, animal models, and philosophy of disability, I explore the various considerations relevant to whether and how mental disorders can be attributed to cases of abnormal animal behavior.

Although mental disorder categories were originally developed to explain and predict human psychology and behavior, in certain cases, namely, in cases involving animal caregiving and welfare, these ca...

"Where We Are Planted" explores eight people's experiences with the natural world, from cleaning up the the Mill Creek to working in community gardens.

Local high school actors bring to life personal stories about human- environmental interactions in Cincinnati. Bringing history to life!

Carol Brammer (founder and director of Clifton Performance Theatre and Liberty Exhibition Hall) and Kate Nicole Hoffman (postdoc at the UC Center for Public Engagement with Science (PEWS)) have rec…