Which of the following is an example of medicalization?

• A. A serendipitous cure by chance.
• B. A genetic predisposition to heart disease.
• C. ADHD framed as a medical condition.
• D. ADHD treated by non-medical means.

Answer: (C)

Medicalization is when a problem or behavior that wasn’t seen as medical is redefined as a medical issue and treated through medical means. Framing ADHD as a medical condition does exactly that: behaviors like inattention and hyperactivity are labeled as a disorder with diagnostic criteria, and the typical response is medical—diagnosis by a clinician, possible medication, and ongoing medical management. This shifts how the problem is understood and addressed, from a educational or social challenge to a medical one requiring medical intervention.

The other options don’t show that same shift. A serendipitous cure by chance is just an accidental medical outcome, not a redefinition of a problem as medical. A genetic predisposition to heart disease describes biological risk, not a transformation of a behavior or life circumstance into a medical problem. ADHD treated by non-medical means avoids the medical framing entirely, so it doesn’t illustrate medicalization.