May 27, 2023

47. The Problem with Mental Health Diagnoses: Critiques of the DSM in 2023

39 minutes

Why are so many mental health professionals, researchers, and activists critiquing the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM)? In this episode, we dive deep into the complexities surrounding mental health diagnoses and explore the limitations and hazards of labeling and codifying human experiences. We look at why researchers have called the DSM “scientifically meaningless” as statistically unreliable and invalid and what this means for those receiving diagnoses. We look at who gets to decide what is normal vs. abnormal human behavior, and why more input is needed from other related fields to truly do justice to the nuances of human emotion and behavior.

Key Topics Discussed:

Limitations of labeling and codifying human experiences

Reliability and validity of the DSM and the absence of biomarkers

The development of the DSM and its political underpinnings

Why pathologizing can be antithetical to healing

Links:

IDHA - www.idha-nyc.org

Get bonus episodes on substack! ⁠⁠https://depthwork.substack.com/⁠⁠

Research:

Kate Allsop’s Research in Neuroscience News: https://neurosciencenews.com/meaningless-psychiatric-diagnosis-14434/

Cracked: Why Psychiatry is Doing More Harm Than Good by James Davies

The Reliability of Psychiatric Diagnoses: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2990547/ &

https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fpsyt.2017.00101/full

New Version of DSM critique https://www.madinamerica.com/2022/02/new-dsm-coming/

RDOC - https://www.nimh.nih.gov/research/research-funded-by-nimh/rdoc

JAMA article on other biological factors https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry/article-abstract/2804355

Once Radical Critiques of Psychiatry are Now Mainstream, So What Remains Taboo? by Bruce Levine - https://www.counterpunch.org/2023/05/05/once-radical-critiques-of-psychiatry-are-now-mainstream-so-what-remains-taboo/

Criticisms of psychiatry: https://www.psychiatrictimes.com/view/its-time-for-us-to-stop-being-so-defensive-about-criticisms-of-psychiatry

Disclaimer: The DEPTH Work Podcast is for educational and entertainment purposes only. Any information on this podcast in no way to be construed or substituted as psychological counseling, psychotherapy, mental health counseling, or any other type of therapy or medical advice.

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