Rather, there seems to be a cultural resistance to the whole concept, whereas depression or even schizophrenia seem to have been more palatable to researchers, clinicians and the public. Also, perhaps the claim of overdiagnosis itself is attractive: people generally want to be told they are less ill, rather than more. And attacks on the pharmaceutical industry, though often valid, easily follow in what seems to have become a sudorific sport.

To sum up: Unreliability, yes (like most psychiatric illnesses); overdiagnosis, no (unlike many other psychiatric illnesses) - a century and a half later, and still counting.

• Print
• Send to friend
• 
• 
• 
• 
• 

4 Reader comments join the discussion here!

Tags: annual meeting, annual meetings, bipolar, brown university, carl kasell, community psychiatrists, control group, conventions, depression, dsm iv, harmful poisons, interviewer, misdiagnosis, national public radio, npr, overdiagnosis, psychiatric researchers, reportage, underdiagnosis, wall street