March 26, 2007

UPDATED: DSM Author Says Many Diagnoses Incorrect

Much credit to Vera Sharav at AHRP for unearthing a BBC documentary wherein Robert Spitzer, godfather of the current DSM and lead author of the revolutionary 1980 DSM-III (the one that shifted psychiatry to the biologically-based model), admits that 20 percent to 30 percent of mental disorder diagnoses are incorrect. Sharav writes that he even admits that ADHD is "an erroneous made up diagnosis." If so, that's major news.

I've got to track down this documentary, which obviously I haven't seen.

UPDATE: Spitzer now says his comments were twisted. He was, instead, speaking of adult anxiety disorders. Apparently, flacks for the BBC misunderstood him and attached his comments to ADHD, which of course the European press ate up. Funny how incorrect information can blow up on the Net. I hope the news organizations that reported the incorrect statement issue the appropriate correction.

Meanwhile, while I am still interested in what Spitzer actually said in the documentary, I am leaving the initial post above as a record of this odd incident.

Posted by Philip Dawdy at March 26, 2007 10:38 AM
StumbleUpon Toolbar del.icio.us Digg it reddit
Comments

"I am leaving the initial post above as a record of this odd incident."

Good idea.

Posted by: Stephany at March 26, 2007 06:55 PM

The (Australian) ABC's Media Watch program ripped into the print media's interpretations of Spitzer's comments last night. A transcript, together with graphics and video link, can be found here.

Wikipedia's summary of the relevant part of the episode in question, which screened on 18 March, is as follows:

"The second episode reiterated many of the ideas of the first, but developed the theme that the drugs such as Prozac and lists of psychological symptoms which might indicate anxiety or depression were being used to normalise behaviour and make humans behave more predictably, like machines.

"This was not presented as a conspiracy theory, but as a logical (although unpredicted) outcome of market-driven self-diagnosis by checklist, discussed in the previous programme.

"People with standard mood fluctuations self-diagnosed as abnormal; they then presented at psychiatrist's offices and fulfilled diagnostic criteria without explaining personal histories and so were medicated. The alleged result was that vast numbers of Western people have had their behaviour and mentation modified by SSRI drugs without any strict medical necessity.

Posted by: Ruth at March 26, 2007 10:37 PM

pic1.jpg

Patient Blogs. Sites.
Doctor Blogs. Sites.
Activists. News.
Social Networking. Forums.
Science. Big Pharma. Ethics.
Current Affairs
Seattle Stuff
Smoking. Stuff.

Info
About Furious Seasons
Email
Other Articles
ZYPREXA Documents
Alt ZYPREXA Documents Source
Blakemore-Brown Transcript

 Subscribe in a reader

Recent Entries
Jim Carrey Criticizes Extended Anti-Depressant Use
FDA Orders Suicide Warning For Bipolar, Epilepsy Drugs
Another Seroquel Related Arrest
Minnesota Forced ECT Case Hits NPR Airwaves
Fundraiser Over
Boston Globe Reports Sexual Problems With SSRIs As High As 50 Percent
Winter Fundraiser, So Close It's Not Even Funny
Two Child Physicians Criticize ADHD Meds, The Bipolar Child, Pharma Influence
Michael Phelps: "I Didn't Want To Take Ritalin Anymore"
Winter Fundraiser, Oh So Close
Winter Fundraiser, Inching Closer
10-Year-Old Who Killed Father After Beginning Prozac Gets New Trial
Scientific American Interview: Is Depression Overdiagnosed?
Winter Fundraiser, Day 11
Paxil Documents Online
Recent Comments

Ruth on UPDATED: DSM Author Says Many Diagnoses Incorrect

Stephany on UPDATED: DSM Author Says Many Diagnoses Incorrect

Archives
December 2008
November 2008
October 2008
September 2008
August 2008
July 2008
June 2008
May 2008
April 2008
March 2008
February 2008
January 2008
December 2007
November 2007
October 2007
September 2007
August 2007
July 2007
June 2007
May 2007
April 2007
March 2007
February 2007
January 2007
December 2006
November 2006
October 2006
September 2006
August 2006
July 2006
June 2006
May 2006
April 2006
March 2006
February 2006
January 2006
December 2005
November 2005
October 2005
September 2005
Resources
Mental Health America
National Alliance on Mental Illness
Depression and Bipolar Support Alliance
National Institute of Mental Health
McMan Web
Search


Powered by
Movable Type 3.2