Mental health experts in London say there is scientific invalidity to the term “schizophrenia”, this according to an article posted today on CNN.com; “‘Schizophrenia’ ” should be dropped, experts say”.
Professor Marius Romme of the University of Central England in Birmingham is quoted as saying that labeling someone as schizophrenic is a “harmful concept” and that the major symptoms associated with schizophrenia, delusions and hallucinations, could be the results of trauma in life, not necessarily results of an illness. The experts believe that there is fault in labeling a whole range of symptoms as a single disease. Additionally, they site problems with the anti-psychotic drugs which are often prescribed for Schizophrenia including weight gain, sexual dysfunction and increased risks of developing diabetes.
Those proponents of the term “schizophrenia” want to completely it. What are they doing to get the word out? Apparently they have formed a group; The Campaign for the Abolition of the Schizophrenia Label, or CASL, a group of people organized to spread the word of ’schizophrenia’ abolishment.
CASL argues that the term schizophrenia is extremely damaging to those to whom it is applied and implies unpredictability, being dangerous, unable to cope and someone in need of life-long treatment.
If we start getting rid of mental health labels, does this compromise our ability to adequatly diagnose individuals suffering from a group of symptoms?
Other psychiatrists agree that schizophrenia is an inadequate term, however they believe that getting rid of the term could lead to problems classifying patients. For example, it could lead to problems deferentiating schizophrenic symptoms from bipolar or obsessive compulsive disorders, whom may receive inappropriate treatments.
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From Psych Central's World of Psychology:
Abolishing “Schizophrenia”: In My Opinion - World of Psychology (10/12/2007)
2 Comments to
“Is this the End of “Schizophrenia” as we know it?”
And . . . what is your view?
So, if the grounds for abolition of the term are such that some people exhibit symptoms consistent with the diagnosis as a result of some life stress (cf genetic reasons), then what do we do with those “bona fide” patients?
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Last reviewed: By John M. Grohol, Psy.D. on 10 Oct 2006
