This is true. When attempts to find physical/chemical differences in the brain between "normal" people and people with a disorder have a <50% replication rate, you can't build any diagnostic tests off of that.
All significant social groups have material interests which may conflict with their 'official' ethos ... scientists need to get papers published, and to get grants. It would be naive to think that this does not affect what they write.
Allen Frances, lead editor of the fourth edition of the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (universally known as the DSM-IV), has come out against the psychiatric establishment.
We are at a point where people have to think carefully about what "experts" and scientists say and do, since we have overwhelming evidence that high IQ and tremendous education/training still leave people as fallible and flawed human beings. The question of "we can do X but should we?" is a super critical one, more so perhaps than ever before. A first step would be some kind of really serious consequences for those who answered the question badly and caused lots of harm to people. But what are the chances of that happening?
Brilliant overview ADHD diagnosis in a given country seems to soar in epidemic fashion. See Canada, Finland recently. Not just linked to US health care system.
There are
No [ biological ]Tests To Diagnose Mental Illness
https://www.cchr.org.uk/is-madness-a-disease/no-tests-to-diagnose-mental-illness/
This is true. When attempts to find physical/chemical differences in the brain between "normal" people and people with a disorder have a <50% replication rate, you can't build any diagnostic tests off of that.
Excellent. Anyone who wants to follow this up should read Ben Goldacre's Bad Science [
Ben GoldAcre Bad Science https://www.amazon.com/Bad-Science-Quacks-Pharma-Flacks/dp/0865479186/ ] and Stuart Richie's Science Fictions [ https://www.amazon.com/Science-Fictions-Stuart-Ritchie/dp/1250841860/ ].
All significant social groups have material interests which may conflict with their 'official' ethos ... scientists need to get papers published, and to get grants. It would be naive to think that this does not affect what they write.
Allen Frances, lead editor of the fourth edition of the American Psychiatric Association's Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (universally known as the DSM-IV), has come out against the psychiatric establishment.
He has written a book : Saving Normal.
Some links to articles about him :
https://nypost.com/2023/04/24/doctor-who-broadened-autism-spectrum-sorry-for-over-diagnosis/
https://www.wired.com/2010/12/ff-dsmv/
We are at a point where people have to think carefully about what "experts" and scientists say and do, since we have overwhelming evidence that high IQ and tremendous education/training still leave people as fallible and flawed human beings. The question of "we can do X but should we?" is a super critical one, more so perhaps than ever before. A first step would be some kind of really serious consequences for those who answered the question badly and caused lots of harm to people. But what are the chances of that happening?
Brilliant overview
Brilliant overview ADHD diagnosis in a given country seems to soar in epidemic fashion. See Canada, Finland recently. Not just linked to US health care system.
Perhaps a similar gaze on antidepressants?